Politics, Legal & Regulation

January 27, 2023 @ 11:40 am By JD Alois  |  

  Congressman Patrick McHenry, the Chairman of the powerful House Financial Services Committee, has announced the Committee staff for the 118th Congress. McHenry recently posted his newly formed subcommittees as well as each subcommittee Chair. The Congressman aims to shift the direction of legislation emanating… Read More

January 27, 2023 @ 8:08 am By Omar Faridi  |  

US securities regulators are looking into the operations of investment advisers over crypto-asset custody. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is examining the activities of registered investment advisers over whether they’re following applicable guidelines around custody of customer digital assets. This, according to sources… Read More

January 26, 2023 @ 3:22 pm By JD Alois  |  

The UK government created the Future Fund to provide access to capital to early-stage firms which were most likely unable to access debt capital during the COVID-19 health crisis. The fear was that a generation of innovative young firms would disappear as markets contracted and… Read More

January 26, 2023 @ 1:05 pm By JD Alois  |  

Earlier this month, the House Financial Services Committee announced the chairs of each subcommittee. New to the mix is the Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Inclusion.  Committee Chairman Patrick McHenry selected French Hill of Arkansas to Chair this newly minted subcommittee. In a… Read More

January 26, 2023 @ 11:10 am By JD Alois  |  

The DNB considers the non-compliance to be very severe. The Dutch Central Bank (De Nederlandsche Bank or DNB) has fined Coinbase Europe Limited €3,325,000. The administrative penalty was assessed as Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) had been providing digital asset services in the Netherlands without registration and thus… Read More

January 25, 2023 @ 11:57 am By JD Alois  |  

The French Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) has posted a comment on its website commenting on investment crowdfunding. The AMF notes to change to online capital formation under EU harmonized rules or European Crowdfunding Service Providers Regulation (ECSPR). The AMF explains: Crowdfunding: a regime undergoing… Read More

January 25, 2023 @ 8:28 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Criminals have always found efficient ways “to launder the proceeds of their crimes and avoid increasingly stringent anti-money laundering regulations,” according to an update from CertiK. One such technique, uncovered by CertiK, poses “a direct threat to Web3 projects.” Criminal organizations are using this scheme… Read More

January 24, 2023 @ 10:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

The New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) has issued updated guidance for firms engaged in the crypt or “virtual asset” sector. NYDFS created a path for regulating digital asset firms fairly early on in the emergence of crypto. The announcement issued yesterday aims… Read More

January 23, 2023 @ 11:02 pm By JD Alois  |  

Genesis Global Holdco has received approval from the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York for all the first-day motions related to its Chapter 11 filed on January 19, 2023. Last week, Genesis filed for bankruptcy protection after a period when it… Read More

January 23, 2023 @ 4:14 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is on the hunt for new additions to the  Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee (SBCFAC). The Committee, which was created by legislation signed into law during the Obama administration, aims to provide the Commission with advice and feedback… Read More

January 23, 2023 @ 12:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

Representative Bill Huizenga,  a member of the House Financial Services Committee and new Chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, has put Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler on notice. In a Tweet, Huizenga said that oversight of the SEC is at… Read More

January 22, 2023 @ 5:07 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Orrick and Buckley jointly announced the strategic combination, which “responds to growing demand from the most innovative companies and financial institutions for forward-looking regulatory and enforcement advice.” It also responds “to demand from Fintech innovators, tech companies and their financial sponsors for holistic solutions to… Read More

January 22, 2023 @ 3:59 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Avraham Eisenberg, a 27-year-old U.S. citizen who was arrested and detained at MDC Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, with attempting to manipulate MNGO tokens – the native token of Mango Markets. Eisenberg is expected to appear before the Southern… Read More

January 20, 2023 @ 9:45 am By Cecilia Tamez  |  

Emerging markets have contributed almost two-thirds of global GDP growth over the past 15 years. So, it’s not surprising that businesses in established markets like the U.S. and U.K. are looking to expand their operations in these up-and-coming regions — whether it means working with… Read More

January 20, 2023 @ 7:35 am By JD Alois  |  

Late last night, Genesis, part of the Digital Currency Group (DCG), filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it looks to restructure in light of a challenging environment in the crypto sector which has impacted multiple firms. Genesis is a digital asset prime brokerage that… Read More

January 19, 2023 @ 5:27 pm By JD Alois  |  

Beleaguered crypto firm Nexo has had to pony up a $45 million penalty following charges filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Without admitting or denying the SEC’s findings, Nexo agreed to a cease-and-desist order. Nexo had previously announced its exit from the United… Read More

January 19, 2023 @ 12:39 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Caroline Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda Research, and Zixiao (Gary) Wang, the former Chief Technology Officer of FTX Trading Ltd. (FTX), for their part in the “multi-year scheme” to commit fraud in regards to FTX, once… Read More

January 19, 2023 @ 12:18 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a litigation release regarding allegations that Sam Bankman-Fried defrauded equity investors in FTX. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) have also announced charges against Bankman-Fried…. Read More

January 18, 2023 @ 4:42 pm By JD Alois  |  

“Fueled a high-tech axis of cryptocrime.” The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced the arrest of Anatoly Legkodymov, 40, a Russian national who resides in Shenzhen, China, as the founder and operator of Bitzlato, a crypto exchange the feds have alleged to have processed… Read More

January 18, 2023 @ 11:24 am By JD Alois  |  

Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder and former CEO of FTX who is now under indictment for allegations of fraud, has returned to his substack, declaring that FTX US was and is solvent. Bankman-Fried previously provided an FTX “post-mortem” following his release on bail. He disputes a… Read More