Tyler Warner, journalist, presents Morning Minute, a daily newsletter featuring his analysis and opinions. For quick news updates, visit our new daily news show available on Apple Pod or Spotify.
🚩 Army Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke Arrested for Polymarket Insider Trading
The Department of Justice announced Thursday that 38-year-old Army Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke was arrested and charged with leveraging classified military information to profit from bets on Polymarket. Van Dyke, who took part in Operation Absolute Resolve—the January 3rd raid capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro—made 13 bets between December 26th and January 2nd using a VPN for location masking.
He invested approximately $33,000 across contracts predicting outcomes like Maduro’s capture and U.S. intervention in Venezuela, netting over $409,000 upon the operation’s success. Van Dyke swiftly transferred most of his winnings to an overseas crypto wallet and deposited the rest into a newly established brokerage account.
The DOJ has charged him with unlawful use of confidential government information, theft of government data, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making unlawful monetary transactions. Concurrently, the CFTC filed a civil complaint. Polymarket, having identified the suspect’s account independently, referred it to the DOJ and cooperated fully in the investigation.
When queried about the arrest, Trump remarked: “The whole world, unfortunately, has become somewhat of a casino… I was never much in favor of it. I don’t like it conceptually.”
🥶 Tether Enforces Record Freeze on $344M in USDT
Tether announced Thursday that it had frozen $344 million in USDT across two wallets on the Tron blockchain, following requests from U.S. law enforcement. One wallet contained $212.9 million, while another held $131.3 million.
The freeze was conducted with OFAC and multiple U.S. agencies after identifying the addresses for potential sanctions evasion and criminal activities. Tether acted to restrict these assets before further transfers could occur, without naming the wallet owners or specifying the exact criminal activity involved.
This action marks Tether’s largest single enforcement freeze to date. In its history of collaboration with over 340 law enforcement agencies across 65 countries, Tether has frozen a total of $4.4 billion in assets, including $2.1 billion linked to U.S. agencies. CEO Paolo Ardoino stated: “USDT is not a safe haven for illicit activity. When credible links to sanctioned entities or criminal networks are identified, we act immediately and decisively.”
SBF Withdraws New Trial Bid Citing Unfair Hearing Concerns
Sam Bankman-Fried filed a letter withdrawing his Rule 33 motion for a new trial without prejudice, allowing him the option to refile once his pending Second Circuit appeal concludes.
In a direct communication with Judge Lewis Kaplan, SBF expressed doubts about receiving a fair hearing. The initial motion, submitted in February by his mother, attorney Barbara Fried, prompted clarification on authorship. SBF confirmed he conceived, drafted, and researched the legal arguments himself while incarcerated, with editorial input from his parents and limited assistance from a New York attorney.
His Second Circuit appeal, claiming an unfair trial, continues alongside a request to be reassigned from Judge Kaplan due to alleged bias. SBF is serving a 25-year sentence for seven fraud-related counts stemming from FTX’s collapse in 2022.
🤖 Meta Announces Layoffs Amid AI Investment Push
Meta revealed Thursday it plans to lay off around 8,000 employees, or about 10% of its workforce, effective May 20. An internal memo cited efficiency and offsetting other investment costs as reasons for the layoffs.
These investments primarily target artificial intelligence initiatives. Meta’s capital expenditures amounted to $72 billion in 2025, with projections increasing to between $115 and $135 billion in 2026—driven by its AI labs and data center expansion.
Middle management and non-engineering roles are anticipated to be most affected. Additionally, Meta is closing 6,000 positions that will remain unfilled.
This development follows Zuckerberg’s January earnings call statement suggesting 2026 would see significant changes in work dynamics due to AI advancements.