Welcome to the #24 issue of The Bitcoin Act, where every Tuesday and Sunday we track the legal and regulatory moves that actually shape Bitcoin, cutting through noise, narratives, and theater.

Now for today’s top stories:

🇿🇦 South Africa Targets Bitcoin Flows in Budget Speech
Finance Minister proposes new regulations under the Currency and Exchanges Act to include Bitcoin in capital controls.

🔍 Rochard Demands Audit for U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve
Pierre Rochard calls out the missing public audit of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, warning that lack of transparency erodes trust in government's holdings.

💼 Block Axes 40% Staff
Jack Dorsey's Block cuts 40% of workforce to shift toward AI.

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U.S. Supreme Court denied review of Ian Freeman's conviction, a Bitcoin advocate convicted for money laundering via unlicensed transmission through fake churches like Shire Free Church, highlighting risks of misusing Bitcoin for illicit funds.

Vetle Lunde from K33 Research analyzed that 94,636 BTC seized from a hack could be returned to victims under a 2025 executive order exception for restitution, potentially releasing government-held Bitcoin back to rightful owners.

Bitcoin Policy Institute experts explained the CLARITY Act safeguards non-custodial Bitcoin users, clarifying you're not a money transmitter under federal law unless you control user funds unilaterally, boosting legal protections for self-custody.

South Africa's Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, in the 2026 Budget Speech, proposed regulations under Currency and Exchanges Act to include Bitcoin in capital flow controls, aiming to monitor cross-border transfers while enhancing AML rules.

Russian President Putin condemned the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei as a cynical murder breaching human morality and international law, amid escalating Middle East tensions that could spike Bitcoin volatility.

Iran expert Ali Vaez, with international law background at Crisis Group, denounced U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran as illegal under international and U.S. law, warning of global instability and economic shocks pressuring Bitcoin prices downward.

President Trump confirmed Khamenei's death on Truth Social, calling it justice against an evil thug responsible for global killings, potentially easing Iran-related sanctions that indirectly benefit Bitcoin adoption.

Pierre Rochard questioned the lack of audit for the U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, arguing its absence undermines transparency and trust in government's Bitcoin holdings as sound money reserves.

SEC Chairman Atkins admitted the agency missed opportunities on Bitcoin regulation and now seeks to reclaim ground, signaling a shift toward clearer rules that could reduce enforcement uncertainty for Bitcoiners.

Jack Dorsey's Block slashed 40% of its staff to pivot to AI. He announced via a post on X a massive layoff of employees, causing Block's stock price to surge.

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📊 $10M+ – Massachusetts AG sues Bitcoin Depot, alleging the ATM operator knowingly enabled scams causing over $10 million in losses to state residents via misleading tactics and high scam-related transactions. ICIJ

🏛️ HB 1042 – Indiana's Bitcoin rights bill passes both chambers (self-custody protections, no discriminatory taxes, pension fund BTC options), bans crypto ATMs statewide; awaits Governor's signature for July 1 effect. Atlas21

🇰🇷 $1.5M – South Korean police arrest two A Coin Foundation-linked suspects for stealing 22 BTC (valued at ~$1.5M) from a seized cold wallet in a 2021 corruption case breach. Atlas21

🇸🇮 25% – Slovenia's proposed ZDDOKS flat tax on Bitcoin gains blocked after Bitcoin Association opposition; preserves tax-free status for occasional HODLers under current ZDoh-2 rules. Bitcoin News

🎲 63% – Polymarket odds that the CLARITY Act gets signed into law in 2026 sit at 63% for Yes, with $283K+ in trading volume reflecting growing bettor confidence in regulatory clarity. Polymarket

"I define anarchist society as one where there is no legal possibility for coercive aggression against the person or property of any individual. Anarchists oppose the State because it has its very being in such aggression..." — Murray Rothbard

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