Politics, Legal & Regulation

April 16, 2023 @ 3:42 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Federal Trade Commission and the State of Florida have filed suit against Chargebacks911 “for unfairly thwarting consumers who were trying to dispute credit card charges through the chargeback process.” In a complaint filed in federal court, the FTC and Florida charged “that, since at… Read More

April 15, 2023 @ 11:41 am By JD Alois  |  

The US Small Business Administration (SBA) has completed rules that aim to improve access to capital for small businesses in underserved communities, according to a statement by the agency. The final rule makes permanent a program for nonprofit lenders, and removes “outdated limits” on non-depository… Read More

April 15, 2023 @ 11:26 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England, recently delivered a speech in which he commented on the major issues the UK faces, and tried to set out how they “fit together and the challenges they give rise to.” Baily said that in recent weeks,… Read More

April 15, 2023 @ 9:23 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Calgary Police Service and Chainalysis are together launching the Western Canada Cryptocurrency Investigations Centre, an innovative regional center that will enable law enforcement to tackle crime that takes place using blockchain technology. By bringing together law enforcement agencies and personnel from across Western Canada… Read More

April 14, 2023 @ 4:50 pm By JD Alois  |  

Representative Patrick McHenry and Representative Ann Wagner have sent a letter to Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler criticizing him for neglecting the Commission’s mission to enable access to capital for businesses. McHenry is Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, and Wagner is… Read More

April 14, 2023 @ 12:19 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) re-opened comments on a proposed rule during a meeting of the Commission that in many respects raised more questions than provided answers. The proposed amendments to the definition of “exchange” under Exchange Act Rule 3b-16 were initially proposed in… Read More

April 14, 2023 @ 8:05 am By Matthew G. White  |  

Recent headlines have highlighted significant risks associated with investments in cryptocurrency. For instance, in recent months, we have seen the price of various cryptocurrencies plummet, creating a “crypto winter” (though prices have recently been swinging back up, demonstrating the volatility risk associated with cryptocurrency). As… Read More

April 13, 2023 @ 4:57 pm By JD Alois  |  

Representative Patrick McHenry, Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, and Representative Bill Huizenga, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, have joined in sending a letter to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler criticizing him for a failure to provide information… Read More

April 13, 2023 @ 12:32 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Bitcoin (BTC) price has increased substantially during the first three months of this year. The flagship cryptocurrency is trading at around $30,000 at the time of writing. Although most industry participants are not sure whether we’re entering a bull market, it is clear that… Read More

April 13, 2023 @ 7:48 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Bankrupt digital currency exchange FTX has reportedly recovered more than $7.3 billion in cash as well as liquid digital assets. This is notably an increase of over $800 million since this past January 2023. This, according to a report from Reuters which referenced the firm’s… Read More

April 12, 2023 @ 6:38 pm By JD Alois  |  

On the same day the House Subcommittee on Digital Assets and Fintech meets, the Subcommittee on Capital Markets is convening to address the pressing need to improve access to capital and investment opportunity. Chaired by Representative Ann Wagner, the Subcommittee’s mission is to pursue policies that… Read More

April 12, 2023 @ 5:10 pm By JD Alois  |  

The House Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Inclusion & Capital Markets, has scheduled a hearing to address stablecoins – digital assets which are tied to another asset such as fiat currency. The Subcommittee is part of the House Financial Services Committee. Chaired by… Read More

April 11, 2023 @ 7:43 pm By JD Alois  |  

The House Financial Services Committee has scheduled a hearing on the oversight of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The hearing is scheduled to take place at 10 AM on Tuesday, April 18th. The full Committee hearing will see SEC Chair Gary Gensler testify in… Read More

April 11, 2023 @ 5:15 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has filed charges against Rashawn Russell, an individual who allegedly solicited retail investors to invest in a digital asset trading fund. Russell allegedly misappropriated $1 million in investor assets. The civil enforcement action has been filed in the US… Read More

April 10, 2023 @ 4:13 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has scheduled an open meeting for April 14, 2023, to consider reopening the comment period of the proposed changes. The SEC proposed amendments to Rule 3b-16 under the Exchange Act Regarding the Definition of “Exchange,” which could potentially impact… Read More

April 10, 2023 @ 9:27 am By JD Alois  |  

FTX Exemplified hubris, incompetence, and greed. FTX CEO John J. Ray, III has filed his first interim report on the failure of FTX as the bankruptcy proceedings continue. Once one of the largest crypto exchanges in the world, led by high-profile founder and CEO Sam… Read More

April 8, 2023 @ 4:49 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Bankrupt cryptocurrency lender Celsius Network recently revealed that it would be going ahead with its planned Chapter 11 restructuring process with a disclosure statement including pertinent information for its claim holders. Last week, we filed our Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization (“the Plan”) with the… Read More

April 7, 2023 @ 12:40 pm By JD Alois  |  

Congressman Patrick McHenry has commented on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) release of its final rule for small business lending data collection as directed by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Section 1071. McHenry is the Chairman of the House Financial… Read More

April 7, 2023 @ 12:28 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

MEPs approved stricter rules “to close existing gaps in combating money laundering, terrorist financing and evasion of sanctions” in the European Union. This past week, MEPs from the Economic and Monetary Affairs and Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs committees “adopted their position on three… Read More

April 6, 2023 @ 7:56 pm By Gabriella Kusz  |  

For more than a decade, cryptocurrency has been referred to by some as a digital “Wild West.” Those who use that terminology refer to the lack of regulation that applies to the crypto space. They are also typically implying that wandering into the realm of… Read More