Politics, Legal & Regulation

March 4, 2022 @ 12:42 pm By JD Alois  |  

Recently Switzerland has taken unprecedented steps to apply economic sanctions targeting Russia due to its unprovoked war with Ukraine. Historically neutral when it comes to political conflict, the criminal act by Russia and Vladimir Putin was simply too much for the Alpine nation. Today, Switzerland… Read More

March 4, 2022 @ 8:18 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Ukraine is reportedly funding its war against Russia by appealing to the global crypto community. This, as the nation will soon introduce non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in order to help support financially its armed forces. Mykhailo Fedorov, the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, recently confirmed that… Read More

March 3, 2022 @ 5:34 pm By JD Alois  |  

The US Department of Treasury has been contacting cryptocurrency platforms cautioning them about the possibility of cyber-attacks emanating from Russia following Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine. According to a report by Reuters, a person with knowledge of the conversations said following the sanctions leveled against… Read More

March 3, 2022 @ 5:02 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

During the past few days, the team at Visa (NYSE: V) has been watching the tragic scenes in Ukraine with “deep sadness and disbelief.” The firm noted that their “hearts go out to the many people and families seeking safety, shelter and peace following the… Read More

March 3, 2022 @ 4:55 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Importance of Compliance. Under the JOBS Act 0f 2012, online capital formation – or investment crowdfunding, became legal in the US. Three exemptions were created that enabled firms to raise money online to fund a company by selling securities. The legislation created Regulation Crowdfunding… Read More

March 2, 2022 @ 3:04 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

US-based digital asset firm Coinbase Global Inc (NASDAQ: COIN) confirmed that it would continue to block accounts and transfers of Russian customers targeted by US and EU-led sanctions. However, the crypto exchange has stopped short of banning all customers from Russia As reported by Reuters,… Read More

March 2, 2022 @ 11:06 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Crypto derivatives exchange BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes (who pleaded guilty to charges of violating the Bank Secrecy Act after being accused of willfully failing to establish, implement, and maintain anti-money laundering (AML) programs at BitMEX), notes that thankfully, (unlike many others around the world) his… Read More

March 1, 2022 @ 5:39 pm By JD Alois  |  

  Russia’s war with Ukraine is a human tragedy of epic proportions. It appears that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his advisors have ignored the history of Nazi Germany and pushed forward with an unprovoked invasion that can only end in disaster. The war will… Read More

March 1, 2022 @ 12:01 am By JD Alois  |  

The Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF), part of the University of Cambridge, has launched a new public-private collaboration involving banks, public agencies, and private organizations aiming to provide insight into the emerging digital asset ecosystem. The mission is to help guide public opinion, inform… Read More

February 28, 2022 @ 8:30 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

We recently connected with Neeraj Khandelwal, Co-founder of CoinDCX, one of India’s largest digital asset exchanges. As covered in August 2021, CoinDCX turned into India’s first crypto unicorn following a $90 million investment round led by Facebook Inc. co-founder Eduardo Saverin and B Capital Group… Read More

February 28, 2022 @ 3:07 pm By JD Alois  |  

Earlier today, the Swiss Federal Council adopted the European Union (EU) sanctions packages of February 23 and 25. The move is designed to remove Switzerland as an option for  Russia to evade economic sanctions as Russia continues its criminal act of war against Ukraine. Switzerland… Read More

February 28, 2022 @ 10:36 am By JD Alois  |  

The US Department of Treasury has issued a statement today following a flurry of international actions over the weekend that sought to cut off Russia from global markets while freezing assets of certain individuals and other entities. Treasury said the actions were taken following the… Read More

February 27, 2022 @ 9:39 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) notes that they have made enhancements to the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme. The Financial Secretary confirmed in the 2022-23 Budget today (23 February) that the application period for the 80% Guarantee Product, the 90% Guarantee Product and the Special… Read More

February 27, 2022 @ 7:20 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Stephen Moss, Founder and MD at Sourced Capital, notes that it has been a while since they last discussed their business operations, the journey and what they have been working on “in the background.” Moss wrote in a blog post that in 2018, they became… Read More

February 27, 2022 @ 4:43 pm By JD Alois  |  

While the humanitarian crisis grows in Ukraine and Russia’s unprovoked war rages on, the European Union (EU) announced that selected Russian banks have been removed from the SWIFT messaging system. While the names of the bank were not immediately available, any on the list will… Read More

February 27, 2022 @ 1:07 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The FBI Cyber Division notes that cyber threat actors have recently “deployed destructive malware” against organizations operating in Ukraine. The FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency noted in an extensive update that “leading up to Russia’s unprovoked attack against Ukraine, threat actors deployed destructive… Read More

February 27, 2022 @ 1:05 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Bitcoin (BTC) appears to be set to close a highly volatile week with a green candle — rebounding from a drop to around $34,000 after Russian forces “punctuated several weeks of tensions in the areas around Ukraine with what looks like a full-scale invasion,” the… Read More

February 26, 2022 @ 5:21 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

European lender Mintos notes that they will be monitoring RUB currency dynamics on a daily basis, “closing positions at the end of the working day to prevent the risk of negative exposure.” The team at Minto wrote in a blog post that based on the assessment… Read More

February 26, 2022 @ 4:28 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Digital asset manager Grayscale notes that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has impacted international markets, including crypto-assets, which have “historically shown correlations to risk assets.” As noted in a blog post by Grayscale, this relationship has “become even more pronounced in recent years as institutional… Read More

February 25, 2022 @ 10:15 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Deputy Governor of Bank Negara, Datuk Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour,  notes that he would like to express his gratitude to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for inviting him to deliver a keynote address (as posted by Bank Negara, Malaysia’s reserve bank. on February 24, 2022)…. Read More