Politics, Legal & Regulation

February 21, 2023 @ 8:05 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is seeking views on “what regulatory change might help the UK’s asset management industry innovate, better support the investors it serves and boost competition.” The UK is a leading center for asset management, “with over £11 trillion of assets managed… Read More

February 20, 2023 @ 4:54 pm By JD Alois  |  

Earlier this month, the House Subcommittee on Capital Markets, part of the House Financial Services Committee, held a hearing on Empowering Entrepreneurs. The specific topic was “Removing Barriers to Capital Access for Small Businesses.” As everyone should understand, small businesses create around half of the… Read More

February 19, 2023 @ 7:35 pm By JD Alois  |  

As the world knows, most central banks in the developed world are investigating the benefits and risks of issuing digital currency. While the bulk of transactions is already handled electronically today, the thesis is that by incorporating new technology, a digital currency – or digital… Read More

February 19, 2023 @ 6:02 pm By JD Alois  |  

The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) now offers a “crypto scam tracker” that aims to help pinpoint bogus crypto offerings and scams. Announced last week, the tracker currently lists 36 individual scams. According to the DFPI, the scams are identified from complaints… Read More

February 18, 2023 @ 12:40 pm By JD Alois  |  

Paul Anthony Pierce, a former NBA pro and sports analyst, has agreed to settle with the Securities and Exchange Commission for promoting EMAX tokens on social media. As was previously reported, the same digital asset embroiled influencer Kim Kardashian who had to cough up a… Read More

February 17, 2023 @ 10:19 am By JD Alois  |  

Last spring, HM Treasury, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) collaborated to create the Joint Regulatory Oversight Committee as part of the UK Government’s commitment to boost open banking. This committee convened the Strategic… Read More

February 16, 2023 @ 5:29 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is continuing its crypto crackdown filing charges againstTerraform Labs PTE Ltd and founder Do Hyeong Kwon. The firm is based in Singapore but the Commission has not been shy about pursuing crypto scofflaws anywhere in the world. Kwon was… Read More

February 16, 2023 @ 3:03 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has charged Vista Network Technologies and its CEO, Armen Temurian, with “fraudulent solicitation and misappropriation of customers’ digital asset commodities.” The CFTC claims that the defendants scammed over $7 million in Bitcoin and Ether from erstwhile customers. The CFTC described… Read More

February 16, 2023 @ 10:07 am By JD Alois  |  

This past week, the Senate Banking Committee held a hearing to discuss the topic of digital assets.  As should be abundantly clear by now, support, or lack of support, is now largely falling along party lines. Both sides desire consumer protection and understand the need… Read More

February 16, 2023 @ 9:16 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Binance, the world’s largest digital currency exchange, is reportedly expecting to pay monetary penalties in order to settle US regulatory and law-enforcement investigations of its operations. This, according to the company’s CSO (as reported by the WSJ). Over the past five years, Binance has managed… Read More

February 15, 2023 @ 6:54 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has used its powers “to enter and inspect several sites around Leeds suspected of hosting illegally operated crypto ATMs.” The FCA gathered evidence from several sites “around the city as part of a joint operation with West Yorkshire Police’s Digital… Read More

February 14, 2023 @ 3:11 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

More than $115 million in refunds are being “sent to consumers nationwide” as a result of a 2018 action the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice brought against MoneyGram (NASDAQ: MGI) for “failing to crack down on scammers using their payment system.”… Read More

February 13, 2023 @ 1:47 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

As more of the crypto ecosystem adopts proof of stake over the more energy-intensive proof of work protocol, crypto users around the world are “being introduced to the benefits of ‘staking,” according to an update from Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN). Paul Grewal, Chief Legal Officer at Coinbase,… Read More

February 13, 2023 @ 12:28 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The new digital identity framework would provide EU citizens “with digital access to key public services across EU borders,” according to Members of European Parliament (MEPs). The Industry, Research and Energy Committee adopted its position “on the proposed update of the European digital identity framework… Read More

February 13, 2023 @ 11:47 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Paxos, the regulated blockchain and tokenization infrastructure platform, announced it will end its relationship with Binance “for the branded stablecoin BUSD.” Effective February 21, Paxos will “cease issuance of new BUSD tokens as directed by and working in close coordination with the New York Department… Read More

February 13, 2023 @ 10:21 am By JD Alois  |  

The SEC’s takedown of Kraken’s staking service continues to generate after-shocks as the digital asset industry ponders its ability to provide services to US customers. Kraken paid a $30 million penalty to make the issue go away without admitting or denying any guilt regarding the… Read More

February 10, 2023 @ 6:32 pm By JD Alois  |  

Representative Bill Huizenga, the Chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, part of the House Financial Services Committee, has sent a letter to SEC Chair Gary Gensler demanding he hand over documents surrounding Sam Bankman-Fried and the collapse of the crypto exchange. The letter… Read More

February 10, 2023 @ 9:47 am By JD Alois  |  

SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce has shared her thoughts on the enforcement action taken against Kraken. The crypto exchange agreed to pay a $30 million penalty pertaining to its staking service. The ability for US clients to earn a return on parked Proof of Stake digital… Read More

February 10, 2023 @ 9:25 am By JD Alois  |  

  SEC Chair Gary Gensler received some face time this morning on CNBC in the wake of the Commission’s enforcement action taken against crypto exchange Kraken. The platform was compelled to pay a $30 million penalty for its staking service offered to US investors. Staking… Read More

February 10, 2023 @ 8:44 am By Omar Faridi  |  

  Digital asset firm Kraken’s settlement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has left many wondering what this means for the industry’s future. Fireblocks’ Chief Legal & Compliance Officer Jason Allegrante and Proof of Stake Alliance (POSA)’s Executive Director Alison Mangiero have the… Read More