Politics, Legal & Regulation

November 28, 2023 @ 4:14 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Inclusion, part of the House Financial Services Committee, has announced a hearing addressing innovation in financial services. The hearing is entitled: “Fostering Financial Innovation: How Agencies Can Leverage Technology to Shape the Future of Financial Services” The hearing… Read More

November 28, 2023 @ 12:07 pm By JD Alois  |  

FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) has launched a new section of its website to cover its work on crypto or digital assets. FINRA is the entity that oversees all of the broker-dealers in the US. As there are over  624,000 brokers across the country, the… Read More

November 28, 2023 @ 9:40 am By JD Alois  |  

Tokenization or turning an asset into a “digital asset” or digital security makes a lot of sense. By leveraging technology, an asset can be managed more effectively, comply with regulations and be programmed to automatically perform certain services. Today, most investible assets are heavy on… Read More

November 27, 2023 @ 12:23 pm By JD Alois  |  

Singapore is well-recognized as the top Fintech hub in Asia. Receiving solid support from the government of Singapore, the small country has hosted an annual Fintech event and according to a public statement, participation in the annual Singapore Fintech Festival topped 66,000 participants this year,… Read More

November 27, 2023 @ 12:13 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), part of the US Department of Treasury, has partnered with 12 other global regulatory agencies to form the Counter Terrorist Financing Taskforce – Israel (CTFTI). The members include, Australia, Canada, Estonia, France, Germany, Israel, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New… Read More

November 27, 2023 @ 8:18 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

Deduce, a fraud technology platform designed to prevent AI-generated identity fraud, in association with Wakefield Research, this week released a study showing alarming trends in synthetic fraud growth. The study, which polled 500 financial executives in the United States, shows a 17% increase in synthetic… Read More

November 26, 2023 @ 10:18 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Stefan Rust, CEO of independent economic data aggregator Truflation, says that the resignation of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao or “CZ” as part of the exchange’s settlement with US authorities marks a “sad” day that should “serve as a clarion call for the build-out of decentralized… Read More

November 26, 2023 @ 10:13 am By Omar Faridi  |  

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is known for her anti-crypto stance, referring to virtual currencies as being highly speculative, completely worthless, and often used as a tool by bad actors/criminals for engaging in illicit activities. Recently, the ECB President Christine Lagarde claimed that her… Read More

November 24, 2023 @ 10:15 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has released its final set of regulations to enhance the oversight of Digital Payment Token (DPT) services, following up on its initial legislative amendments in July 2023. MAS said in a statement that the consulted proposals detail business conduct… Read More

November 24, 2023 @ 8:09 pm By Michael Wong  |  

India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that while the G20 has embraced the “G20 roadmap on Crypto Sssets“, there is currently no set timeline for its implementation yet. Sitharaman made the pronouncement as she discussed the progress on the ‘G20 roadmap on Crypto Assets’. This… Read More

November 24, 2023 @ 5:52 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), together with the Hong Kong Association of Banks (HKAB) and the banking sector, support the launch of the Anti-Deception Alliance (ADA) by the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF). ADA is expected to strengthen the capability of the anti-money laundering… Read More

November 24, 2023 @ 12:16 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Tether, which claims to be one of the largest companies in the cryptocurrency industry, says that it continues its unwavering commitment “to combat illicit activities and provide support to victims through its assistance to, and support of, law enforcement agencies.” As the U.S. Department of… Read More

November 24, 2023 @ 10:59 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Former CEO and Binance founder Changpeng Zhao‘s (CZ) departure from the firm will trigger some short-term volatility in the cryptocurrency market, but crypto will “continue to thrive as more institutional money pours in,” predicts the CEO of an independent financial advisory, asset management and fintech… Read More

November 24, 2023 @ 8:16 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Prior to the UK leaving the EU, EEA-based firms were able “to operate in the UK without our direct authorization.” The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) notes that the Temporary Permissions Regime, which allowed EEA firms to continue “to operate in the UK while transitioning… Read More

November 24, 2023 @ 8:14 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The AMF and the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office urge retail investors “to be extremely vigilant regarding Immediate Connect’s fraudulent investment offer in crypto-assets.” Following an initial public warning issued by the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) last June, the regulator continues “to receive numerous enquiries… Read More

November 23, 2023 @ 10:27 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) have announced a significant development in fintech collaboration through the exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This agreement focuses on enhancing cross-border trade-related data… Read More

November 23, 2023 @ 9:52 am By Omar Faridi  |  

There were several notable digital asset and blockchain-focused developments that were announced this past week, including Republic choosing Avalanche for its profit-sharing investment Note. This week also saw crypto exchange Kraken being sued by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for allegedly failing to… Read More

November 22, 2023 @ 5:33 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee (SBCFAC), is scheduled to meet next week, and it has just posted its agenda. Probably the most interesting subject on the list of topics is the segment on the definition of an Accredited… Read More

November 21, 2023 @ 5:14 pm By JD Alois  |  

In a press event this afternoon, US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen called the settlement with Binance a historic action by the agency. In total, Binance is expected to pay $4.3 billion in penalties for its past actions. At the same time, Binance will… Read More

November 21, 2023 @ 5:09 pm By JD Alois  |  

As was reported earlier today, Binance has settled charges in a comprehensive manner, paying total penalties of $4.3 billion, described as the largest settlement of its kind ever. Binance is noted as the largest crypto exchange in the world, handling approximately 60% of centralized digital… Read More