On April 17, the two pro-crypto Senators introduced the Lummis-Gillibrand Payment Stablecoin Act. The bill “solves key policy challenges that have lingered around previous proposals and provides prudential regulation and added consumer protections to stablecoin issuers,” said Lummis, who added, “But above all, it allows innovation to prosper.” The Senators have been drafting the bill...Read More
Richard Teng, CEO of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, believes the trading giant is past the cultural issues after it settled criminal charges from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) with a $4.3 billion fine. During an interview with CNBC, Teng said Binance had moved past the early stage of its development, where...Read More
The government of Argentina is calling on all local crypto firms to register with its new regulatory body dedicated to the sector – or to cease operating entirely. On March 14, the nation’s senate passed legislation approving the Registry of Virtual Asset Service Providers, in line with recommendations from the Financial Action Task Force. More...Read More
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK has declared its intention to address meme-based marketing for financial products by releasing guidelines for financial services firms and social media influencers. The FCA’s latest report comes after its announcement last month that it will take action against firms engaged in illegal financial promotions. FCA Releases Guidelines...Read More
The Nigerian government has slammed the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, with four counts of tax evasion charges as the saga between the entities deepens. According to a report from local media Premium Times, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) filed the charges at a Federal High Court in the nation’s capital, Abuja, on March...Read More
A Federal High Court in Nigeria has ordered the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, to release comprehensive data of all local users trading on its platform to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as the clampdown on the firm for its alleged role in the devaluation of the naira continues. According to a report...Read More
The Chamber of Digital Commerce (CDC) has filed an amicus curiae to defend Kraken in a lawsuit the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) initiated in 2023. Notably, the CDC supported the crypto exchange’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit in its latest filing. Chamber of Digital Commerce Argues for Kraken In a February 27 filing,...Read More
The Virtual Asset Trading Platform (VATP) is a license provided by the government of Hong Kong that allows crypto exchanges to operate within the bounds of the region. Although the license has been available for several years now, only two exchanges – HashKey and OSL – are currently in possession of one. A number of...Read More
Over the past three years, the incidences of virtual asset-related crimes in Hong Kong have significantly increased. The cases reported amounted to 1,397, 2,336, and 3,415, involving HKD 824 million, HKD 1.704 billion, and HKD 4.398 billion, respectively, nearly tripling during this period. Law enforcement has gathered specific statistics for individual cases per the report...Read More
According to Bloomberg, the British government is expediting the approval of new regulations for stablecoins and crypto asset staking services, aiming to have these rules passed by lawmakers within the next six months. This statement comes amidst mounting pressure to deliver concrete proposals before an impending general election. Expedited Crypto Legislation Economic Secretary to the...Read More
Robinhood’s quarterly results are in – and they have once again beaten expectations, if only by a marginal amount. Although Robinhood has by no means been spared the aftershocks felt throughout the crypto market and the larger economic sector, things are looking up for the popular trading firm. Revenues Are Up, Costs Are Down Overall,...Read More
The South Korean government is taking extra steps to ensure the protection of crypto investors from unfair market activities and criminals by imposing higher fines and punishments for violations of certain provisions. According to a press release, crypto criminals face jail terms of more than a year or a fine equal to three to five...Read More
On Feb. 6, House Financial Services and Agriculture Committee leaders sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen regarding the lack of regulation in the spot market for digital assets that are not securities. The letter was sent from Patrick McHenry, Glenn Thompson, French Hill, and Dusty Johnson, all chairmen of various House committees. They...Read More
Authorities in South Korea are looking to investigate major cryptocurrency exchange OKX over complaints of the platform’s improper registration in the country. According to a report by News1 Media, South Korea’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) received complaints from the country’s Digital Asset Exchange Association (DAXA). OKX Under Regulatory Probe DAXA, an alliance of South Korea’s...Read More
Speculation about the South Korean government rethinking its hostile stance on spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) may be true, as the country’s financial regulator has officially indicated interest in the products. A report from local media outlet Hankyung has revealed that the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) of South Korea intends to meet with the United States Securities...Read More
