Politics, Legal & Regulation

Policy and regulations impacting innovations in Finance.

Here is Senate Banking Committee Letter Telling Sam Bankman-Fried to Attend Hearing on December 14th

Last Friday, the Senate Banking Committee issued a statement as to whether or not, Sam Bankman-Fried will attend a Hearing on the FTX disaster and ensuing bankruptcy filing. The hearing is scheduled for next week on December 14, a day after the House Committee on… Read More

Senators Warren, Smith Send Letters to US Federal Reserve Chair, FDIC Acting Chair, Demanding Information on Banking Industry and Ties to Crypto

The aftershocks of FTX’s bankruptcy will be felt for many months. The collapse of the crypto exchange and the potential loss of billions in value has fueled demands for regulatory oversight on Capitol Hill with renewed vigor. Earlier this week, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator… Read More

“Catch will be countless, perhaps even mammoth” – Former SEC Officials Says Crypto Disclosure Requirement Could Lead to Many Enforcement Actions

Yesterday, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Division of Corporate Finance, revealed a “sample” letter being sent to registered firms demanding heightened disclosure on crypto assets. The new request follows a series of bankruptcies and financial stress from firms in the digital asset industry. The… Read More

Sam Bankman-Fried Commits to Testifying on FTX in Front of House Financial Services Committee, New CEO John J. Ray, III on List Too

Sam Bankman-Fried, founder and former CEO of FTX – the now bankrupt crypto exchange, has committed to testifying in front of the House Committee on Financial Services to discuss the collapse of FTX and affiliated entities. The agreement to testify came today following a back… Read More

SEC Division of Corporation Finance Reveals Sample Letter Sent to Companies on Crypto Asset Disclosure

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Division of Corporate Finance, has revealed a sample letter sent to reporting companies regarding disclosure requirements under securities laws. The letter addresses digital assets, or crypto assets, and points to recent events in crypto markets, such as bankruptcies and… Read More

SIM Swap Scam: Court Orders Crypto Criminal to Repay $20 Million to Michael Terpin, Attorneys Reaffirm Lawsuit Against AT&T

The long saga of Michael Terpin’s battle against SIM Swap fraudsters and allegations that AT&T shoulders much of the blame, saw one chapter closed this past week as the courts ordered perpetrator Nicholas Truglia (25) to repay $20.379 million Terpin. He has also been sentenced… Read More

Nigeria Limits ATM Withdrawals in Attempt to Encourage Digital Payments, Use of CBDC the eNaira: Report

Nigeria is attempting to cajole its population into using digital payments as opposed to cash, according to multiple reports. One method of encouragement is limiting ATM withdrawals to just $45, making it difficult to use physical money. Of course, some point to this harsh policy… Read More

Martin Dobelle: Engage Labs CEO Says Digital Currencies Could Become Key Part of Campaign Finance

We recently caught up with Martin Dobelle, CEO at Engage Labs, which is set to launch soon, and will be leveraging technology “to empower citizens for democratic participation in the digital age.” Engage claims it is a Public Benefit Corporation. According to Engage Labs, to… Read More

Congressman Patrick McHenry Selected as Chair of House Financial Services Committee

Congressman Patrick McHenry has been selected as the incoming Chair of the House Financial Services Committee. The House Republican Steering Committee made the move in advance of the 118th Congress, which commences in January when the Republicans take over leadership of the House. McHenry’s selection… Read More

US Senators Send Letter to Silvergate CEO Demanding Answers on FTX Collapse, Alameda Involvement

This past Mondy, Silvergate (NYSE:SI) CEO Alan Lane took the extraordinary measure of posting a public letter defending his bank’s handling of the accounts of now bankrupt FTX and affiliated hedge fund Alameda Research. Silvergate is a regulated bank that has been a leader in working… Read More

European Union Looks to Make it Easier for Firms to List Shares, Especially SMEs

As part of the ongoing objective of a Capital Markets Union, the European Union has announced new proposals aimed at making it easier for firms to list securities across the EU. According to a statement by the EU: Today’s proposed measures will: Make our clearing… Read More

“Rogue Financial Promotions” – FCA Announces Stronger Rules to Stymie Misleading Financial Marketing

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has outlined new rules to stymie financial promotions that are misleading, illegal or unfair. Simultaneously, the FCA has kicked off a consultation to garner feedback on the new rules. The goal is to halt “rogue financial promotions.” Currently, any… Read More

Former CFTC Commissioner Joins a16z Crypto

Former Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Commissioner Brian Quintenz has joined a16z Crypto in a full-time role as its new Head of Policy. a16z Crypto is a leading VC operation investing in blockchain-based platforms, including Web3. While at the CFTC, Quintenz led the Commission’s Technology… Read More

Representative Maxine Waters Returns to Twitter, Telling Sam Bankman-Fried it is “Imperative” He Testifies at Hearing on FTX Collapse

Representative Maxine Waters, Chair of the House Committee on Financial Services, returned to Twitter to prod Sam Bankman-Fried to testify in front of a Committee hearing next week on the FTX bankruptcy. Earlier this month, Chair Waters invited Bankman-Fried to testify via Twitter. Bankman-Fried responded,… Read More

Fintech Executive: Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX Will Go Down in History as a Fraud Larger than Bernie Madoff

The failure of FTX and the allegations of fraud pointed at founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried continue to garner much coverage in both traditional media as well as more modern digital news providers. The speed of the collapse, and the amount of funds involved… Read More

End of the Road: SPAC Deal to Take Circle Public Terminated, SEC Fails to Approve S-4 Registration

Circle, the issuer of dollar-based stablecoin USDC, has terminated the SPAC deal, which would take the company public, according to a release. The SPAC was initially expected to close this month (December). According to the statement, the two parties – Circle and Concord Acquisition Corp… Read More

Little New Information Derived from Senate Agriculture Committee Hearing on FTX

Last week, the Senate Agriculture Committee, which has oversight of commodities markets, held a hearing on the collapse of FTX, once an inside-the-beltway darling, today a virtual pariah as policymakers rush to react to the bankruptcy of the crypto exchange. Before the crypto exchange went bust,… Read More

Sam Bankman-Fried Agrees to Testify in Front of House Committee, Depending on How Things Go Before the 13th

Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, has agreed to testify in front of the House Committee on Financial Services contingent upon what happens from now until December 13th – the day the hearing is scheduled. As was previously reported, the Chair… Read More

FTX: Representative Maxine Waters Invites Sam Bankman-Fried via Twitter to Testify in Front of House Committee on Financial Services

Representative Maxine Waters, the Chair of the House Committee on Financial Services, has Tweeted asking Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO and founder of FTX, to testify in front of her Committee this month. Bankman-Fried has been making the PR rounds in the wake of the collapse… Read More

SIM Swap Perp Gets 18 Months in Prison for Stealing $20 Million of Crypto, Ordered to Pay Restitution in 2 Months

SIM Swap perpetrator Nicholas Truglia has been sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $20,379,007 in restitution to the victim of his cryptocurrency theft. Truglia is required to repay the victim within 60 days. Truglia was sentenced yesterday by US District Judge… Read More

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