Politics, Legal & Regulation

October 20, 2022 @ 10:59 am By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Office of Inspector General (OIG), has issued a report on the management of the SEC that criticizes multiple aspects of the Commission’s operations. Aiming to promote integrity and efficiency, the OIG is an independent office within the SEC that… Read More

October 20, 2022 @ 9:46 am By JD Alois  |  

The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council) has issued a statement hammering the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for its activity that will have “a chilling effect on America’s startup ecosystem.” This past week, the CMA claimed that the acquisition by Facebook (Meta)… Read More

October 19, 2022 @ 2:09 pm By JD Alois  |  

The concept of a central bank digital currency (CBDC), privately issued stablecoins, and digital currency, in general, has swirled together for some time now. Some policymakers and pundits believe that for the dollar to continue to reign as the world’s default currency, it must move… Read More

October 19, 2022 @ 1:08 pm By JD Alois  |  

European Commission Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability, and Capital Markets Union Mairead McGuinness, says the United States needs to pick up the pace and create bespoke rules for digital assets or crypto assets. The European Union is moving forward with its Markets in Crypto… Read More

October 19, 2022 @ 10:39 am By JD Alois  |  

Earlier this month, PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) was slammed for its authoritarian Acceptable Use Policy that was slotted to take effect next month. PayPal decided that it could charge users $2500 – per infraction – if they said or commented on anything PayPal did not concur. PayPal’s… Read More

October 18, 2022 @ 12:26 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Regulators in Texas are reportedly probing cryptocurrency platform FTX and company CEO Sam Bankman-Fried. The state securities regulator is looking into whether FTX has offered unregistered securities to Texas residents, which could potentially be a violation of state law. According to reports, Texas’ securities regulator… Read More

October 18, 2022 @ 10:34 am By JD Alois  |  

Republicans on the House Committee on Financial Services have sent a letter to SEC Chairman Gary Gensler criticizing his management of the securities regulator, specifically pointing to problems with proposed rules and receiving comments from the public. Earlier this month, the SEC announced that it… Read More

October 17, 2022 @ 6:18 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) has placed an interim stop order blocking Holon Investments Australia Limited from offering or distributing three funds to retail investors due to “non-compliant target market determinations (TMDs).” The order is for 21 days unless it is revoked. ASIC expects… Read More

October 17, 2022 @ 3:54 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last week, it was reported that Bittrex was the target of an enforcement action emanating from the US Department of Treasury. Two divisions at Treasury, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) announced enforcement actions. The crypto trading… Read More

October 16, 2022 @ 11:35 pm By JD Alois  |  

There has been much discussion as to the benefits of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). Many developed countries are researching the pros and cons, and China has been testing with consumers a digital yuan for some time now. The flip side to a CBDC is… Read More

October 15, 2022 @ 4:32 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last week, Senator John Hickenlooper sent a letter to SEC Chairman Gary Gensler criticizing the SEC’s inability to provide bright-line rules on digital assets. One of the most interesting aspects of the letter is that it came from a Democrat Senator who is chastizing an… Read More

October 15, 2022 @ 3:28 pm By JD Alois  |  

This past week, the SEC’s Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee met to discuss several key topics regarding access to capital and smaller firms. One of the topics revolved around initial public offerings (IPOs), a sector of finance that tanked in 2022. In fact, according… Read More

October 15, 2022 @ 2:49 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Crypto.com, which claims to be the world’s fastest growing cryptocurrency platform, announced it will “invest €150 million in France to support the establishment of its market operations, including a regional headquarters in Paris.” This investment “follows Crypto.com being registered as a Digital Asset Service Provider… Read More

October 15, 2022 @ 2:34 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Blockchain.com, a leading crypto wallet provider, digital asset trading platform, and block explorer service provider, recently revealed that it has “secured an in-principle approval for the Major Payment Institution License offering Digital Payment Token services from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).” With this preliminary… Read More

October 13, 2022 @ 4:18 pm By JD Alois  |  

Today the SEC’s Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee (SBCFAC) held a meeting to address two important topics. The sagging initial public offering (IPO) market and access to capital for vital entrepreneurial markets. Both, are key policy ambitions – more so during a time of… Read More

October 12, 2022 @ 11:57 am By JD Alois  |  

Grayscale Investments, a large digital asset manager with listed products trading on OTC Markets, has sued the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) due to the agency’s refusal to approve a Bitcoin-based Exchange Traded Product (ETP) or spot Bitcoin ETF. According to a release, Grayscale filed… Read More

October 11, 2022 @ 11:29 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The OECD delivered a new global tax transparency framework “to provide for the reporting and exchange of information with respect to crypto-assets.” The Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) “responds to a G20 request that the OECD develop a framework for the automatic exchange of information between… Read More

October 11, 2022 @ 3:54 pm By JD Alois  |  

Bored Ape, or Bored Ape Yacht Club, creator Yuga Labs is being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), according to a report. Bored App became emblematic of the rapid rise in non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Sales of the collectibles began in the Spring of… Read More

October 11, 2022 @ 2:56 pm By JD Alois  |  

All financial services will eventually be Fintech services, but some traditional financial firms struggle to become digitally native. Traditional banks, typically smaller ones, fall into this category. Most of these smaller banks have purchased services from Fintechs, thus providing modern platforms – others have partnered… Read More

October 11, 2022 @ 11:52 am By JD Alois  |  

The Financial Stability Board (FSB) has published a proposed framework for global regulation of crypto assets. The FSB stated in a release that “crypto-assets and markets must be subject to effective regulation and oversight commensurate with the risks they pose.” While acknowledging there is currently… Read More