Stats watchdog launches investigation into government’s asylum backlog claim
The UK’s stats watchdog has launched an investigation into the government’s claim that it cleared the legacy backlog of asylum claims in 2023.
Rishi Sunak and his administration faced criticism on Tuesday for saying they had cleared all the applications to remain in the UK by asylum seekers made before 28 June 2022.
In total, 4,537 claims from the backlog still needed a decision as of Tuesday – but Mr Sunak’s spokesman said since these had been reviewed, the government considers them “cleared”.
Now, the Office for Statistics Regulation has launched an investigation into the announcement.
In total, the government had 92,000 claims to address from before June 2022 to meet the pledge made by Mr Sunak.
Numbers published by the Home Office showed that, in total, 112,138 initial asylum decisions were made between 1 January and 28 December, compared with 31,766 in all of 2022.
Some 86,800 of these decisions were for legacy cases, while, 25,338 were for non-legacy cases.
In total, 51,469 asylum applications were granted, while 25,550 were refused – meaning 67% were accepted. But it also means that 35,119 “non-substantive” decisions were made.
According to the Home Office, this is where the government withdraws the claim, it is paused, declared void or the applicant failed to complete a part of the application.
The 35,119 figure is more than two and a half times the 13,093 examples of non-substantive claims recorded in 2022.
The government has said that the remaining 4,537 more complex cases typically involve “asylum seekers presenting as children – where age verification is taking place; those with serious medical issues; or those with suspected past convictions, where checks may reveal criminality that would bar asylum”.
Read more:
Govt’s statistics make clear Sunak’s backlog claim isn’t true
Asylum backlog: Old cases nearly cleared but new ones racking up
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Govt accused of misleading public
Sky News understands the OSR probe was launched as a result of a complaint, and the initial investigations will take a number of weeks.
While the OSR can ask for additional information from the Home Office, it does not have the power to compel data to be provided. However, it could rescind its kitemark from the Home Office’s releases.
The OSR has been engaging with the Home Office over the long-term about how they use data.
In a letter responding to a complaint last year, Ed Humpherson, the director general for regulation at the OSR, said officials at the Home Office had “actively engaged” with the watchdog about the department’s data practices.
He did, however, note that while “positive developments” were made at the official level, the OSR was still “concerned that the continued misuse of these data by ministers” could “undermine public trust” in the department.
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The prime minister was also rebuked in December 2023 for claiming “debt is falling” by Sir Robert Chote, the chair of the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA).
Number 10 argued Mr Sunak was speaking about a projection which showed debt would fall as a proportion of GDP by 2028.
Sir Robert said “the average person in the street” would have interpreted the comment to mean “debt was already falling or that the government’s policy decisions had lowered it at fiscal events – neither of which is the case”.
He added: “This has clearly been a source of confusion and may have undermined trust in the government’s use of statistics and quantitative analysis in this area.”
Crypto casinos generated more than $81 billion in revenue in 2024, even as regulators in key jurisdictions continued to block access to the platforms, according to a new report.
Citing data from the anti-online-crime platform Yield Sec, the Financial Times reported that wagers paid in crypto in 2024 generated $81.4 billion in gross gaming revenue (GGR). This metric refers to the difference between bets taken and winnings paid out.
Yield Sec data also showed that the annual revenue for crypto casinos has increased five times since 2022, despite gambling sites being blocked in the United States, China, the United Kingdom and the European Union.
Crypto casino Stake rivals traditional betting platforms
Betting platform Stake reported that its GGR in 2024 was around $4.7 billion, up 80% since 2022. This puts it on a par with some of the biggest gambling groups, such as Entain and Flutter. Entain reported $5 billion, while Flutter reported $14 billion in revenue in 2024.
Stake offers traditional casino games, including blackjack, roulette and slots. The platform also allows users to bet on sports. Users on the betting platform generally transact in crypto, with account balances being deposited and withdrawn directly into crypto wallets.
In 2023, the crypto betting platform was hacked, with $41 million withdrawn from its wallets. On Sept. 4, 2023, security firms flagged suspicious outflows from the platform. The company then confirmed the hack through social media, saying there were unauthorized transactions from its Ethereum and BNB Chain hot wallets.
On Sept. 7, 2023, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation said the $41 million hack was executed by the notorious North Korean hacking group Lazarus.
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Gamblers access illegal sites through VPNs
Even though crypto gambling sites are officially blocked in many jurisdictions, users can access them by bypassing geo-blocking restrictions with VPNs, which allows users to place bets on sites blocked in their country.
Former players and crypto users told the FT that many online guides show people how to bypass geo-blocking restrictions to access a crypto gambling platform. Cointelegraph confirmed that some influencers offer online tutorials that teach people how to access blocked gambling sites.
“Ready-to-gamble” crypto casino accounts are also reportedly being sold on social media platforms, according to Sanya Burgess, journalist at The i Paper.
Users sell accounts that have already passed through betting sites’ registration processes. On Jan. 31, Sky News reported that some users sell pre-verified crypto casino accounts for as little as $10. These ready-to-gamble accounts are reportedly sold on social media sites like Facebook.
