Politics, Legal & Regulation

January 19, 2021 @ 7:17 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

A digital currency trader is reportedly seeking $250,000 in compensation from Westpac and ANZ. The crypto investor claims that there’s systematic discrimination being carried out by some of Australia’s largest banks, which has allegedly cost him his once highly-profitable business. Allan Flynn has initiated proceedings… Read More

January 19, 2021 @ 3:06 pm By JD Alois  |  

Gibraltar, an early entrant in the digital asset ecosystem, says it is adding to its already regulated digital ledger technology (DLT) framework with the development of a “10th Core Principal” for digital asset exchanges. A “Market Integrity working group” has been created to ensure that… Read More

January 19, 2021 @ 2:11 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last week, Christine Lagarde, the President of the European Central Bank (ECB) commented on the need to regulate Bitcoin on a global level last week during a virtual event hosted by Reuters. Speaking at the Reuters Next conference, Lagarde pointed to the “funny business” affiliated… Read More

January 19, 2021 @ 12:16 pm By Steven Knipfelberg  |  

  While recent headlines may be focused on the meteoric rise of Bitcoin, another disruptive technology derived from the famed cryptocurrency may have even more profound implications for the future: blockchain-based “smart contracts.” A wide variety of companies are already experimenting with the ability of… Read More

January 18, 2021 @ 3:33 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

John E. Deaton, a lawyer focused on the blockchain and cryptocurrency sector (and other societal/legal issues), notes that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was warned that investors could potentially lose billions, considering “the magnitude of an SEC enforcement action” against Ripple’s XRP, which… Read More

January 18, 2021 @ 10:40 am By JD Alois  |  

Gary Gensler, the former Commodities Futures Trading Commissioner Chair, has been selected by President-elect Joe Biden to helm the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Gensler previously led the CFTC during the Obama administration. Prior to the CFTC, Gensler spent 18 years at Goldman Sachs. He is… Read More

January 18, 2021 @ 9:02 am By JD Alois  |  

Following a call for input on the consumer investment market that closed to comments last month, the UK Financial Conduct Authority has issued a report on how the regulator “works to protect consumers from investment harm” citing activity during the first 10 months of 2020…. Read More

January 16, 2021 @ 10:39 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Fintech Alliance in the Philippines, which aims to support the nation’s economic and social development goals, has teamed up with 43 other private business organizations in the country in order to express their support for the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE)… Read More

January 15, 2021 @ 7:31 pm By JD Alois  |  

Earlier today, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) posted a settlement pertaining to Wireline and a SAFT offering that took place in 2018. According to the complaint, the SEC states that: “… between January and September 2018, Wireline, an early-stage project focused on the development… Read More

January 15, 2021 @ 2:26 pm By JD Alois  |  

Representative Maxine Waters, Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, has sent a letter to President-elect Joe Biden asking him to “temporarily suspend any midnight regulations” promulgated by the Trump administration. This includes any rules that have not yet been published in the Federal… Read More

January 14, 2021 @ 3:54 pm By JD Alois  |  

The European Central Bank (ECB) reports that it has received 8221 comments regarding its consultation on a digital euro or central bank digital currency (CBDC).  Chief among the comments are privacy concerns as government ledgers for a digital currency raises serious questions about data control…. Read More

January 14, 2021 @ 2:58 pm By JD Alois  |  

After a long delay, final rules approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have made their way over to the Federal Register. By being published in the Federal Register, the clock begins ticking as to when the new rules become available to use by… Read More

January 13, 2021 @ 11:35 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Bank of Lithuania, the nation’s central bank, has revealed that the number and value of payments completed via its platform, CENTROlink, had doubled last year, while instant payments surged by around four times (when compared to previous years). Keeping these developments in mind, Bank of… Read More

January 13, 2021 @ 9:43 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Touch ‘n Go (TNG) Group’s subsidiary TNG Digital Sdn Bhd (TNGD) is reportedly one of the first digital wallet providers to be given conditional approval to serve as a Recognized Market Operator (RMO) by the Securities Commission of Malaysia (SC). TNG’s management noted that they’re… Read More

January 13, 2021 @ 8:09 pm By JD Alois  |  

Acting Comptroller of the Currency Brian P. Brooks will step down from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) on January 14, 2021. OCC Chief Operating Officer Blake Paulson will become Acting Comptroller of the Currency, according to a statement by the bank… Read More

January 13, 2021 @ 7:38 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has conditionally approved Anchorage Trust Company, a South Dakota chartered trust company, to become Anchorage Digital Bank, National Association. Founded in 2017, Anchorage has emerged as a top digital asset platform serving institutions investing in the crypto… Read More

January 13, 2021 @ 12:27 pm By JD Alois  |  

The US Department of  Justice has announced that Visa’s acquisition of Plaid, an open banking Fintech, has been called off. The decision to abandon the $5.3 billion acquisition was due to a civil antitrust lawsuit filed on Nov. 5, 2020, to stop the merger. The DOJ… Read More

January 13, 2021 @ 12:07 pm By JD Alois  |  

The US Department of Justice has announced that Rossen G. Iossifov, 53, formerly of Bulgaria, has been sentenced to 121 months in prison for money laundering via RG Coins, a cryptocurrency exchange headquartered in Sofia, Bulgaria. Under federal law, Iossifov must serve 85 percent of… Read More

January 12, 2021 @ 3:47 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Biden Administration continues to announce new appointments as it looks to fill out the bench of federal appointees following the inauguration on January 20, 2020. For the securities and financial services industry, many questions exist as to how this leadership transaction will impact policy…. Read More

January 11, 2021 @ 10:23 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Banking institutions and online payments providers in India have asked the nation’s government to bring back the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on RuPay, which is an international card payment service launched by the National Payments Corporation of India. Digital payments providers in the country also… Read More