Politics, Legal & Regulation

February 27, 2023 @ 10:53 pm By JD Alois  |  

Robinhood (NASDAQ:HOOD) received a subpoena from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) this past December, according to the firm’s 10-K that was filed today. According to the document, the SEC’s request arrived following the collapse of FTX: “And in December 2022, shortly after FTX filed for… Read More

February 27, 2023 @ 10:47 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Northern Ireland (NI) Office Minister of State Steve Baker has announced £18.9 million investment in NI’s cyber security industry at Queen’s University Belfast’s (QUB) Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT). This includes £11 million funding from the New Deal for NI. The investment will “see… Read More

February 27, 2023 @ 12:28 pm By JD Alois  |  

Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) has announced via Twitter that it will cease trading in Binance USD (BUSD) on March 13, 2023. We regularly monitor the assets on our exchange to ensure they meet our listing standards. Based on our most recent reviews, Coinbase will suspend trading for Binance… Read More

February 27, 2023 @ 11:10 am By JD Alois  |  

In recent weeks, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has stepped up its enforcement activities in regard to the digital asset ecosystem. In the past, SEC Chairman Gary Gensler has asserted that all digital assets are securities, with the exception of Bitcoin. At one point,… Read More

February 26, 2023 @ 9:34 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Financial Action Task Force or FATF, the global AML/CFT group, has announced the outcomes of its most recent plenary. Included in the announcement are several items of note. Filed under “improving implementation of FATF requirements for virtual assets and virtual asset service providers,” the… Read More

February 26, 2023 @ 4:43 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) announced the licensing of Mani, a finance debt collection company to provide debt collection service for finance institutions. The license was granted to the company after completing all requirements stipulated in the “Rules of Licensing Finance Support Activities” issued by… Read More

February 24, 2023 @ 7:32 pm By JD Alois  |  

Congressman Patrick McHenry, the Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, has introduced the Data Privacy Act of 2023.  This bill aims to update financial data privacy laws, providing consumers with more control over how their personal information is collected and used. The movement to… Read More

February 24, 2023 @ 8:54 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The role of AI in EU securities markets is becoming more significant. A widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI) comes with “risks,” according to an update from European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). In particular, increased uptake may “lead to the concentration of systems and… Read More

February 23, 2023 @ 4:53 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Patrick McHenry, and the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Bill Huizenga, along with Senator Tim Scott, the ranking member on the Senate Banking Committee, have joined in sending a letter to SEC Chairman Gary… Read More

February 23, 2023 @ 12:18 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), have joined once again in issuing a warning on crypto. Last month, the three federal entities issued a statement cautioning banks… Read More

February 23, 2023 @ 10:43 am By JD Alois  |  

The fraud charges continue to pile up for disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. Earlier today, the US Department of Justice filed an updated complaint that outlines twelve charges – an increase from the previous criminal charges. The claims continue to be damning and expansive, highlighting… Read More

February 23, 2023 @ 10:09 am By JD Alois  |  

The US Department of Justice has issued a statement that a federal grand jury in the District of Oregon has returned an indictment charging the four founders of Forsage, a DeFi decentralized finance (DeFi) crypto investment platform, alleging a global Ponzi and pyramid scheme that… Read More

February 22, 2023 @ 5:57 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) have tightened requirements for platforms in the crypto exchange sector. The CSA is an entity that works to coordinate regulation with the various provincial and territorial securities regulators. Unlike the US Securities and Exchange Commission, it does not have federal… Read More

February 22, 2023 @ 11:44 am By JD Alois  |  

  The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Investor Advisory Committee (IAC), has scheduled a meeting to take place on Thursday, March 2nd, 2023. The IAC was created under the D0dd-Frank Act and is designed to advise the Commission on initiatives aimed at representing individual investors,… Read More

February 22, 2023 @ 10:49 am By Omar Faridi  |  

New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) Superintendent Adrienne A. Harris recently announced that the Department has “enhanced its ability to detect fraud and other illegal activity among New York State-regulated entities engaged in virtual currency activity through new insider trading and market manipulation… Read More

February 22, 2023 @ 8:10 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Financial Stability Board (FSB) published a report on the financial stability risks of Decentralised Finance (DeFi). DeFi is commonly “used to describe services in crypto-asset markets that aim to replicate some functions of the traditional financial system in a supposedly decentralized manner – though… Read More

February 21, 2023 @ 10:55 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) launched a consultation on the proposed requirements “for operators of virtual asset trading platforms.” Under a new licensing regime to take effect on 1 June 2023, all centralized virtual asset trading platforms “carrying on business in Hong Kong or… Read More

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