The Morning After: President Biden tackles cryptocurrency

He’s a little late to the party, but President Biden has detailed the country’s first “whole-of-government” strategy for exploring cryptocurrency and other digital assets. Officials at multiple bureaus will explore the risks and potential advantages of crypto.

US regulators have been chasing improved legal clarity on crypto since last year. The Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) previously shared a roadmap focused on the legal status of stablecoin releases and crypto being logged on company balance sheets.

According to Biden’s executive order, the Treasury Department will recommend policies to protect people and businesses, as well as regulations to protect against “systemic financial risks.” The most intriguing part of the order may be the possibility of a . It’s still early days for now.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

‘Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle’ is a mere $10.

Nintendo’s favorite day for gaming discounts is back, and Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, one of our recent all-time faves for the Nintendo Switch, is only $40. Also up for grabs at the same price are the must-have Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, 2019’s Luigi’s Mansion 3, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury and Yoshi’s Crafted World. That’s a lot of Mario. Mamma mia. (I regret nothing.)

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VW’s newest electric vehicle will seat five people.

Nearly 75 years since the first Volkswagen Type 2 rolled off its assembly line and into the annals of Americana as an icon of 1960’s counterculture, VW is re-releasing the emblematic vehicle — this time .

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…. but as an NFT marketplace.

In May, LimeWire is relaunching as a “mainstream-ready, digital collectibles marketplace for art and entertainment, initially focusing on music.” Its backers believe it’ll be a place for artists and fans to create and sell digital trinkets without the “technical hurdles of the current NFT landscape.” If you remember LimeWire, from the era before Spotify, iTunes and the rest, you’ll know this new direction has nothing to do with what — an often-not-legal filesharing service.

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It’s unclear if his body rejected the organ.

David Bennett, the first human to successfully undergo a heart transplant involving a genetically modified pig heart, has died, aged 57. It’s unclear if his body rejected the organ doctors implanted in January. “There was no obvious cause identified at the time of his death,” a spokesperson for the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Even if doctors determine the cause of death was organ rejection, it remains a groundbreaking milestone. Stephanie Fae Beauclair, one of the most famous patients to undergo a xenotransplantation procedure, survived 21 days before her body rejected her adopted baboon heart. 

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The Disney+ series debuts May 25th.

Disney+ has released an Obi-Wan Kenobi teaser trailer that documents the Jedi’s life on Tatooine as he avoids the Empire and protects a young Luke Skywalker.

Watch here.

The Tesla chief claims the SEC is overstepping.

Musk has asked a federal court to terminate his 2018 $20 million settlement with the SEC over claims the regulator both pressured him into an agreement and overstepped its limits. Musk felt “forced” to sign the consent decree at a time when Tesla’s financial health was at risk, according to the memorandum of law sent to the court.

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