Politics, Legal & Regulation

October 27, 2019 @ 11:32 am By Cali Haan  |  

A former vice mayor of the Philippine city Cagayan de Oro has been arrested for his alleged involvement in an investment scam in Cebu, and is also known for being “visible” at events hosted by another scheme called Freedom Traders Club (FTC), which sold a… Read More

October 27, 2019 @ 11:18 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Individuals and organizations that use digital cryptocurrencies must begin reporting capital gains, and comply with regulatory guidelines. Firms must also implement appropriate auditing and accounting procedures for crypto assets and report such transactions to tax authorities.  On October 9, the Internal Revenue Service IRS released… Read More

October 26, 2019 @ 1:39 pm By Cali Haan  |  

Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that despite a sense of urgency kicked up by Facebook’s proposal to create a global currency system (Libra), many countries remain cautious about “rushing into” a cryptocurrency arms race, Business Standard reports. “On our side, the Reserve Bank Governor (Shantikanta… Read More

October 24, 2019 @ 6:14 pm By Cali Haan  |  

As Facebook tries desperately to keep its proposed in-app global currency project, Libra, afloat, New York Attorney General Letitia James has announced that attorneys general from 47 American states have joined a multistate antitrust investigation now scrutinizing Facebook: “After continued bipartisan conversations with attorneys general… Read More

October 24, 2019 @ 4:24 pm By Cali Haan  |  

Telegram’s appeal to investors asking for a six-month extension on the launch of the TON blockchain in the wake of an American SEC emergency action against the firm has been granted, Russian Forbes reports. Paraphrasing two unnamed sources, the outlet claims: “Investors in the Telegram… Read More

October 24, 2019 @ 11:39 am By JD Alois  |  

In a presentation entitled “The Future of Money: The Impact of Digitization, including “social coins” on Currency, Payments and Markets, Tommaso Mancini-Griffoli, Deputy Division Chief in the Monetary and Capital Markets Department from the IMF pitched the concept of a “synthetic CBDC” (Central Bank Digital… Read More

October 24, 2019 @ 11:00 am By JD Alois  |  

GFIN, or the Global Financial Innovation Network, has gained multiple US regulators as members. GFIN now lists the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) as members joining the Commodity Futures Trading Commission… Read More

October 24, 2019 @ 8:54 am By Cali Haan  |  

The Bank of Lithuania, the country’s central bank, has issued guidelines intended to, “provide greater regulatory clarity and aim at higher investor protection,” in the country’s security token offering (STO) market. Lithuania has been working hard to establish itself as a Fintech leader in the… Read More

October 23, 2019 @ 8:31 pm By JD Alois  |  

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, spent over 6 hours today testifying in front of the powerful House Financial Services Committee. While his prepared remarks foreshadowed his defense of Facebook’s Libra stablecoin, little can prepare you for the onslaught of questions delivered by every single Committee… Read More

October 23, 2019 @ 1:03 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), the department of the NY state government that regulates financial services and products, is currently reviewing its virtual currency license. While speaking at Georgetown University’s Institute of International Economic Law during DC Fintech Week, NYDFS Superintendent Linda… Read More

October 23, 2019 @ 8:56 am By JD Alois  |  

Customers Lose as Fintech Charter Shot Down by US District Court This week, Judge Victor Marrero of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, ruled against the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), in its ongoing legal battle to… Read More

October 22, 2019 @ 9:37 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Investor Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting on Nov. 7, 2019. A portion of the meeting will address the SEC’s concept release on the Harmonization of Securities Offering Exemptions. The meeting, which is open to the public and… Read More

October 22, 2019 @ 10:47 am By JD Alois  |  

Draft legislation has been posted on the US House of Representatives, Financial Services Committee website that may designate “stablecoins” as securities. Sponsored by Representative Sylvia Garcia, the ‘‘Stablecoins are Securities Act of 2019″ would mandate that stablecoins are investment contracts and thus are regulated under… Read More

October 21, 2019 @ 9:37 pm By JD Alois  |  

Michael Terpin, well known within the cryptocurrency industry, was a victim of a serious theft of crypto several years ago as approximately $24 million in crypto was stolen from his accounts via a Sim Swap hack. Terpin went on to file a lawsuit against AT&T… Read More

October 21, 2019 @ 9:10 pm By Cali Haan  |  

A plaintiff called Seth Shapiro is suing telco giant AT&T (NYSE:T) for its role in allegedly allowing hackers to access his cellphone on four occasions and enable the theft of $1.8 million USD in cryptocurrencies from his crypto exchange accounts. SIM-swapping is a type of hack… Read More

October 21, 2019 @ 7:01 pm By JD Alois  |  

Congressman Patrick McHenry, ranking member on the House Financial Services Committee, has re-introduced legislation that will mandate innovation offices in the numerous federal agencies that have oversight and influence over innovative financial services firms. The Financial Services Innovation Act of 2019 mandates that ten different… Read More

October 21, 2019 @ 1:35 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF), part of the Judge School of Business at Cambridge University, has partnered with the World Bank to publish a report on the global regulation of alternative finance and innovative Fintech firms. According to the new report, the regulation… Read More

October 21, 2019 @ 10:32 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Digital asset exchange Bitfinex recently applied to a US court to subpoena a former senior banking official of a trust company that the exchange says could help it recover more than $850 million in frozen funds. On October 18, Bitfinex submitted a filing to a… Read More

October 20, 2019 @ 6:20 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) stated on October 18 that stablecoins pose a money laundering and a terrorism financing threat to the world. The intergovernmental organization considers cryptocurrencies to be a “major strategic initiative.” In documents published following its latest meeting, the FATF noted… Read More

October 20, 2019 @ 3:18 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The US District Court for the Southern District of New York postponed the hearing regarding the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) injunction filing against London-based encrypted messaging service provider Telegram.  The hearing has been scheduled to take place on February 18–19, 2020. Telegram’s management had… Read More