Politics, Legal & Regulation

Policy and regulations impacting innovations in Finance.

ECB President Christine Lagarde’s Opinion on Stablecoins May Solidify US Dollar Global Dominance

As was previously reported, European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde is not a believer in privately issued stablecoins. In a speech delivered at the Banco de España LatAm Economic Forum in Spain, Largarde declared that Euro stablecoins are vulnerable to sudden runs during periods… Read More

Singapore Retains Strong Global Standing in Fight Against Illicit Finance

Singapore retained its position among the world’s stronger jurisdictions for combating illicit finance after the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) said the city-state has a “robust and effective” framework to counter money laundering, terrorism financing, and proliferation financing. The development comes as regulators push for… Read More

Bank of England Governor Foresees “Wrestle” with US on Stablecoin Oversight, Cautions on Stability Risks for United Kingdom

During a recent address on May 8, 2026, the Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey highlighted growing tensions in global cryptocurrency oversight, predicting a significant clash with American authorities on how to regulate stablecoins. Speaking at a Bank of England conference focused on financial imbalances,… Read More

Stablecoins Remain Key Focus for Upcoming Senate CLARITY Act Legislation

The cryptocurrency and blockchain industry are now sharply focused on an imminent Senate committee session set to advance comprehensive rules for digital assets. With the Senate Banking Committee poised to hold a markup on May 14 for the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025—widely… Read More

CFTC Orders New York based Trader to Pay $200K Fine for Spoofing in Treasury Futures Market

The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has finalized an enforcement action against Sidney Lebental, requiring him to pay a $200,000 civil fine for engaging in spoofing practices in the treasury futures market. Lebental, who holds dual French and American citizenship and lived in New… Read More

Senate Banking Hearing on the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act of 2025 Scheduled for May 14th

After an extensive delay due to banking industry representatives who fear a decline in revenue if stablecoin holders earn yild on the holdings, the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act of 2025 is now scheduled for a Senate Banking Committee hearing for this coming Thursday, May… Read More

Kraken Parent Payward Applies for OCC National Trust Company License

Payward, the parent entity of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, has taken a step toward expanding its regulated operations in the United States. On May 8, 2026, the company submitted an application to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for a national trust company charter…. Read More

Saipan Woman Receives Federal Prison Sentence for Multi-Jurisdictional Wire Fraud Operation

A 30-year-old Saipan resident known as Sze Man Yu Inos, who also goes by the name Yuki, was sentenced to more than five and a half years behind bars for orchestrating a deceptive wire fraud operation that exploited the trust of numerous older women. On… Read More

EU Aims to Loosen AI Regulatory Requirements

This week Europe declared a goal of simplifying the regulator environment for the development of artificial intelligence (AI). This is part of a broader understanding the Europe is falling behind in regard to other countries. The EU is frequently lambasted for over-regulation as opposed to… Read More

Digital Assets Firm Circle Submits Comment Letter on OCC Proposal for GENIUS Stablecoin Licensing Framework

Circle, an issuer of U.S. dollar payment stablecoins, has formally responded to federal regulators with a comprehensive set of recommendations aimed at refining the implementation of a new national licensing system for digital payments. In its submission dated May 1, 2026, the company outlined constructive… Read More

Crypto Case Deconfliction Requires Updated Digital Infrastructure : Research

Elliptic pointed out that in law enforcement and regulatory investigations, case deconfliction—ensuring different teams do not unknowingly pursue the same targets—is a routine safeguard. Yet when cryptocurrency is involved, many agencies still struggle to implement it effectively. The obstacle is not a lack of awareness… Read More

Crypto Investor Sues Coinbase for Wrongfully Withholding Frozen Assets Tied to $55M Theft

A prominent cryptocurrency investor has launched a legal challenge against Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN), accusing the digital currency exchange of wrongly withholding frozen digital assets tied to a large-scale theft. The plaintiff, identified in court documents only as D.B. and a resident of Puerto Rico, filed the… Read More

SEC Proposes Semi-Annual Reports Instead of Quarterly Reports for Public Firms

The cost of being a public company has risen dramatically in recent years. This cost, mainly due to compliance, is a big reason why there are fewer and fewer public firms. In recognition of this challenge, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed new… Read More

Mayor of New York’s Office Issues Response to Criticism from Ken Griffin, Citadel Founder

Recently, Zohran Mamdani, the mayor of New York City, used Ken Griffin as the backdrop for a video promoting the idea that wealthy New Yorkers need to be punished for their success. In a video, Mamdani criticized Griffin’s “pied a terre” as representative of the fact that… Read More

CFTC Chair Michael Selig Signals Push for Formal Regulations Clarifying Broker Registration for Software Developers

The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is preparing to advance formal rulemaking aimed at providing definitive guidance on when developers of non-custodial software, such as self-custodial wallets and trading interfaces, must register as brokers or associated persons. This development was highlighted by CFTC Chairman… Read More

UK Financial Conduct Authority Investigates PayPal, Mastercard, Visa Under Competition Act

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has revealed an investigation into US-based tech and payment firms PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL), Visa NYSE:V(), and Mastercard (NYSE:MA). The investigation has been launched due to allegations of anti-competitive behavior under the Competition Act of 1998. More specifically, it concerns the… Read More

Securitize Secures FINRA Approval, Advancing Tokenized Securities into Regulated Broker-Dealer Operations

Securitize announced that its subsidiary Securitize Markets has gained expanded approvals from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). This marks the first time a standard broker-dealer has been authorized to hold custody of tokenized securities, enabling atomic settlements and on-chain transactions between these assets and… Read More

World Liberty Financial Initiates Defamation Lawsuit Against Crypto Investor Justin Sun

World Liberty Financial has filed a defamation lawsuit against prominent blockchain entrepreneur Justin Sun. The action, lodged on May 4 in Florida’s Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court for Miami-Dade County, accuses Sun of orchestrating a deliberate campaign of misleading public statements designed to undermine the project’s… Read More

Citadel to Move Jobs from New York City to New Offices in Miami

Speaking with CNBC today, Citadel founder and CEO Ken Griffin said that, as a direct consequence of the socialist Mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, Citadel will move more jobs to Miami. Griffin said they have filed with the city of Miami to expand… Read More

Banks “Shooting Themselves in the Foot” Fighting Stablecoin Yield Compromise

Legacy banks continue to complain about the possibility of stablecoin yield or rewards included in the CLARITY Act. While banks use fear, uncertainty, and doubt to warn that they will not be able to lend money to consumers and businesses if stablecoin holders earn yield,… Read More

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