Last year, the European Union unanimously voted for the Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) bill, considered by most to be the first comprehensive piece of legislation addressing the crypto industry as a whole. MiCA is, in itself, part of a larger set of financial laws known as DORA – but it has also given many...Read More
Hester Peirce, a commissioner for the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), has expressed her disagreement with the agency’s denial of a petition to amend a rule that prevents defendants from denying any allegations in settlement enforcement actions. According to an official statement from the commissioner, popularly known in the digital asset community as...Read More
The Indian crypto industry is seeking parity, urging fair regulations against foreign exchanges exploiting regulatory gaps amidst dwindling market share for local exchanges while investors face legal uncertainties. With unstable banking ties hindering operations, the sector is currently grappling with hurdles. However, India’s finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, refrained from providing any updates on the regulation...Read More
Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has ordered cryptocurrency exchange Zipmex to suspend its trading and brokerage services temporarily. According to an official announcement, Zipmex’s services will remain suspended for 15 days until the firm fixes its financial position and operational issues. Zipmex Ordered to Halt Services The SEC revealed that it issued a letter...Read More
DEBT Box, a company that primarily provides users of its services with crypto mining software, was taken to court last year by the SEC. According to the regulator, DEBT Box had defrauded investors to the tune of $50 million by selling unregistered securities. The company, which provides an ecosystem to go along with its software,...Read More
DeFi regulation has been a major bone of contention among regulatory watchdogs across the world. A recent paper, authored by Rebecca Rettig, Katja Gilman from Polygon Labs, and Michael Mosier from Arktouros, proposes a strategy to classify truly decentralized DeFi protocols as critical infrastructure. This classification would place them under the oversight of the US...Read More
The United States Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has revealed that about 70% of retail communications concerning cryptocurrencies violate its rule of misleading claims. According to an official report, FINRA identified communications that failed to provide sound bases for evaluating digital assets by excluding explanations of how they are issued, held, transferred, and sold. Misleading...Read More
Crypto investment platform Abra settled in principle with Texas securities regulators, part of which requires the company to allow its customers to withdraw their assets. Abra was previously accused of deceiving customers and violating securities laws through the offering of its interest-bearing products. Abra to Return Crypto Assets to Investors The Texas State Securities Board...Read More
During the pandemic, a new mandate requiring Canadian truckers that carried out trips across the border into the United States to receive the COVID-19 vaccine was wildly unpopular, resulting in what was known as the “Freedom Convoy” protest. Following a decision to protest the measure, truckers blocked the streets of Ottawa with their trucks and...Read More
The EU Parliament and Council recently reached a provisional agreement on a list of anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing laws. Although further deliberation on other proposed measures is yet to be had, the new measures will help streamline the efforts of the national financial agencies of EU countries in this area. Although cryptocurrencies are not...Read More
In its recent report, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) underscored a fundamental issue within DeFi systems, pointing to the absence of clear lines of responsibility and accountability intentionally overlooked by certain industry structures. The report emphasized the substantial risks that DeFi systems pose to consumers, investors, financial stability, market integrity, and the fight against...Read More
Digital Currency Group (DCG) subsidiary – Genesis Global Trading – reached a settlement with the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) on January 12th. Genesis will pay an $8 million penalty after an agency’s investigation found significant failings in anti-money laundering and cybersecurity programs. NYDFS said the compliance failures left the company vulnerable to...Read More
Crypto firms faced substantial regulatory action, collectively paying nearly $6 billion in fines primarily due to Anti-Money Laundering (AML) violations and deficiencies in customer checks last year. This marks a significant development, as crypto and fintech groups experienced higher fines for inadequate controls than the entire traditional financial system for the first time. Crypto-Related Fines...Read More
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently approved several Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) in a watershed moment for the crypto industry. However, the enthusiasm surrounding this milestone was dampened by the critical stance taken by SEC Chair Gary Gensler towards Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies in general. Cathie Wood Reacts to Gensler’s Comment This drew surprise and...Read More
Several crypto exchanges are taking steps to adhere to recently imposed regulations by the UK government. These regulations require crypto entities to inform users about the risks associated with trading digital assets and to promote their services responsibly. These measures have been implemented as part of the Financial Services and Markets Act in the UK,...Read More
