Politics, Legal & Regulation

February 17, 2025 @ 10:38 am By JD Alois  |  

Climate rules, approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission, have been put on pause by the new leadership at the SEC. Former Chairman Gary Gensler has been replaced by more business and investor-friendly Acting Chair Mark Uyeda, who has moved quickly to address the shortcomings… Read More

February 15, 2025 @ 4:04 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Two Estonian nationals have reportedly pleaded guilty to an alleged $577M cryptocurrency fraud scheme. The scheme is said to have victimized hundreds of thousands of people in the United States and abroad. As stated in the announcement, two Estonian nationals pleaded guilty for their operation… Read More

February 14, 2025 @ 4:42 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently acknowledged Grayscale’s proposal for a Dogecoin (DOGE) exchange-traded fund and is currently interested in receiving public comments. In a 19b-4 form shared this past Thursday (February 13, 2025) confirming NYSE Arca‘s filing, on behalf of Grayscale, the… Read More

February 14, 2025 @ 1:59 pm By JD Alois  |  

The EU-UK Financial Regulatory Forum met this past week in London. The entity aims to pursue regulatory cooperation while preserving financial stability and protecting participants. The event was co-chaired by HM Treasury, and the Director General for Financial Services and the European Commission Director General… Read More

February 13, 2025 @ 4:14 pm By JD Alois  |  

Price Controls Rarely Work. The Free Market is a Better Option. There have been multiple proclamations from various policymakers regarding the need to cap credit card rates. Unfortunately, forcing credit card issuers to cap interest rates charged to users will accomplish little good while harming… Read More

February 13, 2025 @ 7:44 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

This week, the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) told the House Financial Services Committee that the new Congress and administration present an opportunity to transform the regulatory environment for community banks to promote locally based economic growth. ICBA president and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey… Read More

February 12, 2025 @ 5:03 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Eric Council Jr. from Athens, Alabama, has confessed to his role in a scheme involving the unauthorized takeover of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)‘s X account, which was then allegedly used to disseminate false and misleading information and manipulate Bitcoin (BTC) prices. The… Read More

February 12, 2025 @ 4:14 pm By JD Alois  |  

The leadership chairs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) are moving once again. First, it was reported that Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent was acting Director. Then Russell Vought, the head of the OMB, became acting CFPB director last week. Yesterday, it was revealed that former FDIC Board… Read More

February 11, 2025 @ 3:53 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Chairman of the US Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, was testifying before the Senate Banking Committee today. While typically targeting the Fed’s dual mandate of pursuing full employment and low inflation, the hearing provides an opportunity for the Members to query the Chair on other… Read More

February 11, 2025 @ 3:28 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) says it will hold a digital assets forum which will engage with some top digital asset firms. The CFTC in a release said that Ripple, Crypto.com, MoonPay, Coinbase and Circle have all committed to participate in the event. Final… Read More

February 11, 2025 @ 12:30 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced a change regarding rules enacted by the Commission during the Biden Administration that sought to target climate disclosure for reporting firms. As part of the controversial ESG initiatives launched by the previous Chairman of the SEC, Gary… Read More

February 11, 2025 @ 9:44 am By JD Alois  |  

The European Union (EU) has announced a commitment of €200 billion to boost development of artificial intelligence (AI). In a public statement at the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit in Paris, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the new funding to accelerate AI in… Read More

February 11, 2025 @ 8:16 am By JD Alois  |  

The US Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), has partnered with Australia and the UK to sanction Zservers as it is an enabler of LockBit, a Russian ransomware group. LockBit is said to be the culprit in the attack against the… Read More

February 10, 2025 @ 6:21 pm By JD Alois  |  

Rodney E. Hood has been selected as Acting Comptroller of the Currency. The US Department of Treasury said Hood’s leadership of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is effective immediately. Hood replaces Acting Comptroller Michael J. Hsu, who has been Comptroller since May… Read More

February 10, 2025 @ 2:45 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has halted all regulatory activity. The X account affiliated with the CFPB no longer exists, and the homepage is not updating correctly. The CFPB has been a controversial agency since its inception. The creation of the Dodd-Frank Act, the CFPB,… Read More

February 10, 2025 @ 2:17 pm By JD Alois  |  

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) says it had almost 20,000 financial advertisements pulled or changed during 2023 – almost double the year prior. The FCA specifically mentioned promotions involving crypto, debt, and “claims management company” (CMC). CMCs came from 46 authorized CMC firms, affecting… Read More

February 10, 2025 @ 8:56 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

While the tumult over tariffs caused some market fluctuations this week, a pair of industry executives believe all signs point positive for cryptocurrencies. Galxe cofounder Charles Wayn said this week’s market volatility doesn’t detract from what has been a historic bull. “Certain geopolitical tensions and… Read More

February 9, 2025 @ 11:50 am By JD Alois  |  

After years of actively undermining digital asset innovation, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will take steps to recognize and enable new technology that will improve the securities ecosystem and potentially help create new asset classes traded around the world. During the Biden Administration,  the… Read More

February 8, 2025 @ 10:49 am By Omar Faridi  |  

A five-count criminal indictment was unsealed in federal court in New York charging a Canadian man with “exploiting vulnerabilities” in decentralized finance protocols to “fraudulently obtain about $65 million from the protocols’ investors.” According to court documents, from 2021 to 2023, Andean Medjedovic, 22, allegedly… Read More

February 8, 2025 @ 8:42 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

A roster of blockchain industry executives believes moving the United States’ records and treasury transactions onto a blockchain would bring a string of benefits. Jean Rausis, co-founder of the decentralized finance ecosystem SMARDEX, believes that moving the US Treasury’s transactions onto the blockchain would make… Read More