While last week brought no troubles from the market side of the crypto industry — no operations frozen, no bankruptcies filed — the United States regulators made some explicitly negative statements. Recently appointed U.S. Federal Reserve Board vice chair for supervision Michael Barr pledged to “ensure that crypto activity inside banks is well regulated, based
Regulation
Nikhil Wahi, who was arrested for allegedly working with his brother and an associate on a scheme to commit insider trading using crypto, has reportedly entered a guilty plea for wire fraud conspiracy charges. According to a Monday report from Reuters, Wahi admitted to authorities during a virtual hearing that he used confidential information obtained
Stone Ridge Asset Management, whose holding company is behind the New York Digital Investment Group, has filed notice with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission that it will liquidate its Bitcoin Strategy Fund. In a Monday SEC filing, the asset manager said the Stone Ridge Trust board of trustees approved a Friday plan to
The crypto advocacy group Chamber of Digital Commerce called on the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, to approve applications for Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the interests of United States-based investors. In a Monday report titled “The Crypto Conundrum,” the Chamber of Digital Commerce said the U.S. has fallen behind other countries whose residents
The Enforcement Directorate of India (ED) unfroze the bank accounts of the Indian crypto exchange WazirX, according to a statement from the exchange released on Monda. WazirX says it has been cooperating with local authorities during their Anti-Money Laundering (AML) investigation by providing all of the necessary documents and details requested. The investigation targeted 16
The Algorand Foundation has revealed a $35 million USDC hole in its balance sheet as a result of exposure to embattled cryptocurrency lending firm Hodlnaut, which has paused withdraws since Aug. 8. Algorand is an institutional-grade blockchain infrastructure with embedded smart contract functionality. The Algorand Foundation is a not-for-profit community organization focused on developing the
In light of the influx of filings from cryptocurrency issuers in the United States, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) decided to set up two new offices this fall to provide specialized support to the seven offices currently responsible for reviewing issuer filings. Under the Division of Corporation Finance’s Disclosure Review Program (DRP), the SEC
Blockchain wallet and cryptocurrency exchange platform Blockchain.com has reportedly secured regulatory approval from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, or VARA. According to a Friday report from Reuters, VARA signed an agreement which will allow Blockchain.com to open an office in Dubai. The crypto firm currently operates several offices in North America, Europe, South America, and
A group of Democrats from the United States Senate has reportedly asked Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to provide details on the social media giant’s policies addressing cryptocurrency fraud. According to a Friday report from the Washington Post, Senators Robert Menendez, Sherrod Brown, Elizabeth Warren, Dianne Feinstein, Bernie Sanders and Cory Booker called on Zuckerberg for
Gurbir Grewal, the enforcement director for the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, said the financial regulator will continue to investigate and bring enforcement actions against crypto firms, despite the narrative of “picking winners and losers” and “stifling innovation.” In written remarks for a Friday program hosted by the Practising Law Institute, Grewal pushed back
Major cryptocurrency exchange Huobi continues to expand its global footprint by entering the British Virgin Islands, a British Overseas Territory. Huobi officially announced on Friday that it had secured an investment business license from the Financial Services Commission (FSC) of the British Virgin Islands. The approval allows Huobi to operate a virtual asset exchange under
Richard Fuller, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, said the government wants the United Kingdom to be the “dominant global hub for crypto technologies.” In a parliamentary debate on crypto asset regulation in the U.K. on Wednesday, Fuller spoke in favor of “powerful” use cases for cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, including using distributed ledger technology
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has weighed in on the environmental and energy impact of crypto assets in the United States, finding that crypto makes a significant contribution to energy usage and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It recommends monitoring and regulation in response. The report, released Sept. 8, was the
Members of the House Committee on Financial Services have called for Federal Reserve vice chair Lael Brainard to clarify her position on a central bank digital currency ahead of deadlines set by United States President Joe Biden’s executive order on digital assets. In a Wednesday letter addressed to Brainard, 24 Republican lawmakers including ranking member
According to a new lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas. On Thursday, six users of the Ethereum blockchain and cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash sued the U.S. Department of Treasury, alleging that its recent designation of 44 Tornado Cash smart contract addresses to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list of the
United States Securities and Exchange Commission chair Gary Gensler supports legislation that gives the Commodity Futures Trading Commission greater authority over crypto — seemingly if it doesn’t step on the SEC’s toes. In written remarks for a Thursday program hosted by the Practising Law Institute, Gensler encouraged intermediaries in the crypto space as well as
Peter Goettler, the CEO of United States-based think tank Cato Institute, has provided an update to the crypto community on the man who photobombed former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen during a 2017 congressional hearing — and he’s in the family. In a Monday online conference hosted by the Cato Institute on the state of
The United States has been the global financial leader since World War II when the U.S. dollar became the world reserve currency. Consequently, Americans have enjoyed benefits like greater buying power, easier access to capital and low-interest rates—including on our national debt. Unfortunately, we face a growing threat to that dominance, from our national debt
Global cryptocurrency taxation rules significantly vary among countries, and some jurisdictions have come up with extremely tough crypto tax policies for their residents. In a new study by crypto analytics firm Coincub, Belgium is referred to as the worst country in the world in terms of crypto taxation for residents. That is according to in-house
The Vermont Department of Financial Regulation, or DFR, alleged crypto lending platform Celsius Network and CEO Alex Mashinsky misled state regulators about the firm’s financial health and its compliance with securities laws. In a Wednesday filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York, Vermont’s financial regulator said Celsius and Mashinsky