Block & Order Weekly Docket (March 30, 2026)
From Memecoin to Your Retirement Plan | Gemini Nano Banana 2.0
By: Moish Peltz
Congress is drafting crypto’s tax future, the CFTC is building its AI playbook, and Anthropic just won a courtroom showdown with the Pentagon. Meanwhile, Wall Street is quietly tokenizing everything — and BigLaw still won’t give you billable credit for learning how to use it.
This week:
- 🏛️ Crypto tax wars heat up in Washington
- ⚖️ Anthropic blocks “Orwellian” security label
- 💰 Tether brings in Big Four auditors
- 🏠 Crypto meets mortgages at Fannie Mae
- 🔒 Post-exploit fallout reshapes DeFi governance
⚖️ Crypto Policy
White House Greenlights 401(k) Crypto Access Rule OIRA completed its review on March 24 of the DOL’s proposed rule, formally titled “Fiduciary Duties in Selecting Designated Investment Alternatives”, clearing the way for EBSA to publish it for a 60-day public comment period. The rule, mandated by Trump’s August 2025 executive order, would clarify how 401(k) fiduciaries can include crypto and other alternative assets under ERISA. OIRA Conclusion of EO 12866 | ASPPA | Cointelegraph
Tax Bill Sparks Bitcoin Exemption Debate New congressional tax legislation covering digital assets has Bitcoiners crying foul. The proposal creates a framework for crypto taxation but conspicuously lacks the Bitcoin-specific exemptions some advocates expected, and is now drawing accusations that Congress is “picking winners and losers.” DL News | Cointelegraph
CFTC Launches Crypto-AI-Prediction Markets Task Force The Commodity Futures Trading Commission unveiled a new innovation task force to develop regulatory frameworks across crypto, artificial intelligence, and prediction markets. The move comes as 11 states pursue enforcement actions against prediction platforms. The Block
Court Dismisses Developer’s Bid for Regulatory Clarity A Texas federal court dismissed crypto developer Michael Lewellen’s lawsuit seeking a declaration that his charitable crowdfunding software (Pharos) wouldn’t violate money-transmission laws — not on the merits, but because he failed to show a credible threat of prosecution. Lewellen called it a win for uncertainty: “A non-binding DoJ memo is no substitute for real legal certainty.” Cointelegraph | Docket on Courtlistener | Opinion and Order
🤖 AI & Law
Anthropic Wins Injunction Against Trump Administration In a significant win for the AI industry, Anthropic secured a federal injunction blocking the Pentagon’s attempt to label the company a security risk. The court called the designation “Orwellian” and lacking factual basis. TechCrunch | Law360 | Docket on Courtlistener | Text of Order Granting Motion for Preliminary Injunction | Text of Preliminary Injunction Order
USPTO Rolls Out AI-Powered Trademark Tools The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office announced new AI image search and description tools for trademark examiners when examining trademark applications — the agency’s most significant tech upgrade in years. Law360
Bitcoin Miners Switching to AI — And the Network Feels It Major mining operations are reallocating hashpower to AI compute, lured by more stable returns and enterprise contracts. The shift is measurably impacting Bitcoin network difficulty. Unchained
Hut 8 Embraces ‘LEGO Block’ Infrastructure Model The mining firm is building modular data centers that can flip between Bitcoin mining and AI workloads on demand — a hedge against volatility in both markets. The Block
💰 Market Moves
Tether Brings in KPMG and PwC Ahead of US Push The world’s largest stablecoin issuer hired KPMG for its first comprehensive audit and PwC for advisory services, signaling serious intent to meet U.S. regulatory standards. CoinDesk
NYSE Taps Securitize for Tokenized Stock Platform The New York Stock Exchange selected blockchain infrastructure firm Securitize to build its tokenized securities platform — the clearest signal yet that traditional finance is betting on on-chain settlement. CoinDesk
Coinbase Bridges Crypto and the Mortgage Market Coinbase and lender Better Home & Finance launched a structure letting borrowers pledge Bitcoin or USDC as collateral for a separate loan that funds their down payment — while the primary mortgage remains a standard Fannie Mae-conforming product. It’s the first time crypto collateral has been used this directly in government-backed mortgage financing. Cointelegraph
🔒 Security & Governance
Balancer Labs Shuts Down After $110M Exploit The DeFi protocol’s corporate entity is dissolving, with leadership citing that the legal structure “became a liability” following last year’s massive hack. The DAO will continue operations without corporate backing. CoinDesk
$1,808 Nearly Bought an Entire DeFi Protocol An attacker spent $1,808 and 11 minutes to push through a governance proposal that would have handed them total control of Moonwell, a multichain lending protocol with $85M in TVL — including the ability to drain over $1M in user funds. Token holders voted it down, but the episode exposed just how cheaply governance attacks can be mounted. DL News
Crypto Insurance May Not Protect Against Theft A Bloomberg investigation reveals that many crypto “insurance” products contain significant carve-outs and coverage gaps that may leave holders exposed in actual theft scenarios. Bloomberg
🪂 Only in Crypto
SBF’s Mom Goes to Court Sam Bankman-Fried is serving his federal sentence, praising Trump from prison, and hoping for a pardon — and his Stanford legal ethics professor mother Barbara Fried has apparently decided to help by filing court motions claiming to be from her son. Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan has now ordered SBF to declare under oath whether he actually wrote the pro se filings submitted in his name. The problem: if Barbara Fried drafted them, she’s practicing law in a court where she’s not admitted. If SBF signed off claiming he wrote something he didn’t, he’s lying to a federal judge. It’s a legal ethics disaster authored by a legal ethics professor. Citation Needed
🎧 Sunday Night Listens
Inside Claude Code With Its Creator Boris Cherny A rare deep dive with the engineer who built Claude Code — covering how it works, how it was designed, and where AI-assisted development is heading. Essential listening for anyone thinking about how AI is reshaping legal work and software practice. Watch on YouTube →
Polsinelli Mandates AI Training But Doesn’t Provide Billable Credit A major firm now requires AI proficiency training for all attorneys, but lawyers won’t receive billable hour credit for the time invested. The policy highlights an interesting debate, and the awkward economics of legal AI adoption. The Chair of the firm, Chase Simmons stated on a Bloomberg Law podcast: “If you need motivation to learn how to use AI in your career right now, we probably have other things that we should be concerned about with you.” Simmons added, “This should just be every day you wake up and have breakfast and think about how to incorporate this into your career.” Bloomberg Law
Block & Order Weekly Docket | Week of March 23–29, 2026
For legal professionals navigating crypto, AI, and emerging technology law. The materials in this article are for informational purposes only and are not legal advice. Do not act upon this information without first seeking advice from an attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.