Politics, Legal & Regulation

April 4, 2019 @ 7:30 am By JD Alois  |  

Canada may be a smaller market but it has a robust, highly sophisticated economy and a vibrant Fintech sector. Toronto, the financial center of the country, is home to dozens of Fintechs including payment firms, online lending, AI, wealth management, blockchain and more. Yet while… Read More

April 3, 2019 @ 7:24 pm By Cali Haan  |  

Pakistan legislators introduced proposed laws to regulate Electronic Money Institutions (EMIs) at a ceremony held at State Bank of Pakistan offices Monday in Islamabad, The Tribune reports. The rules were reportedly created at the behest of the country’s Financial Action Task Force and are intended to… Read More

April 3, 2019 @ 11:22 am By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has published a statement on the “Framework for ‘Investment Contract’ Analysis of Digital Assets” The public statement announcing the Framework was co-signed by Bill Hinman, Director of Division of Corporation Finance and Valerie Szczepanik, Senior Advisor for Digital Assets… Read More

April 3, 2019 @ 11:05 am By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Division of Corporate Finance, has issued its first No-Action letter pertaining to the issuance of a token that is considered not to be a regulated security. The response was engendered by a request by attorney James Curry, on behalf… Read More

April 3, 2019 @ 10:11 am By JD Alois  |  

Last month, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) forwarded a letter to the Investment Adviser Association requesting feedback on digital assets and custody. Beyond the public inquiry, the letter is indicative of the Commission’s ongoing interest and research into blockchain based securities. The letter from… Read More

April 2, 2019 @ 6:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

Recently Crowdfund Insider was in communication with Securities Attorney Joe Nesler who posts regularly on his law firm’s web site pertaining to issues regarding crypto and securities law. A post by Nessler from last November touched upon reporting requirements under 12g and digital assets. CI… Read More

April 2, 2019 @ 3:08 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged the founder and former chief executive mobile payment Fintech Jumio with defrauding investors. The former CEO of Jumio, Daniel Mattes, has agreed to pay more than $17 million to settle the charges. Mattes is also a “business… Read More

April 2, 2019 @ 11:12 am By JD Alois  |  

Charles Randell, Chair of the Financial Conduct Authority, has forwarded a letter to Rt Hon. Nicky Morgan MP, Chair of the Treasury Select Committee on London Capital & Finance. The document addressed concerns regarding the issuance of mini-bonds and investor protection concerns – more specifically… Read More

April 2, 2019 @ 8:46 am By JD Alois  |  

Revolut, one of the most promising digital challenger banks in the world, was whacked once again by a report by the BBC which largely rehashed prior claims associated with compliance and anti-money laundering control. According to the report, the BBC communicated with a former Revolut… Read More

April 1, 2019 @ 8:07 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed an administrative proceeding today against Mutual Coin Fund LLC and Usman Majeed. The fund submitted a Reg D to the SEC in late 2017. According to the Mutual Coin Fund website, the fund apparently invested in “relatively stable… Read More

March 30, 2019 @ 5:43 pm By Cali Haan  |  

A man who secretly mined cryptocurrencies on the computers of people visiting his websites has been acquitted by a judge in Japan, Japan Today reports. The man was arrested last year and charged with violating Japanese laws that prohibit the dissemination of computer viruses. But… Read More

March 30, 2019 @ 6:08 am By Cali Haan  |  

Prosecutors in Japan have decided not to appeal a Tokyo court’s decision to acquit disgraced former Mt Gox Bitcoin exchange CEO Mark Karpeles on charges of embezzlement, Mainichi reports. Carpeles was, however, found guilty of manipulating Mt. Gox bitcoin trade data between February and September… Read More

March 30, 2019 @ 4:07 am By Cali Haan  |  

The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has issued a statement intended to guide issuers, intermediaries and investors engaging with security token offerings (STOs). In short, STO issuers and intermediaries: must be Type 1 licensed or registered to deal securities in Hong Kong or… Read More

March 29, 2019 @ 5:30 am By Cali Haan  |  

Cyberpolice in Ukraine say they have arrested a 32-year-old Bukovina resident accused of using “cryptojacking” software against a million individuals without their consent. Police allege the man deployed the software surreptitiously to the computers of individuals visiting websites run by the man. The sites reportedly… Read More

March 29, 2019 @ 4:44 am By Cali Haan  |  

61 people have been arrested and 50 Darknet accounts shut down following a joint operation against Dark Net opioid markets executed by J-CODE, the Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement team. According to an FBI press release, the arrests were made as part of Operation… Read More

March 29, 2019 @ 2:22 am By Cali Haan  |  

LocalBitcoins, a global web-based service founded in Finland that allows sellers and buyers of Bitcoins to coordinate sales and meetings has announced that it will be requiring users to provide proper identification from now on. The announcement follows the implementation of new laws governing such… Read More

March 28, 2019 @ 1:33 pm By JD Alois  |  

The New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) has approved the application of Tagomi Trading for a virtual currency and money transmission license. DFS has authorized Tagomi to engage in money transmission and to offer trade routing and order execution services for non-securities virtual… Read More

March 28, 2019 @ 7:42 am By JD Alois  |  

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has announced the first three virtual bank licenses. Applications were opened at the end of 2018 as aspiring digital banks moved quickly to complete the process. The HKMA said the three licenses were granted to: Livi VB Limited, SC Digital… Read More

March 28, 2019 @ 2:06 am By Cali Haan  |  

The disastrous demise of Canadian cryptocurrency exchange QuadrigaCX has been well covered to date, including: the mysterious, sudden death of founder Gerald Cotten in India in early December 2018. the criminal past of Quadriga co-founder Michael Patryn. the alleged $190 million USD “loss” of client funds… Read More

March 28, 2019 @ 1:38 am By Cali Haan  |  

Patrick McDonnell, 46, also known as “Jason Flack,” has been charged with 9 counts of wire fraud in the State of New York. McDonnell operated CabbageTech Crop – a company that was doing business as Coin Drop Markets. A release from the US Attorney’s Office… Read More