Politics, Legal & Regulation

February 10, 2023 @ 8:38 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Bitso, the cryptocurrency-powered financial services company in Latin America, has released the regulatory principles that “guide its operations and its strategic decisions in adherence with the highest industry standards.” At a time when the crypto industry is facing unparalleled doubt and scrutiny due to both… Read More

February 9, 2023 @ 4:53 pm By JD Alois  |  

Shares in Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN), the only publicly traded crypto exchange in the US, tanked today – perhaps reacting to the SEC’s enforcement action taken against rival crypto exchange Kraken. In a complaint revealed today, the SEC claimed that crypto staking, or staking as a service,… Read More

February 9, 2023 @ 4:06 pm By JD Alois  |  

Following industry rumblings anticipating the move, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has taken action against crypto exchange Kraken in regard to their staking service. Kraken has settled the charges by the SEC without admitting or denying the allegations and paying a $30 million penalty…. Read More

February 9, 2023 @ 9:46 am By JD Alois  |  

Brian Armstrong, CEO and founder of Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN), took to Twitter yesterday to share his belief that crypto staking is doomed as regulators – the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) – will soon kill off the popular method of generating revenue for parked crypto. Currently,… Read More

February 9, 2023 @ 9:02 am By Omar Faridi  |  

A senior board member at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has asked for a coordinated regulatory response in order to limit the incursions of Big tech companies such as Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) into financial services. The senior office argued that… Read More

February 8, 2023 @ 3:25 pm By JD Alois  |  

This morning, the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, part of the House Financial Services Committee, held a hearing on the definition of an accredited investor. This definition is utilized to determine who may participate in certain private securities offerings, mostly Reg D 506c/b. Broadly, the definition… Read More

February 7, 2023 @ 3:40 pm By JD Alois  |  

The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), along with the SEC Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), have published an Investor Alert cautioning individuals on Self Directed Individual Retirement Account (IRAs) that enable investors to select assets that may be… Read More

February 7, 2023 @ 12:34 pm By JD Alois  |  

HM Treasury and the Bank of England have announced a new consultation on the possibility of a digital pound. According to a joint statement, The consultation is being launched as the UK government wants to ensure the public has access to “safe money” while supporting… Read More

February 6, 2023 @ 10:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

Doug Ellenoff, the managing partner of Ellenoff, Grossman, and Schole (EGS) – a Manhattan-based law firm, has been a supporter of innovation in financial services for many years now. A staunch proponent of the JOBS Act of 2012 before it became law, Ellenoff is a… Read More

February 6, 2023 @ 7:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

Genesis Global Holdco, LLC says that it has reached an “agreement in principle” with Digital Currency Group (DCG) and the ad hoc groups of creditors of Genesis Global Capital, LLC, which holds or represents more than $2 billion in claims, according to a note from… Read More

February 6, 2023 @ 4:25 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last week, it was reported that DealMaker had filed a lawsuit against Issuance, claiming that Issuance had utilized a relationship between the two firms to gain access to intellectual property to launch a similar service. DealMaker is a tech-enabled platform that helps firms raise money… Read More

February 6, 2023 @ 12:33 pm By JD Alois  |  

The House Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Monetary Policy, part of the Financial Services Committee, will discuss banking and the need to improve the regulatory environment in light of emerging technology. The hearing, Revamping and Revitalizing Banking in the 21st Century, will review ways regulation… Read More

February 6, 2023 @ 10:33 am By JD Alois  |  

The House Subcommittee on Capital Markets, part of the House Financial Services Committee, has hit the ground running in the new Congress. As was reported earlier, the Subcommittee has scheduled a hearing on access to capital and entrepreneurship. On the same day, the Subcommittee will… Read More

February 6, 2023 @ 9:55 am By Omar Faridi  |  

FTX Trading Ltd. (d.b.a. FTX.com), and its affiliated debtors (together, the “FTX Debtors”), announced the FTX Debtors are “sending confidential messages to political figures, political action funds, and other recipients of contributions or other payments that were made by or at the direction of the… Read More

February 6, 2023 @ 9:14 am By JD Alois  |  

This coming Wednesday, February 8, 2023, the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, part of the House Financial Services Committee, will address access to capital as it looks to approve legislation aiming to improve funding for early-stage firms. The hearing is entitled “Empowering Entrepreneurs: Removing Barriers to… Read More

February 6, 2023 @ 8:47 am By JD Alois  |  

CI recently published an update on Reg CF [Regulation Crowdfunding], an exemption that allows a business to raise up to $5 million in an online securities offering. Investors may be non-accredited or accredited. While the legislation creating Reg CF was signed into law in 2012,… Read More

February 6, 2023 @ 8:11 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The UK government has released proposals for regulation of the cryptocurrency industry in hopes of “stabilizing the market while diminishing the incentives for users to flock to offshore jurisdictions.” Perhaps one of the benefits of the post-FTX landscape is that regulators are now “urged to… Read More

February 5, 2023 @ 1:50 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) issued the consultation conclusion to the discussion paper on crypto-assets and stablecoins (the “Consultation Conclusion”), summarizing the feedback “received in relation to the paper and the HKMA’s response.” In the Consultation Conclusion, the HKMA proposes “to bring certain activities… Read More

February 3, 2023 @ 7:23 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In an effort to lead the industry in “trust” and “transparency” on their mission to accelerate the adoption of cryptocurrency, Kraken is pleased to release its 2022 Transparency Report. The 2022 Transparency Report “provides a summary of how they protect their clients’ privacy and financial… Read More

February 3, 2023 @ 5:07 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission has filed fraud charges against a US-based LLC – Windsor Jones and its principal based in the UK, Anthony Collins. According to the SEC, the firm and Collins pursued a fraud involving purported fine wine investments raising at least $4… Read More