Politics, Legal & Regulation

Policy and regulations impacting innovations in Finance.

CFTC Charges Multiple Individuals in FOREX, Bitcoin Fraud

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has charged several individuals in regard to allegations of FOREX and Bitcoin fraud. The CFTC states that an enforcement action has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts against Uduakobong Udo Inyangudo a/k/a Alexander… Read More

Financial Technology Association Issues Statement on Confirmation of CFPB Director Rohit Chopra

This week, Rohit Chopra was confirmed as the next Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The CFPB is a relatively new financial regulator created as part of the Dodd-Frank legislation that emerged following the great recession. The mission of the CFPB is to… Read More

Fintech Australia Introduces Tool for Early-Stage Fintechs Planning to Expand Operations in the Country

Fintech Australia has released a tool for early-stage Fintechs and international financial tech platforms expanding into Australia, providing guidance on financial services licensing in Australia and “which government bodies are responsible for managing them.” Created with assistance from law firm K&L Gates and Austrade, the… Read More

No Surprise: China Bans Crypto

China’s policy approach to cryptocurrency is pretty clear. It’s not allowed. While there have been ways to skirt the rules the vice has been tightening for quite some time now. A recent statement by the People’s Bank of China clarified things: “Bitcoin and other virtual… Read More

NASAA Says More Enforcement Actions in Past Year

The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), the entity that represents state and provincial securities regulators, has distributed its annual Enforcement Report. In a public statement, NASAA said there have been a growing number of investigations and enforcement actions involving, precious metals, self directed IRAs,… Read More

CFTC Files Charges Against Bevy of Crypto – Binary Option Platforms

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has filed charges against 14 entities for either failing to register as futures commission merchants (FCMs) or else making false and misleading claims of having CFTC registration and National Futures Association (NFA) membership. The CFTC is pursuing cease and… Read More

Digital Pound: Bank of England and HM Treasury Join CBDC Forum

The Bank of England and HM Treasury have joined the central bank digital currency (CBDC) Engagement and Technology Forums. The Forums were created earlier this year alongside a task force exploring a digital pound sterling. CBDCs have emerged as a hot policy issue in the… Read More

House Subcommittee Holds Hearing on the Future of Banking

Today (September 29, 2021) the House Committee on Financial Services, Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions, will hold a hearing on the future of banking. Entitled; The Future of Banking: How Consolidation, Nonbank Competition, and Technology are Reshaping the Banking System, the hearing will… Read More

Coinjar UK Ltd Now Registered by the FCA as Crypto-Asset Exchange and Custodian Wallet Provider

One of the “longest-running” crypto exchanges, CoinJar UK Limited has been “officially registered” by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as “a Cryptoasset Exchange Provider and Custodian Wallet Provider.” As mentioned in an update shared with CI: “In January 2020, new regulatory powers were introduced to… Read More

Kraken Hit by $1.25 Million Penalty Imposed by CFTC, Commissioner Stump Calls Decision “Uncharted Territory”

Kraken (Payward Ventures, Inc), a digital asset trading platform, has been hit by a $1.25 million penalty imposed by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). According to a statement by the CFTC, Kraken offered illegal off-exchange trading in digital asetss and failed to register as… Read More

SEC Commissioner Peirce Says Commission Should Consider Expanding Definition of Accredited Investor, Improve Crowdfunding Exemptions

Speaking at the opening of the SEC’s Small Business Capital Formation Committee meeting held earlier this week, Commissioner Hester Peirce shared her opinion on several key topics regarding access to investment opportunities and improvements for crowdfunding exemptions. The subject of the definition of an accredited… Read More

BIS Publishes Report on CBDCs for International Payments: “A substantial improvement in cross-border transfer speed”

The BIS (Bank for International Settlements) has published a report pertaining to central bank digital currency (CBDC) and payments. Crafted in partnership with the HKMA (Hong Kong Monetary Authority), Bank of Thailand, People’s Bank of China and the Central Bank of the UAE, the document… Read More

China’s Latest Attempt to Ban Crypto May Further Prove Benefits of Decentralized, Immutable Assets: Report

The cryptocurrency markets have been trading down after news of another crackdown on the industry from China. The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) has issued a statement that has reiterated that all cryptocurrency trading activities in the country are illegal, and regulatory authorities will be… Read More

Pitchbook Shows How Big Investors are Jumping Ahead of the Queue to Benefit from Pre-IPO Firms

The decline in publicly traded firms has been well-documented. A result of the excessive cost and reporting requirements combined with an ocean of private capital has compelled many successful firms to stay private as long as possible. Back in the day, an initial public offering… Read More

SEC Small Business Capital Formation Office Sends Report to Congress, Provides Policy Recommendations: Will the SEC Pursue the Advice?

Today, the Securities and Exchange (SEC) Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation delivered a report to Congress on the SEC’s 40th Annual Small Business Forum. The report, embedded below, recaps several meetings held in the past year (May) that shared front-line experience… Read More

Legal Entity of Debitum, a European Investment Platform, Receives Brokerage License from Latvia’s Financial and Capital Market Commission

The team at Lithuania-based Debitum, a borderless financing platform, says it’s proud to release asset-backed securities and enter the “regulated financial market.” As mentioned in a blog post by Debitum, dated September 23, 2021,  the company will now be able to continue the journey to… Read More

SEC Charges Two Individuals for Meme Stock Wash Trading

The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged two individuals for engaging in a fraudulent scheme designed to collect liquidity rebates from exchanges by wash trading put options of certain “meme stocks” in early 2021. The SEC’s complaint mentions stocks like GameStop, AMC Entertainment, Blackberry, and… Read More

Chinese Crackdown on Crypto May Lead to Divergence between On-Exchange and On-Chain TX Volume, thus Lowering Network Congestion, Fees: Report

As widely reported, China has expanded its ongoing cryptocurrency crackdown. This reportedly includes increasing enforcement against illegal digital currency mining, as well as preventing financial transactions involving crypto-assets. The Chinese central bank also confirmed that any trading, order matching, token issuance and derivatives on cryptocurrencies… Read More

Congressman Patrick McHenry Slams Biden’s Selection to Lead Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

Congressman Patrick McHenry, the ranking minority member on the House Financial Services Committee and keen supporter of financial innovation, has issued a statement on the Biden’s Administration selection to manage the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Yesterday, President Biden announced he had selected… Read More

Liti Capital Launches “Scambusters” Targeting Crypto Scams

Liti Capital SA, a Switzerland based litigation funding platform, has launched a new service called “Scambusters.” According to a release, the new feature will enable users to vote for which crypto fraud case the platform should pursue in the future. Any LITI or wLITI token… Read More

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