Politics, Legal & Regulation

January 8, 2026 @ 1:53 pm By JD Alois  |  

A relatively new law allows the state of California to claim crypto holdings from accounts deemed inactive. SB 822, The Unclaimed Property Law (UPL), was signed into law by Governor Newsom last October. While the state must make efforts to discover legal holders, after three… Read More

January 8, 2026 @ 1:37 pm By JD Alois  |  

There has been a formal submission to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to increase the funding cap of Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) from the current $5 million to $20 million. A petition to the SEC is a request to issue, change, or repeal a… Read More

January 7, 2026 @ 12:28 pm By JD Alois  |  

We need banking services; we just don’t necessarily need banks.  The advent of digital assets and the potential for disintermediation pose both threats and opportunities for traditional banks. Stablecoins may upend traditional financial rails, and the GENIUS Act provided a federal path for firms to… Read More

January 7, 2026 @ 9:06 am By JD Alois  |  

The American Fintech Council (AFC) has issued a statement on the regulation of banks and non-banks. In a letter submitted to the FDIC, the CFPB, the FTC, the OCC, and the Federal Reserve, the group stated that “banks are banks, and non-banks are non-banks” and… Read More

January 7, 2026 @ 1:17 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In the wake of recent geopolitical shifts, reports have emerged suggesting that Venezuela could possess a substantial, undisclosed stash of Bitcoin, potentially valued in the tens of billions of dollars. This new claim / revelation comes amid heightened tensions following US military actions that led… Read More

January 6, 2026 @ 10:06 am By Omar Faridi  |  

TRM Labs noted that in a major escalation of US efforts against Venezuelan leadership, the Department of Justice unsealed a superseding indictment against President Nicolás Maduro and several co-defendants, including his wife Cilia Flores, on January 5, 2026. TRM Labs also mentioned that this followed… Read More

January 6, 2026 @ 8:19 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In recent years, Mexico has embraced digital transformation initiatives in order to overhaul its tax system, introducing measures that enable instantaneous oversight of transactions. This evolution mandates that major online platforms report sales data directly to the country’s Tax Administration Service (SAT) without delay. Companies… Read More

January 5, 2026 @ 10:12 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Turkmenistan has legalised cryptocurrency mining and the operation of crypto exchanges, a rare policy shift for one of the world’s most tightly controlled states as it looks to modernise parts of an economy dominated by natural gas exports, according to reports. President Serdar Berdymukhamedov signed… Read More

January 5, 2026 @ 2:23 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In a significant shift at the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Caroline Crenshaw, the agency’s final Democratic appointee and a vocal opponent of the cryptocurrency sector, has concluded her service. The announcement came on Friday, capping a period defined by her resolute doubts about… Read More

January 5, 2026 @ 10:43 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In a move spurred by recent geopolitical events, Democratic Representative Ritchie Torres from New York is set to unveil the Public Integrity in Financial Prediction Markets Act of 2026. This proposed law aims to address concerns over potential misuse of confidential information in decentralized wagering… Read More

January 5, 2026 @ 10:30 am By JD Alois  |  

Evestnet, a Fintech owned by Bain Capital, is headed to trial as part of an ongoing legal battle with FinancialApps. Evestnet was acquired by Bain in 2024 in a deal worth around $4.5 billion. This past August, it was reported that formal sanctions against Envestnet… Read More

January 5, 2026 @ 8:57 am By Omar Faridi  |  

  As of January 4, 2026, Bitcoin has climbed to around $91,400, marking its strongest performance since mid-December. After a brief dip below $90,000 triggered by breaking news of US military operations in Venezuela, the flagship cryptocurrency quickly recovered, demonstrating notable stability in the face… Read More

January 5, 2026 @ 8:45 am By Michael Wong  |  

The United Arab Emirates has issued two federal decree laws revamping the governance of its capital markets, strengthening the independence and powers of the country’s securities regulator as the Gulf state seeks to bolster investor confidence and align its financial framework with global standards. The… Read More

January 5, 2026 @ 6:12 am By Omar Faridi  |  

PwC is significantly expanding its involvement in the cryptocurrency sector following years of measured caution. This strategic pivot comes as the U.S. regulatory landscape becomes more supportive of digital assets, particularly with the enactment of new legislation governing stablecoins. Paul Griggs, PwC’s U.S. senior partner… Read More

January 4, 2026 @ 11:29 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

As of January 1, 2026, a major shift in cryptocurrency regulation has arrived with the implementation of the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), spearheaded by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This initiative mandates that providers of crypto services, along with their clients, disclose… Read More

January 4, 2026 @ 2:31 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Ilya Lichtenstein, the individual who admitted to orchestrating the massive 2016 breach at cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex, has announced his impending early release from incarceration. In a recent post on X, Lichtenstein attributed his reduced sentence to the First Step Act, a 2018 criminal justice reform… Read More

January 4, 2026 @ 2:30 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

We recently connected with Instant Financial CEO Tal Clark to talk about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) advisory opinion on cash advances for company workers and their preference for B2B models. Tal share his point of view on this matter including thoughts on why this… Read More

January 3, 2026 @ 1:34 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Governments are accelerating coordinated oversight of cryptocurrency markets as a new international reporting regime takes hold, signalling tighter tax enforcement and pushing digital assets closer to mainstream financial regulation, the Financial Times reported. According to the report, 48 jurisdictions have committed to begin their first… Read More

January 3, 2026 @ 1:28 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In late December 2025, the City of Baltimore initiated a lawsuit against Dave Inc. (Nasdaq: DAVE), a Los Angeles-based financial technology company, accusing it of engaging in deceptive marketing and imposing exorbitant fees that effectively function as illegal high-interest loans. The action, announced by Mayor Brandon… Read More

January 3, 2026 @ 1:22 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In a contentious legal showdown, JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) is pushing back against nearly $74 million in legal fees claimed by Charlie Javice, the founder of the student aid platform Frank. This dispute stems from the bank’s 2021 acquisition of Frank for $175 million, a deal… Read More