Regulation

Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has issued an in-principle approval to Hong Kong Virtual Asset Exchange (HKVAX) to operate a virtual asset trading platform under the region’s securities laws.  On Aug. 11, HKVAX announced that it had received an “approval-in-principle” from the SFC to carry out Type 1 and Type 7 regulated activities.

Binance, the world’s leading crypto exchange by trading volume, has reportedly applied to be registered in Taiwan under the Money Laundering Control Act and the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC). The FSC reportedly informed dozens of domestic crypto service providers that Binance is applying for Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance, according to a report published in local media.

The United States Federal Election Commission has pushed a petition forward in a unanimous vote on Aug. 10, which would potentially regulate deep fakes in political ads that were generated by artificial intelligence (AI). The petition targets ads that use AI to portray political opponents acting or saying things that they did not, ahead of

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is seeking for a digital asset solution to facilitate the seizure and storage of cryptocurrency and nonfungible tokens (NFTs). A tender was opened for applications on August 10. As the tender announcement goes:  “The development of a centralized repository solution would allow police officers to seize these assets in

As the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) seeks an interlocutory appeal in its case against Ripple Labs, lawyers working in the crypto space expressed confidence in Ripple’s case, with some underscoring that the XRP (XRP) token is not a security.  On Aug. 9, the SEC sent a letter to Judge Analisa Torres stating

The California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) has updated its campaign disclosure manuals, with revisions including detailed rules for cryptocurrency contributions declarations. An agenda released for an upcoming commission meeting includes a discussion of updated campaign disclosure manuals, which have been reworked to reflect recent changes to legislation and commission regulations. The updates include campaign contribution

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced an agreement with crypto trading platform Bittrex and co-founder and former CEO William Shihara for operating an unregistered exchange. In an Aug. 10 notice, the SEC said Bittrex and Bittrex Global agreed to pay $14.4 million in disgorgement, $4 million in prejudgment interest, and $5.6

Authorities in Argentina have become the latest government officials to probe cryptocurrency project Worldcoin over privacy concerns. In an Aug. 8 announcement, Argentina’s Agency for Access to Public Information (AAIP) said it was investigating Worldcoin over its collection, storage and use of customer data to ensure it complies with security and privacy regulations. Worldcoin (WLD)

Stablecoins are at the heart of a dollar-based revolution and could be a pivotal factor in keeping the U.S. dollar the dominant global currency, according to an Aug. 9 opinion piece published in The Wall Street Journal.  The authors, Brian Brooks and Charles Calomiris, urged Congress to implement a “sound and stable regulatory framework” for stablecoins

A federal judge has approved a joint request from lawyers for Alex Mashinsky and the United States Department of Justice modifying the former Celsius CEO’s bail conditions to include electronic monitoring. In an Aug. 8 filing in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Judge Gabriel Gorenstein signed off on a modification

The emergence of high-level artificial intelligence (AI) technology has caused the United States and China to safeguard their resources in a race to develop the most powerful systems. A tense relationship is developing between the two world powers, as the Biden Administration announced it would limit Chinese tech investments in semiconductors, quantum computing and AI. This

The citizens of India might get an option to sign documents digitally through crypto tokens. Such feature is envisaged in the project of national web browser, cherished by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY). On August 9 MeitY announced the launch of Indian web browser Development Challenge. The Ministry hopes to “inspire and

In France, amendments to the existing crypto regime will come into effect next year to align national regulations with the pan-European framework set by Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA).  The Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), France’s principal financial authority, announced the provisions of its General Regulation and its policy on digital asset service providers (DASPs) to

A recent filing from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in its lawsuit against crypto miner Green United could shed light on how it may approach the case against Coinbase. On July 31, the SEC scored a win after District Judge Jed Rakoff denied Terraform Lab’s motion to dismiss the case, rejecting its

The judge overseeing the civil case of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against Ripple Labs plans to schedule a jury trial starting in the second quarter of 2024. In an Aug. 9 filing in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Judge Analisa Torres said the court would be

PayPal’s launch of a U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin has prompted questions from Democratic members of the House Financial Services Committee, while Republican leadership said the coin showed the potential of regulatory clarity. In an Aug. 9 statement, committee ranking member Maxine Waters said she was “deeply concerned” about the PayPal USD (PYUSD) stablecoin without a regulatory

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has accepted CBS Studios’ application for the Star Trek name to be used in nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and crypto collectibles connected to its Continuum series. According to USPTO records, the government office registered the character mark for the Star Trek line on Aug. 8, having received an

Canadian law enforcement has started using specialized software to trace crypto while investigating cybercrimes. Police now have the ability to trace blockchain transactions, identify suspects and determine where funds have been deposited.  As revealed by local police to the Lethbridge Herald newspaper, the police forces are already enjoying access to Chainalysis Reactor software. The program

Amid the approaching deadline for opting out of the current $22 million settlement with Block.one (B1), EOS Network Foundation (ENF) has called on plaintiffs to drop the lawsuit. The ENF took to Twitter on Aug. 8 to encourage plaintiffs to reject the $22 million settlement Block.one, the firm that was the original seller of EOS

Binance continues to experience an increase in regulatory heat as the Federal Government of Nigeria is being urged by the Association of Bureaux De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) to prohibit the activities of Binance within the nation. ABCON is a self-regulatory body and an umbrella for all the Central Bank-licensed Bureaux de Change (BDC).