Politics, Legal & Regulation

September 24, 2019 @ 7:49 am By Omar Faridi  |  

AUSTRAC, Australia’s financial intelligence agency, ordered an audit on September 24 of international money transfers made by online payment service provider PayPal according to a release. Australia’s authorities suspect that the transactions facilitated by PayPal might be associated with serious crimes such as child exploitation. … Read More

September 24, 2019 @ 2:12 am By Cali Haan  |  

Lawyers for Ripple Labs have asked a judge to dismiss a class-action suit brought against the company in Northern California. The case seeks to establish that Ripple Labs conducted an unlawful sale of securities (XRP tokens) to fund the development of a fast payment network… Read More

September 23, 2019 @ 10:28 pm By Cali Haan  |  

Two men have been indicted in California for allegedly hacking “decentralized” (peer-to-peer) crypto trading platform EtherDelta. The indictment states that Anthony Nashatka (AKA “Psycho”), who resides in New York, and co-defendant Elliot Gunton (AKA “Planet”), who lives in the UK, have not yet been arrested. The… Read More

September 23, 2019 @ 8:12 pm By Cali Haan  |  

Two individuals who requested anonymity are claiming that Kik has begun disbanding the Isreali subsidiary responsible for running its messaging app, CalcalistTech reports. According to the outlet: “The company is moving all the app’s users to alternative platforms…The 70 employees of Kik’s Israeli cryptocurrency subsidiary… Read More

September 23, 2019 @ 7:22 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Association of Online Investment Platforms (AOIP) visited both House and Senate staffers last week, along with a meeting at the US Department of Treasury. The goal of the trip was to review the status of current crowdfunding exemptions and what must be done to… Read More

September 23, 2019 @ 2:45 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed its latest complaint targeting another allegedly fraudulent initial coin offering (ICO). According to a release, the SEC has charged Jonathan C. Lucas, the former founder and CEO of Fantasy Market, an online adult entertainment marketplace, with orchestrating… Read More

September 23, 2019 @ 12:49 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently instructed local banks and non-bank lending institutions to stop “agents” from reviewing credit bureau data.  The central bank’s directive could have a negative impact on software service providers, who work with local banks to assess credit quality. Several… Read More

September 23, 2019 @ 9:54 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) has expanded the number Fintech-related activities that will be awarded licenses and the agency plans to extend support to an increasing number of financial services firms through the QFC platform, according to a release. QFC states: “Under new rules and… Read More

September 22, 2019 @ 7:39 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Andrew Mitchell, VP Development and Infrastructure Support at JCB International, writes that the UK will be struggling to maintain its position as a global Fintech leader, and the nation’s professionals are concerned that there may be challenges accessing engineering, product, and financial services after Brexit…. Read More

September 21, 2019 @ 4:21 pm By JD Alois  |  

Real estate investment platform Rich Uncles (BrixInvest LLC) was hit with a lawsuit this past week filed in the Superior Court of the State of California in Los Angeles. Rich Uncles uses non-listed REITs, typically using the Reg A+ securities exemption, to enable investors to… Read More

September 21, 2019 @ 12:03 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Ravi Menon, head of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the nation’s central bank, has warned that Facebook’s controversial stablecoin project Libra raises significant global financial risks, which must be addressed by regulatory authorities.  Menon joins a growing list of regulators throughout the world who’ve… Read More

September 20, 2019 @ 10:40 am By JD Alois  |  

Wefunder, the leading crowdfunding platform using the Reg CF securities exemption, has posted a comment letter on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s concept release authored by Wefunder co-founder and CEO Nick Tommarello. The SEC’s concept release is an ongoing consultation on the current regulatory environment… Read More

September 20, 2019 @ 9:41 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The US House Financial Services Committee is planning to ask the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to provide additional information about a litany of topics including cryptocurrencies and Facebook’s stablecoin project Libra. Other topics include the discussion on private markets vs. public markets as well… Read More

September 20, 2019 @ 1:06 am By Cali Haan  |  

Lawyer, self-proclaimed Ethereum co-creator and “architect of the ICO,” Steven Nerayoff, has been charged with extortion for allegedly, “…threaten(ing) to destroy a startup cryptocurrency company if…not paid millions of dollars in the cryptocurrency Ether (ETH).” Nerayoff’s LinkedIn profile indicates he has been, “an advisor or investor in… Read More

September 19, 2019 @ 3:32 pm By JD Alois  |  

Today, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Jay Clayton was interviewed by Andrew Ross Sorkin during the annual Delivering Alpha event produced by CNBC. During the interview, Chair Clayton took the opportunity to address the shifting landscape of the private markets in comparison to public… Read More

September 19, 2019 @ 2:25 pm By JD Alois  |  

Yesterday, Crowdfund Insider covered the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforcement action brought against ICOBox and its founder Nikolay Evdokimov. The complaint by the SEC specifically targeted ICOBox’s own initial coin offering (ICO) and the fact that ICOBox provided services to other ICOs acting like… Read More

September 19, 2019 @ 10:19 am By Cali Haan  |  

Australian police have “dismantled” a cybercrime syndicate that used cryptocurrencies to purchase “fraudulently-obtained identities” on Dark Net markets and then use these identities to open bank accounts and drain victims’ retirement savings. According to a release from the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC), “Investigations have… Read More

September 19, 2019 @ 7:11 am By Cali Haan  |  

Officials from the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) have suspended three cryptocurrency exchanges licensed to operate in designated zones only but found to be operating in Metro Manila. Golden Millennial Quickpay, Liannet Technology Ltd and Asia Premier are all under suspension, “…until they transfer to… Read More

September 19, 2019 @ 7:01 am By Cali Haan  |  

As part of a “blockchain strategy” passed Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet has forbidden the issuing of currencies by private companies, Reuters reports. The move is likely a direct response to the announcement of Facebook’s Libra, a proposed in-app “stablecoin” cryptocurrency the company plans… Read More

September 19, 2019 @ 2:06 am By Cali Haan  |  

Coinbase’s current VP and General Counsel for Business Lines and Markets, Dorothy Dewitt, is leaving the exchange to become Director of Market Oversight at the Commodity Futures and Trading Commission (CFTC). Dewitt’s LinkedIn profile indicates she’s been working at Coinbase for 11 months. The CFTC, “polices…derivatives… Read More