Politics, Legal & Regulation

August 10, 2018 @ 6:55 pm By JD Alois  |  

This week, at an event in Chicago that focused on legal questions swirling around the emerging cryptocurrency industry, FinCEN Director Kenneth Blanco delivered a much anticipated speech regarding his agency’s thoughts on digital assets and virtual currencies. FinCEN is part of the US Department of… Read More

August 9, 2018 @ 12:46 pm By Cali Haan  |  

Russian independent news publication Interfax has reported that the owner of a small newspaper in Tatarstan, a state in the Russian southwest, has been fined for carrying a cryptocurrency mining and investment advertisement. The Eleventh Arbitration Court of Appeal confirmed a prior decision to fine Unity Nizhnekamsk… Read More

August 9, 2018 @ 10:08 am By Cali Haan  |  

Two defendants in a class action suit against the beleaguered but rich blockchain project Tezos have been exempted by a judge, though the case will proceed against the Tezos Foundation and DLS. The decision by California Northern District Judge Richard Seeborg was filed yesterday in… Read More

August 8, 2018 @ 1:48 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) pumped the brakes once again this week on firms offering Bitcoin based ETF. While these exchange traded funds have the potential to expand a far wider audience to the digital asset class, so far regulators have been hesitant to… Read More

August 8, 2018 @ 11:30 am By Cali Haan  |  

The SEC (Securities Exchange Commission) announced yesterday that it will take a full 90 days to decide on a rule change that may permit VanEck SolidX to take a Bitcoin ETF to market. The latest request for a rule change came from the Chicago Board… Read More

August 8, 2018 @ 11:13 am By JD Alois  |  

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) will be holding Innovation Office Hours, September 25-27, 2018, in New York. The open office hours are timely as the OCC just recently announced it will start accepting Fintech Charters for special purpose national banks. The… Read More

August 8, 2018 @ 9:33 am By Cali Haan  |  

Relatively loose Japanese laws designed to facilitate the use of cryptocurrencies at the retail level will soon be revised to reflect their actual use as speculative investments, Japan Times reports. Initial laws enshrined in April 2017 made Japan was one of the first powerhouse economies… Read More

August 8, 2018 @ 8:00 am By JD Alois  |  

  FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) has issued a consultation on Financial Technology or Fintech and the Broker Dealer industry. The Special Notice was published at the end of July and is seeking comments until October 12, 2018. FINRA currently has over 3700 member firms… Read More

August 7, 2018 @ 10:22 pm By Cali Haan  |  

A Japanese bank that allegedly allowed notorious failing cryptocurrency exchange Mt Gox to continue accepting deposits while simultaneously freezing withdrawals is once again appealing a ruling that allowed a class action suit to proceed against the bank in the US, Finance Feeds reports. The bank,… Read More

August 7, 2018 @ 11:52 am By JD Alois  |  

  The US Department of Treasury’s report on Fintech has been welcomed by many engaged in the sector of innovative finance. The document published outlined a litany of changes necessary to further the goal of modernizing financial services – most importantly is the existing regulatory… Read More

August 7, 2018 @ 10:09 am By JD Alois  |  

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has initiated a new consultation that is going beyond the UK borders when it comes to Fintech innovation. Announced today, the FCA has created the Global Financial Innovation Network (GFIN). The multinational group includes regulatory agencies from the US,… Read More

August 6, 2018 @ 7:49 pm By JD Alois  |  

“small businesses are still shut out from equity crowdfunding due to the current regulatory constraints.” Recently, a group of prominent small business advocates and crowdfunding industry insiders sent a letter to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Jay Clayton. The group, which included representatives of… Read More

August 3, 2018 @ 5:01 pm By Cali Haan  |  

A LocalBitcoins seller in Arizona has been sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment (with credit for time served) after being convicted by a jury of trading bitcoins for drug money. According to a release from the Arizona District Attorney’s Office, federal agents began investigating Thomas Mario… Read More

August 3, 2018 @ 1:07 pm By JD Alois  |  

Bpifrance, a French public investment bank, is looking to support initial coin offerings. According to a report in Les Echos, the leading French business newspaper, Bpifrance wants to be ready to support “cryptomonnaies” before the Pact law goes into effect. It was announced earlier this… Read More

August 3, 2018 @ 8:33 am By JD Alois  |  

After years of discussion, and multiple attempts by traditional finance to block a Fintech Charter offered by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), in a surprise move the OCC announced this week it would begin accepting applications from Fintechs to gain a… Read More

August 2, 2018 @ 4:16 pm By Cali Haan  |  

An initial coin offering has been hit by an action by the state of Colorado that was deemed to be a security. A July 30th release from the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies states that “Linda Healthcare” purveyor Arturo Devesa has received a cease and… Read More

August 2, 2018 @ 4:08 am By Cali Haan  |  

  House Representative Bill Huizenga of Michigan told Bloomberg July 27th that American regulations may need to be modernized to support crypto industries and ensure that retail investors get a piece of the action. “We’ve seen so much more of the capital getting locked up into… Read More

August 2, 2018 @ 2:00 am By Cali Haan  |  

A Conservative UK member of parliament appears to have abruptly resigned from two crypto-related advisory positions after the Financial Times revealed he was by being secretly paid in crypto for his services. Up until yesterday, Grant Shapps, MP, was not only an advisor to an ICO… Read More

July 31, 2018 @ 9:47 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (formerly the CFPB) has chimed in to add their voice of support to the report on Fintech emanating out of the US Department of Treasury and the Office of the Comptroller Currency’s decision to immediately accept applications for Fintech… Read More

July 31, 2018 @ 4:06 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) announced its intent to move forward with Fintech Charters following a policy document on Fintech published by the US Department of Treasury. The announcement was accompanied by an update to the OCC’s licensing manual. The document… Read More