In this issue of Wilson Sonsini's Focus on Fintech, our attorneys discuss updates and developments from federal regulators, including those related to bank-fintech partnerships, cryptocurrency and virtual currency updates,...more
12/17/2024
/ Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Blockchain ,
CFTC ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Federal Reserve ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinCEN ,
FinTech ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
On December 3, 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced its highly anticipated and controversial proposed rule that primarily aims to bring data brokers within the scope of the Fair Credit Reporting Act...more
On October 22, 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced its long-awaited final rule on “Personal Financial Data Rights” (the Final Rule). The Final Rule implements Section 1033 of the Dodd-Frank Act,...more
On September 4, 2024, the U.S Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) published a final rule that expands the definition of “financial institution” to include Registered Investment Advisers...more
10/4/2024
/ AML/CFT ,
Anti-Money Laundering ,
Financial Adviser ,
Financial Crimes ,
Financial Institutions ,
FinCEN ,
Investment Adviser ,
Money Laundering ,
Popular ,
Registered Investment Advisors ,
Unregistered Brokers
Companies that provide consumer financial services and products be warned—a careful review of your fine print may be in order. Although broad disclaimers, liability waivers, and releases tend to be commonplace in general...more
In this latest edition, our attorneys discuss updates and developments from federal regulators, including those related to the intersection of fintech and artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency and virtual currency updates,...more
In the highly competitive payments space, where safety and efficiency tools are table stakes, financial institutions are increasingly employing artificial intelligence (AI) solutions....more
Large technology companies and innovators in the consumer financial services space should expect to see stepped up regulatory attention ahead. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) continues to increase its focus on...more
In this issue, we discuss updates and developments from federal regulators, including those related to the intersection of fintech and artificial intelligence, crypto-asset and central bank digital currencies, and consumer...more
Creative, attention-grabbing marketing is an art mastered by many fintech companies. However, federal financial and consumer protection regulators are ramping up scrutiny of marketing materials related to financial services,...more
Where will the fintech industry head in 2024? Our fintech and financial services partners make a few predictions below....more
1/16/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Banking Sector ,
CFTC ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Financial Transactions ,
FinTech ,
Machine Learning ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
In this most recent issue, we discuss a number of updates and developments from federal regulators, including those related to novel banking arrangements, misrepresentations in advertisements and marketing, the intersection...more
The Federal Reserve Board has proposed a new rule for public comment that would significantly lower the cap on interchange fees that debit card issuing banks (issuers) may charge a merchant’s bank (an acquiring bank) for...more
The legal landscape for marijuana-related businesses (MRBs) has seen significant change and challenges in recent years. Despite the legalization of marijuana for medical or recreational use in various states, it remains a...more
10/19/2023
/ Agribusiness ,
Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
Dispensaries ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Marijuana Cultivation ,
Marijuana Related Businesses
In this most recent issue, we discuss a number of federal banking agency updates, including the long-awaited Final Interagency Guidance on Third-Party Relationships and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s report on the...more
8/23/2023
/ Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
FDIC ,
Federal Reserve ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
OCC ,
UK
The head of the Federal Reserve’s New York Innovation Center (NYIC), Per von Zelowitz, joined Wilson Sonsini partner Jess Cheng for a conversation on the central bank’s payments innovation initiatives regarding the future of...more
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Fed), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) (collectively, the Agencies) issued the long-awaited...more
M&A transactions involving financial services providers—including tech-based providers or “fintechs”—raise a host of unique questions based on the types of services they provide, which are often highly regulated and may...more
6/16/2023
/ Acquisitions ,
Anti-Money Laundering ,
Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Privacy ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
Foreign Investment ,
Mergers ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Regulatory Agencies
In this latest issue of the firm’s Focus on Fintech newsletter, our attorneys discuss the dissolution of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank and the increased scrutiny on banking activity, as well as a number of updates...more
As marketplaces have become digital and more technology platforms are integrating payment solutions into the customer experience, there has been increased interest among technology companies in potentially becoming money...more
The last few years had started to see a convergence between crypto and banking, with bitcoin appearing to rapidly grow mainstream. That momentum hit a wall with the spectacular crypto market failures of 2022, including the...more
2/7/2023
/ Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
FDIC ,
Federal Reserve ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
OCC ,
Popular
On January 18, 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) designated Bitzlato Limited (Bitzlato), a crypto asset exchange business incorporated in Hong Kong, as a “primary money...more
In this latest issue of Wilson Sonsini's Focus on Fintech newsletter, we discuss the FTX bankruptcy and the increased federal regulatory scrutiny of crypto assets, and new rules and innovations in the payments...more
2/1/2023
/ Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDCs) ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
OCC ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
U.S. Treasury ,
UK
Technology companies in the payments space should pay close attention to the Federal Reserve’s (the Fed’s) upcoming launch of a long-awaited new payment system, the FedNow Service. The system will change the consumer payments...more
The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) recently published a discussion paper (here) summarizing its preliminary findings on the potential competition impact of Big Tech entry into retail financial services. The FCA is now...more
12/6/2022
/ Banking Sector ,
Big Tech ,
Digital Assets ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
Payment Systems ,
Popular ,
U.S. Treasury ,
UK