Politics, Legal & Regulation

July 3, 2024 @ 9:30 am By JD Alois  |  

In commenting on a rule adopted this week pertaining to Registered Index-Linked Annuities and an amended registration form to accommodate these offerings, SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda slipped in a note about his opinion as to how crypto or digital asset offerings may be managed going… Read More

July 2, 2024 @ 8:45 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) has reportedly permitted two new Fintech startups to test their innovative solutions in SAMA’s regulatory sandbox. As noted in the update from SAMA, “Sulfah for Finance” is authorized to launch a peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform and “Wadaie for FinTech” to… Read More

July 2, 2024 @ 7:19 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council) has commented on the current economic environment pertaining to smaller firms. Following the recent Presidential debate in Atlanta, the SBE Council noted that small businesses received little attention from either President Jo Biden or prior President Donald… Read More

July 2, 2024 @ 12:38 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Paxos, the regulated blockchain & tokenization infrastructure platform, received full approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for its Singapore entity, Paxos Digital Singapore Pte. Ltd. to “offer digital payment token services as a Major Payments Institution.” The approval enables Paxos to “issue stablecoins… Read More

July 2, 2024 @ 7:46 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Silvergate Capital Corporation, its former CEO Alan Lane, and former Chief Risk Officer (CRO) Kathleen Fraher with allegedly “misleading investors about the strength of the Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering (BSA/AML) compliance program and the monitoring of crypto customers,… Read More

July 1, 2024 @ 4:40 pm By JD Alois  |  

In a sign of trust, the US Marshals Service (USMS), which happens to be part of the US Department of Justice, has selected Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) to help it manage its digital assets, which come from seizures and forfeitures. While one part of the federal government… Read More

July 1, 2024 @ 9:46 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) released its Annual Report, highlighting the stability and resilience of the Maltese financial services industry in 2023. Malta’s financial services sector is reportedly “a major player in the country’s economic success.” Between 2022 and 2023, the financial services sector… Read More

July 1, 2024 @ 9:09 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) has released a summary of its SPOT inspections of financial management delegation arrangements at asset management companies. During short, thematic inspections, the AMF looked “at the delegation arrangements of five asset management companies.” Delegation of financial management is “a… Read More

June 30, 2024 @ 11:50 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Consensys claims that it fully expected the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to follow through on its threat to claim their MetaMask software interface must register as a securities broker. Consensys further noted via social media that the SEC has been pursuing an “anti-crypto… Read More

June 28, 2024 @ 6:11 pm By JD Alois  |  

While there are crickets at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a Commissioner at the Commodities Futures Trading Commission has welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision this week in SEC v. Jarkesy. CFTC Commissioner Caroline Pham has issued the following statement on the ruling: “As I’ve said… Read More

June 28, 2024 @ 1:35 pm By JD Alois  |  

Consensys, founded by an Ethereum co-founder, has been hit with charges by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) alleging the offer and sales of unregistered securities via its Metamask staking service. Metamask offers staking of Ethereum for users to generate “rewards.” Consensys is one of… Read More

June 28, 2024 @ 12:22 pm By JD Alois  |  

Mt. Gox will soon start distributing around $9 billion in Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash. In a notice posted on the Mt. Gox website, the entity said distributions will start in July: “The Rehabilitation Trustee has been preparing payments in Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash in accordance… Read More

June 28, 2024 @ 11:38 am By JD Alois  |  

Top European tokenization platform, Tokeny, has distributed an email highlighting the fact that MiCA or Markets in Crypto Assets regulation, does not regulated digital assets which are securities or other financial assets. MiCA goes into force on June 30, 2024. The EU regulation provides rules… Read More

June 28, 2024 @ 8:22 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced that it has appointed the members of our advisory committee on secondary markets for the period June 2024 to June 2026. The UK Secondary Markets Advisory Committee supports the FCA’s work “in wholesale secondary markets in equities, fixed… Read More

June 27, 2024 @ 11:43 am By JD Alois  |  

The Investor Choice Advocates Network (ICAN) has issued a statement pertaining to the US Supreme Court’s decision issued today regarding SEC v. Jarkesy. The Supreme Court has ruled that when the Securities and Exchange Commission seeks civil penalties against a defendant for securities fraud, the… Read More

June 27, 2024 @ 10:44 am By JD Alois  |  

In what will be a dramatic change for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Supreme Court has ruled that when the SEC seeks civil penalties against a defendant for securities fraud, the defendant is entitled to a jury trial. Currently, the SEC may adjudicate… Read More

June 25, 2024 @ 8:55 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The European Central Bank (ECB) has shared an update that says it’s crucial to complete the banking union and capital markets union. ECB notes that there has been “disappointing progress in euro area financial integration since the start of monetary union.” According to a blog… Read More

June 24, 2024 @ 6:23 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) law enforcement actions have reportedly resulted in more than $324 million in refunds to consumers in 2023, the agency said in its annual report on refunds. The FTC Annual Report on Refunds to Consumers provides “a breakdown of the total amount… Read More

June 23, 2024 @ 4:47 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Lisa Sattler, Director of Policy and Government Relations at Payments Canada, is pleased to share that the proposed changes to the Canadian Payments Act (CP Act) in order “to expand Payments Canada’s membership have received Royal Assent, the final step required for a bill to… Read More

June 21, 2024 @ 5:55 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) and the Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution (ACPR) in France have published the 4th edition of their joint report on the monitoring and assessment of the climate commitments made by Paris financial centre participants. This report is… Read More