Paul Munter, chief accountant of the United States Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), has released a statement warning accounting firms of their obligations to the agency when working with crypto firms. Allowing their finding to be misrepresented could have serious consequences, he said. Crypto firms may engage accountants to “perform some sort of review of
A new wallet that has launched on Optimism allows users to generate an address without storing seed words, and the account can be saved using an ordinary Twitter login. Called “Beam,” the wallet runs in a browser window and requires no downloads, according to a July 27 announcement from its developer. It also allows users
Brian Korn, a partner at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP, a Los Angeles-based law firm of more than 450 attorneys, has introduced a thought-provoking argument regarding the legal battle between SEC v. Ripple that could have far-reaching consequences for the broader crypto industry’s secondary market. The ruling, which was rendered on July 13, carried some
The Optimism network has surpassed Arbitrum in transaction volume for the first time in six months, according to July 27 data from blockchain analytics platform Artemis. Both networks are layer 2s of Ethereum that use optimistic rollup technology, which compresses and batches transactions before submitting them to Ethereum, potentially lowering transaction fees. Optimism fell behind
Stablecoins cannot be compared to bank deposits in terms of risk, argues a new policy paper authored by former Federal Reserve Board analyst Brendan Malone on behalf of technology investment firm Paradigm. The document explores the risks stablecoins pose to the financial system, noting that current legislative proposals in the United States could incorporate crypto payment instruments
Amid accelerated efforts to expand its global presence, Ripple Labs has allied with Catalyze Research to boost XRP Ledger (XRPL)’s user base in South Korea. Leading web3 and blockchain-focused consultancy firm, Catalyze Research, took to Twitter to announce the strategic collaboration on July 26, following Ripple’s official blog announcement on Tuesday, July 25. This partnership will
Tact was pervasive in the United States House of Representatives Agricultural Committee’s consideration of the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act on July 27. With many references to bipartisanship and self-congratulatory mentions of the members’ cooperation and hard work, the committee plowed through a series of amendments calmly and quickly. The bill,
United States House Financial Services Committee chair Patrick McHenry has pointed a finger at the Biden administration for the lack of bipartisan agreement on a stablecoin bill. In a July 27 hearing, Rep. McHenry said the version of the Clarity for Payment Stablecoins Act, H.R. 4766, being considered for markup was not based on negotiations
Bitcoin (BTC) ate away at the prior day’s gains on July 27 as United States macroeconomic data produced a muted reaction. BTC/USD 1-hour chart. Source: TradingView Analyst warns of BTC price dip Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC price strength waning after a brief push to $29,680 into the daily close. The
As regulatory scrutiny continues to circle the wider Web3 ecosystem, cryptocurrency lending platform Nexo will look to leverage training resources, connections and data by joining the Association of Certified Sanctions Specialists (ACSS). The association offers training and certification for sanctions professionals across a variety of industries including financial institutions, international corporations, law firms, public institutions
Nonfungible token-focused blockchain Palm Network is about to become a great deal more accessible to users, with plans to transition into being a customized Polygon blockchain. According to a July 26 announcement, Palm Network will soon become a Polygon (MATIC) ZK Supernet, which will see minting, trading, and collecting NFTs becoming more readily available to
The latest legal action against Block.one (B1), the creator and original seller of EOS (EOS), could potentially help plaintiffs get higher compensation, according to EOS Network Foundation (ENF) founder and CEO Yves La Rose. On July 25, La Rose officially announced that ENF is preparing a lawsuit against Block.one for its failure to follow through
Legendary martial artist and actor Bruce Lee, who died in 1973, is set to teach martial arts in the metaverse through a tribute event hosted by a social entertainment platform to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the actor’s passing. Metaverse project Byte City announced on July 26 that those who wish to engage with the
During a period of hyperinflation in 2013, “my Venezuelan mother asked me to send money to Caracas, the country’s capital,” Hervé Larren recalls. However, bank transfers were not possible between the two countries. Busy with work in New York, he told a friend that he planned to fly to Caracas — carrying cash for his
In April 2021, the European Commission presented its proposal for harmonized rules on artificial intelligence (AI), dubbed the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act). After the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament finalized their positions in December 2022 and June 2023, the legislative institutions entered a trilogue on the upcoming AI regulation. The
Hong Kong is expanding its financial collaboration with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, targeting agreements related to tokenization and payments infrastructure. The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) on July 26 held a bilateral meeting to strengthen the integration of financial services between the two countries. As part of the
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has urged United States citizens to take action and email their representatives to vote “yes” on the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21 Century Act (FIT21), which may provide regulatory clarity for crypto. On July 26, lawmakers voted in favor of FIT21 and the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act. The bills
Global investment giant BlackRock is expanding its reach in India with a partnership targeting the launch of the “digital-first offering” in India. BlackRock, on July 26, officially announced a joint investment project with Jio Financial Services (JFS), an arm of Indian tycoon Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries — India’s most-valued firm. The companies each plan to
Bitcoin (BTC) is facing the prospect of a “big bull move” as stablecoin buying power returns, on-chain data hints. Analysis courtesy of on-chain analytics platform CryptoQuant now shows stablecoin supply metrics repeating historical bull market patterns. “Major leading indicator” flips bullish for BTC price Bitcoin is in peak accumulation mode, according to CryptoQuant’s Stablecoins Ratio
Crypto degens have been quick to try and capitalize on a widely-watched hearing where former United States government officials have claimed the existence of alien spacecraft and “biologics.” Testifying under oath at the House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security, David Grusch, a former Pentagon task force member on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) and whistleblower, accused