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El Salvador, the first country in the world to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender, is working with the computer chip giant Nvidia to implement artificial intelligence for national development.
El Salvador signed a letter of intent to collaborate with Nvidia on “sovereign AI to drive innovation and economic growth,” the National Bitcoin Office (ONBTC) of El Salvador announced on X on April 21.
As part of the collaboration, El Salvador will benefit from Nvidia’s AI tools, resources and expertise, enabling the development of sovereign AI capabilities targeting priorities related to culture, language, environment and economy.
“El Salvador will focus on building domestic AI infrastructure, upskilling the workforce, and creating solutions to address local challenges such as improving healthcare delivery, advancing education, and boosting economic productivity,” the announcement said.
AI training for state officials and developers
El Salvador’s latest collaboration with Nvidia marks the country’s commitment to encouraging AI usage to optimize multiple processes within the government and society.
With its new AI push, El Salvador intends to establish AI training programs for developers, researchers and government officials to “ensure the nation has the talent to sustain its AI ambitions.”
One example includes the creation of AI-driven models to forecast weather and rainfall, which would support emergency response, protect residents in landslide-prone areas and optimize hydroelectric power management.
Not the first AI initiative for El Salvador
El Salvador’s Nvidia partnership adds to a growing list of AI-focused initiatives.
In March 2025, the ONBTC announced Salvador’s university-level public education AI program CUBO_ai, touting it as the “only national education program bringing in top-tier field experts.” The program was announced with support from major Bitcoin bull Cathie Wood, who is expected to give the first lecture as part of the program.
Last year, Wood predicted that El Salvador’s Bitcoin (BTC) and AI plans may boost GDP tenfold by 2029.
Related: Only 11% of El Salvador’s registered Bitcoin firms operational
While El Salvador has been aggressively introducing AI initiatives, its Bitcoin ambitions have been somewhat deterred.
In early March, the International Monetary Fund moved to restrict further Bitcoin purchases by El Salvador as part of an extended $1.4 billion funding arrangement with the country. However, the government has continued stacking 1 Bitcoin a day, raising questions about the implications of the deal with the IMF.
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Major cryptocurrency firms, including stablecoin issuer Circle and crypto custodian BitGo, are reportedly considering applying for bank charters or licenses.
According to an April 21 Wall Street Journal report citing people familiar with the matter, Circle, BitGo and others are considering applying for some form of banking license. Other firms cited include the publicly traded US-based crypto exchange Coinbase and the stablecoin issuer Paxos.
The US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency granted a preliminary conditional approval for a US bank charter to Paxos in 2021. The report comes as the US continues to reshape stablecoin regulations.
US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell recently said that as digital assets gain mainstream adoption, establishing a legal framework for stablecoins is a “good idea.” Speaking at a recent event in Chicago, Powell recognized that after a “wave of failures and frauds,” the crypto space delivered a consumer use case that “could have wide appeal.”
Related: Stablecoins are powering deobanks
A stable genius
The US House Financial Services Committee passed a Republican-backed stablecoin framework bill earlier in April. The bill approved by the committee is the Stablecoin Transparency and Accountability for a Better Ledger Economy (STABLE) Act.
This bill is moving forward alongside the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act. The STABLE and GENIUS bills differ in how they would regulate the stablecoin industry.
The latter was introduced first and made its way past the US Senate Banking Committee in mid-March. While the STABLE Act emphasizes strict federal oversight, the GENIUS Act seeks a more flexible path that includes state and federal regulation.
The STABLE Act enforces a two-year moratorium on issuing collateralized stablecoins backed by self-issued digital assets. It also mandates that stablecoin reserves be held separate from business funds to ensure that customer deposits are not used for operations.
The GENIUS Act would establish a legal framework for stablecoin payments and aims to support US-based stablecoin issuers to reinforce the dollar’s global dominance. The bill also includes stricter rules, such as enhanced Anti-Money Laundering (AML) safeguards, reserve and liquidity standards, and sanctions checks.
Under the GENIUS Act, stablecoin issuers would be considered financial institutions covered by the Bank Secrecy Act and falling under strict AML rules. User verification and reporting of suspicious activity would also be required.
Related: Crypto’s debanking problem persists despite new regulations
Why a bank charter?
The companies cited in the report had not responded to Cointelegraph’s inquiries by the time of publication.
A bank charter potentially would allow crypto firms to operate like traditional lenders, taking deposits and making loans.
Still, crypto firms that obtain banking charters would be subject to stricter reporting and regulatory oversight. One example is Anchorage Digital, a crypto firm holding a federal bank charter that reportedly spent millions to comply with regulations.
Despite this, recent reports indicate that the US Department of Homeland Security’s El Dorado Task Force has reportedly launched an investigation into Anchorage Digital Bank.
The news does not come as a complete surprise. In late March, reports indicated that cryptocurrency and fintech companies were increasingly seeking bank charters to expand their businesses under the Trump administration.
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