Regulation

As the various stakeholders within the European Union continue to research the potential of a single central bank digital currency (CBDC), the representatives of both private and public banking institutions share their opinion on the digital euro.  In a fresh issue of the bi-annual Views Magazine, published in April, the topic of the digital euro

As cryptocurrencies continue to become a bigger part of the global economy, more and more governments are exploring ways to regulate the industry and construct rules for firms operating in the space. There have been some significant regulatory developments in recent weeks, with the European Parliament approving the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulations on April 20,

Controversies around artificial intelligence (AI) and its use of copyrighted material have been popping up around the web left and right after a major uptick in the use of the technology for content creation.  Legislators in the European Union have responded to the growing usage of AI in a vote on April 27, which pushed

Crypto exchange Binance is set to reenter Japan after acquiring the regulated crypto exchange platform Sakura Exchange Bitcoin (SEBC). Binance acquired the exchange — a Japan Financial Services Agency-licensed business — in November 2022, intending to reenter the Japanese crypto market. According to a report published in a local daily, SEBC would terminate its current crypto exchange

The former CFO of a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) was sentenced to three years in prison after embezzling $5 million that was used to trade cryptocurrencies and “meme stocks.” An April 27 press release from the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Cooper Morgenthau, the ex-CFO of African Gold Acquisition Corp. (AGAC), embezzled more than

The tax treatment of lending and borrowing on decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols could soon be changed in the United Kingdom as the taxation arm of the Treasury is seeking input on a possible new regime. An April 27 consultation by HM Revenue and Customs will run until June 22 and asks for “investors, professionals and

A record-breaking $3.4 billion penalty has been handed down by a Judge in a lawsuit brought by a United States financial regulator involving a fraudulent scheme involving Bitcoin (BTC). An April 27 statement from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said Texas District Court Judge Lee Yeakel ordered Cornelius Johannes Steynberg to pay the sum

Another swipe has been taken at the crypto industry by the chair of the United States securities regulator, who claimed many crypto platforms are operating in violation of securities laws. In an April 27 tweet, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chair Gary Gensler shared a 4-minute video of himself describing crypto assets as “investment contracts”

The home of former FTX co-CEO Ryan Salame has reportedly been searched by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as further scrutiny falls on the executive for his close advisory role to Sam Bankman-Fried. An April 27 report from The New York Times, citing people with knowledge of the matter, said the Bureau searched Salame’s

Executives of cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase took their company’s regulatory issues to the public on April 27, with chief legal officer Paul Grewal speaking at Consensus 2023 and appearing with CEO Brian Armstrong in a video released on YouTube. The appeal was in response to a Wells notice received by the firm, a notification by the

Our weekly roundup of news from East Asia curates the industry’s most important developments. Hong Kong inching close on a clear crypto regulatory pathway A few months after prominent industry players lamented the lack of registration pathways for cryptocurrency exchanges in Hong Kong, some respite may finally be on the horizon. On Apr. 27, Julia

The United States House of Representatives was abuzz with talk about crypto on April 27, as both the Financial Services Committee and the Agriculture Committee held hearings with nearly identical titles and covered nearly the same ground with many similar conclusions. The Financial Services Committee, in its hearing “The Future of Digital Assets: Identifying the

One size does not fit all when it comes to Anti-Money Laundering (AML), the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) reminded banks on April 27. Banks should not make it unnecessarily hard to open accounts.  There has been a wave of companies opening bank accounts in Hong Kong to take advantage of business opportunities, HKMA deputy

Belgian cryptocurrency trading platform Bit4You has suspended all operations, including withdrawals, amid an insolvency investigation of one of its key partners. Suite à cela, nous avons immédiatement entamé plusieurs démarches pour comprendre la nature et la portée de cette situation. En savoir plus – https://t.co/wg7iHqN9jt — Bit4you (@Bit4you1) April 26, 2023 The company explained the

In March, the Utah State Legislature passed the Utah DAO Act, granting legal recognition and limited liability protections to decentralized autonomous organizations (DAO) in the state. DAOs by default are not recognized as legal entities, and giving these organizations legal status in Utah could help clear up regulatory concerns.  David Lemke, chief financial officer at

Crypto exchange Kraken is taking the fight against the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and its demand to present critical exchange user information to the court. The exchange deemed IRS’s demand for customer information as an “unjustified treasure hunt.” The crypto exchange has requested a federal court in San Francisco to intervene in the

Celsius creditors claim that some FTX users have engaged in suspicious trades that may have manipulated the price of the Celsius (CEL) token in 2022. The creditors are seeking the help of a bankruptcy judge to unmask the users in question. Represented by a committee, creditors of Celsius Network have requested permission from a bankruptcy

Cameron Winklevoss, the co-founder, and CEO of New York-headquartered crypto exchange Gemini, has accused U.S. regulators of perpetrating double standards in handling the First Republic Bank crisis.  According to Winkelvoss, if First Republic had been a “crypto bank” it would have been “assassinated weeks ago.” It is important to note that First Republic initially began

The Hong Kong Securities Futures Commission (SFC) is reportedly set to release cryptocurrency exchange licensing guidelines next month. The plans were reported by Bloomberg on April 27, which cited comments from the SFC’s chief executive Julia Leung on Thursday. The incoming guidelines will provide support to crypto trading platforms that will be able to offer

The United States must implement stablecoin legislation and digitize the U.S. dollar (USD) to mitigate the “very active de-dollarization taking place” around the world right now, says Jeremy Allaire, the chief executive of stablecoin issuer Circle. Allaire’s comments at the Consensus 2023 conference on Wednesday, April 25, were made in light of the recent U.S.