Politics, Legal & Regulation

March 12, 2025 @ 10:32 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently revealed that US consumers reported losing more than $12.5 billion to fraudulent schemes in 2024. This latest figure from the FTC marks a significant 25% increase from the previous year, highlighting a concerning escalation in financial losses despite ongoing… Read More

March 12, 2025 @ 5:20 pm By JD Alois  |  

FinCEN, the enforcement arm of the US Department of Treasury, is taking an interesting approach to battling nefarious activities occurring the the US. According to a public statement, FinCEN is gunning for Mexican cartels who utilize money services businesses in the Southwest of the country…. Read More

March 12, 2025 @ 10:43 am By JD Alois  |  

The UK Payment Systems Regulator (PSR)will be shuttered by the UK government. The move is described as reducing “red tape” or “unnecessary regulation” to improve growth by reducing the burdens ladled upon businesses. The PSR oversees payment systems like card rails. Its responsibilities will be… Read More

March 12, 2025 @ 9:32 am By Omar Faridi  |  

On March 7, 2025, the US Department of Justice (DOJ), in an operation alongside authorities in Germany and Finland, announced the disruption of Garantex, a Russia-based cryptocurrency exchange allegedly known for its deep ties to the global cybercrime economy. This coordinated effort resulted in the… Read More

March 12, 2025 @ 8:15 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The European Union appears to be feeling the pressure to fast-track its digital euro project as the Trump administration in the United States signals a warmer embrace of cryptocurrencies, particularly stablecoins. With the European Central Bank (ECB) aiming to wrap up its testing phase for… Read More

March 12, 2025 @ 8:12 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is stepping up efforts to address the relatively slow adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in the banking sector, citing concerns that overly aggressive regulatory requirements may be stifling innovation. In a move to tackle this pressing issue, the FCA… Read More

March 11, 2025 @ 6:10 pm By JD Alois  |  

The House of Representatives has passed HJ Res 25, which seeks to rescind the Biden Administration’s ‘Broker Rule’, which undermined digital assets. The Senate is considering an identical document, SJ Res. 25. Introduced soon after President Trump took over the White House, the Resolution will… Read More

March 11, 2025 @ 3:41 pm By JD Alois  |  

Robinhood (NASDAQ: HOOD) has been penalized by FINRA for allegations of certain regulatory transgressions. According to the FINRA documents, Robinhood Securities must pay a fine of associated with a “failure to detect investigate, or report a wide variety of suspicious activity, including manipulative trading, suspicious… Read More

March 11, 2025 @ 3:09 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) intends to hold a series of roundtables to discuss the digital asset ecosystem and how the agency should regulate crypto. Prior to the announcement of roundtables, the SEC revealed a new Crypto Task Force led by Commissioner Hester Peirce…. Read More

March 11, 2025 @ 10:31 am By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has updated rules for enforcement actions. According to a document posted on the SEC’s website, the Director of Enforcement will no longer be able to issue formal orders of investigation and must seek Commission approval before pursuing the investigation…. Read More

March 11, 2025 @ 10:09 am By JD Alois  |  

Debanking or blocking individuals and firms from the banking system was a nefarious activity pursued by the Biden administration. It has been widely reported that too frequently, businesses and individuals who were associated with crypto activity, or out-of-favor individuals, were debanked – their bank told… Read More

March 10, 2025 @ 6:42 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged real estate investment platform Outlier Realty Capital with misleading investors about the use of funds. The SEC reports that a settlement is in the works, as defendants have agreed to pay a total of $3.3 million to move… Read More

March 10, 2025 @ 5:41 pm By JD Alois  |  

NASAA (North American Securities Administrators Association) has sent a letter to Congress requesting the definition of a “payment stablecoin” does not incorporate the payment of interest, similar to a money market fund. NASAA addressed the House Financial Services Committee and the Senate Banking Committee, where… Read More

March 10, 2025 @ 10:19 am By Nick Morgan  |  

In an era when public market listings continue to decline, and private capital dominates growth financing, the mechanism by which companies go public deserves fresh scrutiny. University of Kansas Law Professor Alexander Platt has provided precisely that in his groundbreaking paper, “Rethinking the IPO Bureaucracy…. Read More

March 9, 2025 @ 10:34 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

On March 6, 2025, Brazil’s Central Bank, the Banco Central do Brasil, released a statement following the 259th meeting of its Monetary Policy Committee (Copom), announcing that the Selic rate—the country’s benchmark interest rate—would remain unchanged at 10.50% per year. This decision reflects a unanimous… Read More

March 9, 2025 @ 8:12 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

David Sacks, recently appointed as the White House AI and crypto czar under President Donald Trump, has recently pushed back against allegations of leveraging his position for personal financial gain. In a discussion on The All-In Podcast, Sacks has dismissed assertions that he manipulated cryptocurrency… Read More

March 9, 2025 @ 4:38 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) took action to affirm that a range of cryptocurrency activities are permissible in the federal banking system. The previous administration had sought to deter regulated banks to participate in crypto affiliated activities. The OCC published Interpretive… Read More

March 8, 2025 @ 9:53 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Revolut and Visa have launched legal challenges against the UK’s Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) over its decision to impose caps on interchange fees for cross-border online payments, as reported by the FT. The move marks a considerable escalation in the ongoing tug-of-war between the payments… Read More

March 7, 2025 @ 7:45 pm By JD Alois  |  

House Finacial Services Committee leaders have sent a letter to SEC Acting Chairman Mark Uyeda asking him to reverse harmful rules impacting crypto enacted during the Biden Administration. Chairman of the Committee French Hill, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Artificial… Read More

March 7, 2025 @ 4:26 pm By JD Alois  |  

Operation Chokepoint 2.0 was a nefarious move by the Federal government to target crypto firms or firms affiliated with digital asset businesses by debanking operations. It is very difficult to run a business if you cannot hold funds and save them via the banking system…. Read More