Politics, Legal & Regulation

April 17, 2023 @ 12:42 pm By JD Alois  |  

Bittrex, a crypto exchange that announced it was ceasing operations at the end of last month, has been hit with an enforcement action by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC has charged Bittrex and its former CEO William Shihara for operating an unregistered… Read More

April 17, 2023 @ 11:27 am By JD Alois  |  

The mention of terms in 10-K filings associated with public policy risk, IE regulation has increased by 27% in the last decade, according to a report by the US Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber states that changes in taxes, regulations, and enforcement have increased dramatically… Read More

April 17, 2023 @ 10:25 am By JD Alois  |  

At the end of March, US-based crypto exchange Bittrex announced that it was shuttering its operations. Bittrex stated that it would cease operations on April 30, 2023, while providing a series of timelines for its users, recommending that accounts are closed as soon as possible…. Read More

April 17, 2023 @ 9:49 am By JD Alois  |  

On Wednesday, April 19, 2023, the House Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Fintech, and Inclusion, will hold a hearing on stablecoins. The hearing is being joined by draft legislation that may end up providing a viable path to regulate this new form of payments and transfers…. Read More

April 17, 2023 @ 8:32 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Thunes, a global cross-border payments company, has been granted a new Payments Institution license by the Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution (ACPR) in France, which will enable the company “to send payments worldwide on behalf of its French or EU customers and partners.”… Read More

April 17, 2023 @ 8:30 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is granting a €100 million loan to illimity which, in turn, “undertakes to invest an additional €100 million for small businesses through b-ilty, the illimity Group’s digital bank.” As noted in the update, 30% of the resources will be “channeled to… Read More

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