Politics, Legal & Regulation

August 26, 2019 @ 1:17 pm By Cali Haan  |  

Bank of England governor Mark Carney has proposed the creation of a global digital currency as a way to stabilizing global financial systems being disturbed by trade and currency wars. The proposal was delivered during a speech at the US Federal Reserve sponsored Jackson Hole… Read More

August 26, 2019 @ 9:45 am By JD Alois  |  

The Swiss Financial Markets Authority (FINMA) has approved SEBA Crypto AG for a banking and securities license. SEBA joins Sygnum in becoming the first digital asset platforms to receive such a license. As with Sygnum, the license is provisional and will become finalized once SEBA… Read More

August 26, 2019 @ 9:30 am By JD Alois  |  

The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) has published guidance as to the application of regulatory requirements for payments on the blockchain for financial services providers under FINMA supervision. Specifically, the guidance addresses anti-money laundering (AML) and know your customer (KYC) rules. In a release,… Read More

August 25, 2019 @ 11:39 am By JD Alois  |  

Congresswoman Maxine Waters, the Chairwoman of the influential House Financial Services Committee, has issued a statement on her Bipartisan trip to Switzerland to learn more about Facebook’s plan to launch a stablecoin dubbed Libra. Facebook has incorporated Libra in the crypto-friendly jurisdiction of Switzerland like… Read More

August 23, 2019 @ 12:35 pm By Cali Haan  |  

Cryptocurrency skeptics, in particular, these days are closely watching the showdown now underway between sister crypto companies Bitfinex and Tether and the New York Attorney General’s Office, which has alleged fraud at the two firms. As a bit of background, Tether makes a synthetic US… Read More

August 23, 2019 @ 10:33 am By JD Alois  |  

Beginning September 14, 2019, European Union rules regarding “Strong Customer Authentication” (SCA), part of PSD2, kick in. These rules, which also impact the UK, involve the way in which banks or payment services providers verify their customers’ identity and validate specific payment instructions. Mandated API… Read More

August 23, 2019 @ 9:12 am By Cali Haan  |  

Sky Justin Gornik, 39, of San Diego, has been sentenced to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to deliver, distribute and dispense controlled substances through the internet and conspiracy to launder drug proceeds using digital currencies. According to the August 19th release regarding the conviction… Read More

August 22, 2019 @ 11:55 am By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Investor Advisory Committee (IAC) has requested an extension on comments regarding the current Concept Release for regulatory harmonization pertaining to securities exemptions. The Concept Release, akin to a consultation, was launched in June as an attempt to simplify securities… Read More

August 22, 2019 @ 3:40 am By Cali Haan  |  

Antitrust regulators from the EU’s European Commission are currently examining possible monopoly implications of Libra, Facebook’s proposed global currency system, Bloomberg reports. Facebook announced in June that it would roll out the Libra “stablecoin” cryptocurrency through its WhatsApp and Messenger apps in 2020. They said the… Read More

August 21, 2019 @ 2:46 pm By JD Alois  |  

Securitize, an online platform for the issuance and management of blockchain-based securities, has been approved as a registered Transfer Agent. According to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Securitize filed the Form TA-1 on July 22nd and was approved on July 31st. By becoming… Read More

August 21, 2019 @ 1:00 am By Cali Haan  |  

The Saudi Ministry of Finance has warned Saudi citizens that transactions involving cryptocurrencies could have “negative consequences” for traders because they occur, “outside the monitoring umbrella within Saudi Arabia,” Zawya reports. According to FX Street, the country’s “Special Governmental Committee for Awareness on Dealing with… Read More

August 20, 2019 @ 9:55 pm By Cali Haan  |  

A judge presiding over proceedings in a case of alleged fraud by crypto trading platform Bitfinex (and associated companies) has ordered the companies to provide records compelled under ex parte orders issued in New York in April. Almost immediately after the orders were issued, Bitfinex… Read More

August 20, 2019 @ 8:51 pm By JD Alois  |  

ICO Rating, a Russia based initial coin offering and research firm, has paid a fine to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding allegations that it failed to disclose payments received from issuers for publicizing their digital asset securities offerings. According to a statement from… Read More

August 20, 2019 @ 6:38 pm By Cali Haan  |  

A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has upheld an asset seizure from Lisa Cheng and Kevin Hobbs, principles of a “blockchain consultancy” called Vanbex, who, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), conducted an allegedly fraudulent $30 million CAD ICO (Etherparty/FUEL), “…by falsely representing corporate… Read More

August 20, 2019 @ 12:30 pm By Dror Futter  |  

Recently we marked the second anniversary of the SEC’s issuance of an Investigative Report finding that the DAO Tokens were securities.   While this killed the hopes of those who had interpreted SEC silence to mean consent to the unregulated issuance of tokens, it still… Read More

August 20, 2019 @ 12:01 pm By JD Alois  |  

In the US, the definition of an “Accredited Investor” is an individual who earns over $200,000 a year or has $1 million in net assets minus their primary residence. If you are married, that number moves higher. Yet, as it stands today, this definition does… Read More

August 20, 2019 @ 8:51 am By JD Alois  |  

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has published the final “Enabling Framework for Regulatory Sandbox,” as it joins a growing legion of government entities seeking to facilitate Fintech innovation in a compliant manner.  The draft Framework for the Regulatory Sandbox (RS) was published in April… Read More

August 20, 2019 @ 7:45 am By JD Alois  |  

According to a report, the Capital Markets, Insurance and Savings Authority of Israel is seeking to expedite the approval of Fintech licenses including blockchain-focused firms. Calcalist reports that the Authority is “working quickly to arrange licenses for Fintech companies” as it aims to boost innovation… Read More

August 19, 2019 @ 9:49 pm By Cali Haan  |  

A delegation of US lawmakers, led by Representative Maxine Waters, will be in Switzerland this week, on a trip that may have been spurned by Facebook’s decision to domicile it’s Libra cryptocurrency project in a nation known for both progressive financial policies and money-laundering, NZZ… Read More

August 18, 2019 @ 2:48 pm By Cali Haan  |  

America’s federal financial crimes enforcement agency, FinCEN, has noticed “a gap” in the reporting of illicit use of cryptocurrencies at casinos and card clubs in recent years, the agency’s director told attendees at the 12th Annual Las Vegas Anti-Money Laundering Conference this week. Director Kenneth A…. Read More