Politics, Legal & Regulation

December 27, 2024 @ 4:25 pm By JD Alois  |  

Any issuer of securities using the Reg D exemption must file a document with the Securities and Exchange Comission 15 days after the first sale of securities. The two-page document is super simple to complete, and no follow-up filings are required. This simplicity has helped… Read More

December 27, 2024 @ 4:06 pm By JD Alois  |  

Do Kwon, founder of Terraform Labs and the issuer of TerraUSD, will be extradited to the US, according to a Bloomberg report. Kwon and his business helped to crush crypto markets after his algo-based “stablecoin” TerraUSD ended up not so stable. Billions were vaporized in the… Read More

December 27, 2024 @ 3:28 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

As the year 2024 comes to a close, it’s wise for financial institutions and Regtech (regulatory technology) providers to pause and assess the evolving sanctions landscape, particularly with the U.S. preparing to transition to a new administration in 2025. This, according to an update from… Read More

December 26, 2024 @ 8:04 am By Omar Faridi  |  

As the European Union’s Corporate Social Responsibility Directive (CSRD) marks its first year of being implemented / enforced – and as compliance with it becomes mandatory for more firms, research reveals that over half of businesses are “risking non-compliance by failing to take key steps… Read More

December 24, 2024 @ 5:32 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In the latest twist in the unpredictable world of crypto and high-stakes finance, Justin Sun, the Chinese-born entrepreneur and founder of the Tron (TRX) blockchain, has emerged as a somewhat unlikely and unexpected ally of President-elect Donald Trump. This development, reported by the Wall Street… Read More

December 23, 2024 @ 10:09 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has introduced extensive rules governing crypto-assets, covering disclosures, public offerings, trading, and marketing activities. The regulations aim to enhance investor protection and promote transparency in the burgeoning digital asset market. Under the new guidelines, crypto-asset offerings must submit… Read More

December 23, 2024 @ 4:46 pm By JD Alois  |  

President-Elect Donald Trump has announced the team that will be leading the tech charge including crypto and Artificial Intelligence (AI). During the Biden Administration, both digital assets and AI development were dissuaded via various means. The anti-tech posture of the Administration pushed multiple prominent VCs… Read More

December 23, 2024 @ 4:32 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has filed a lawsuit against Rocket Homes claiming kickbacks for real estate brokers and agents who steered customers to use the platform for mortgages. The CFPB reported that it had also sued Jason Mitchell, his real estate brokerage firm,… Read More

December 23, 2024 @ 4:18 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently charged Tai Mo Shan Limited with misleading investors about the stability of Terra USD (UST), a purported “algorithmic stablecoin” issued by Terraform Labs PTE Ltd. (Terraform), when UST dropped from its “purportedly fixed exchange rate of 1… Read More

December 21, 2024 @ 4:13 pm By JD Alois  |  

Earlier this week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau  (CFPB) announced a lawsuit targeting the big banks that launched Zelle. Zelle was created by big banks in recognition of the rise of peer-to-peer payments and transfers. The banks wanted to keep pace with competitors and decided… Read More

December 20, 2024 @ 7:45 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Indian government is set to introduce a comprehensive legislative framework aimed at curbing the rise of illegal lending applications, the New Indian Express reported. The Department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance has drafted a bill that imposes severe penalties on individuals… Read More

December 20, 2024 @ 10:36 am By JD Alois  |  

As part of a push to maintain relevance in the digital finance world, several years ago big banks partnered up to launch their own instant payments and transfer system Zelle. The payments platform has emerged as a significant success – except for claims of fraud… Read More

December 19, 2024 @ 8:02 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced actions in order to protect consumers from “illegal” credit card practices and help people save money on interest and fees. In a circular to other law enforcement agencies, the CFPB warned that some credit card companies operating rewards… Read More

December 18, 2024 @ 3:20 pm By JD Alois  |  

Even while economic data has been very choppy, the US Federal Reserve decided to match market expectations, cutting benchmark rates by 25 basis points. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) lowered the target range for the federal funds rate by 25 bps to 4-1/4 to… Read More

December 18, 2024 @ 10:03 am By JD Alois  |  

The UK Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) has published a report on Authorized Push Payment (APP) scams and how to avoid them. In brief, a fraudster pilfers money illicitly when it tricks targets into sending money to its account. The trick is presenting what looks like… Read More

December 17, 2024 @ 4:43 pm By JD Alois  |  

The SEC Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation has published its annual report which includes data on access to capital as well as policy recommendations. The Office is relatively new, created under the SEC Small Business Advocate Act of 2016 – legislation… Read More

December 17, 2024 @ 12:42 pm By JD Alois  |  

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has announced sanctions against two individuals and a single entity regarding money laundering to the benefit of North Korea. OFAC says that Lu Huaying and Zhang Jian, working out of the UAE and… Read More

December 17, 2024 @ 7:33 am By Omar Faridi  |  

BitGo, the digital asset custody and security platform trusted by institutions since 2013, today announced it has entered into an agreement with FTX Trading Ltd. and its affiliated debtors to assist in distributing recoveries to both retail and institutional customers in “supported jurisdictions in accordance… Read More

December 17, 2024 @ 7:30 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Anchorage Digital—the crypto platform for institutions—is pleased to announce that the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) has approved their subsidiary, Anchorage Digital NY, LLC, for a BitLicense. The addition of BitLicense-regulated trading means Anchorage Digital can offer institutions in New York State… Read More

December 16, 2024 @ 11:14 am By JD Alois  |  

Everyone knows the definition of an Accredited Investor is broken. The rule sets a monetary hurdle for individuals who may participate in certain private securities offerings. It is obvious to all that wealth is not necessarily an indicator of sophistication. Still, the SEC has failed… Read More