Background and Scope -
The Assessment was drafted by Treasury’s Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes (“TFFC”), in consultation with multiple U.S. agencies, including the Departments of Homeland Security,...more
Staking Market Launches, ‘Defi Cover’ Data Published, DAO Buys Golf Course
According to a recent press release, MetaMask Institutional, “the web3 wallet for organizations,” has launched its “institutional staking...more
3/27/2023
/ Biden Administration ,
Blockchain ,
Celebrities ,
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDCs) ,
Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Fraud ,
Hackers ,
IRS ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Russia ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Wells Notice
NFT Integration Software Released; NFTs Used to Serve Complaint in Civil Action -
According to a recent press release, a major U.S. software company has launched a suite of tools that will allow users to “enter the Web3 and...more
3/20/2023
/ Compliance ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Financial Crimes ,
Money Laundering ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Service of Process ,
Terrorist Financing Regulations ,
U.S. Treasury
Reserve Bank of Australia and BIS Commence Efforts to Advance CBDCs -
In a recent announcement, the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre (DFCRC) released details on an ongoing...more
3/13/2023
/ Bitcoin ,
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDCs) ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FinTech ,
PCAOB ,
Risk Assessment ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Dapper Labs was founded in 2018 shortly after the debut of its first NFT collection, “CryptoKitties,” which was so successful it created a bottleneck of transactions on the decentralized Ethereum Network. Seeking faster...more
3/7/2023
/ Blockchain ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Digital Assets ,
Ethereum ,
Howey ,
Investment Contract ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Securities ,
Securities Act of 1933
Proof of Stake Alliance Publishes Analysis, Advocates for Industry Standards -
This week the Proof of Stake Alliance (POSA), a nonprofit industry alliance focused on proof of stake (PoS) ecosystems, announced their newly...more
2/27/2023
/ CFTC ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Enforcement Priorities ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Financial Transactions ,
Howey ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Unregistered Securities
DeFi, Stablecoin Products Launch; Bitcoin Network Spikes Due to NFTs -
According to reports, a new decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol recently launched that allows users to deposit the stablecoins USDC or DAI in a...more
2/13/2023
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
FASB ,
Individual Retirement Account (IRA) ,
Money Laundering ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
North Korea ,
Ransomware ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Tokens ,
Stablecoins
White House Addresses Crypto Risks; Blockchain Firm Wins Air Force Contract -
The White House issued a statement last week briefly outlining the Biden administration’s road map to mitigate the risks of cryptocurrencies,...more
2/6/2023
/ Biden Administration ,
Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Ethereum ,
Executive Orders ,
Fraud ,
Hong Kong ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
SDN List ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stablecoins ,
UK
Reports Address Crypto Ownership, Stablecoins and Dapp Adoption -
Recent reports provide new data on various areas of the digital asset market. In one report, a survey published by a cryptocurrency trading platform found...more
1/30/2023
/ Blockchain ,
CFTC ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Digital Assets ,
FBI ,
Hackers ,
New Guidance ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
NYDFS ,
Request For Information ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stablecoins
Paper Explores Benefits of DeFi for FX; Australian Bank Launches Stablecoin -
A recent industry paper found that DeFi can reduce costs and enhance transparency in foreign exchange (FX) markets. The paper concludes that...more
1/23/2023
/ Blockchain ,
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FinCEN ,
Online Platforms ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stablecoins
New Data Published on 2022 Crypto Exchange Trading Volume, NFT Royalties -
According to recent reports, Binance, currently the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, controlled 92 percent of global...more
1/16/2023
/ CFTC ,
Criminal Investigations ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Data-Sharing ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Royalties
Crypto Apps Launch New Features, Custody Firm Achieves CCSS Certificate -
According to recent reports, Uniswap V3 was the most used Ethereum contract in 2022, seeing over 15.5 million transactions throughout 2022 and using...more
1/9/2023
/ Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Fraud ,
Fundraisers ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Risk Alert ,
Risk Assessment ,
Scams ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Unregistered Securities
New Crypto Payment Products Launch, Reports Publish Crypto Market Data
A recent press release announced that MetaMask, the popular Ethereum (ETH) Network crypto wallet provider, will integrate its self-custodial wallets...more
New Research and Surveys Address CBDCs, Institutional Crypto Investment -
Staff from the board of governors of the U.S. central bank recently published a research paper addressing central bank digital currencies (CBDCs)....more
12/5/2022
/ Banking Sector ,
Bitcoin Mining ,
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDCs) ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Data Collection ,
Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Wallets ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Fraud ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Money Laundering ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
USPTO
New Crypto Products Launch; Singapore Completes DeFi Pilot with Major Banks -
In a press release published this week, a major U.S. cross-border payments and money transfer company announced a new service in its existing...more
11/7/2022
/ Blockchain ,
CFTC ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Digital Assets ,
Ethereum ,
Hackers ,
IRS ,
New Guidance ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Risk Management ,
Royalties
The continued growth of the market for nonfungible tokens (NFTs) in 2022 has helped shape the zeitgeist of what has been referenced colloquially by some as the “fourth industrial revolution,” defined largely by network effect...more
10/27/2022
/ Blockchain ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cyber Threats ,
Digital Assets ,
Financial Crimes ,
FinTech ,
Hackers ,
Insider Trading ,
Market Manipulation ,
Money Laundering ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Phishing Scams ,
Popular ,
Risk Management ,
Scams ,
Terrorism Funding
As part of a coordinated effort with the U.S. Secretary of State, Attorney General, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of Homeland Security, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Director of National Intelligence,...more
10/17/2022
/ AML/CFT ,
Anti-Money Laundering ,
Anti-Terrorism Financing ,
Banking Sector ,
Biden Administration ,
Digital Assets ,
Executive Orders ,
FATF ,
Financial Transactions ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Virtual Currency
Crypto Products Launch, Reports Detail CBDC Pilots and Bank Crypto Exposure -
Last week, Circle Internet Financial, the issuer of USD Coin (USDC), announced plans “to make USDC available on five additional blockchain...more
10/10/2022
/ Blockchain ,
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDCs) ,
Corporate Bonds ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FinTech ,
Fraud ,
FSOC ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stablecoins ,
U.S. Treasury
Exchange Reaches Agreement to Sell Assets; New Crypto Products Launch -
In a press release this week, Voyager Digital, a cryptocurrency exchange that recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, announced that it selected the...more
10/3/2022
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
CFTC ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
FinTech ,
Fraud ,
IRS ,
John Doe Investigation ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Scams ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
U.S. Treasury ,
UK
On September 16, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury published a report, “The Future of Money and Payments” (Report), in response to the President’s March 2022 Executive Order on Ensuring Responsible Development of...more
10/3/2022
/ AML/CFT ,
Biden Administration ,
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDCs) ,
Digital Assets ,
Executive Orders ,
Information Reports ,
Money Services Business ,
Payment Systems ,
Public Policy ,
Stablecoins ,
U.S. Treasury
Non-Fungible Marketing: Brands Continue to Launch NFTs -
A South Korean technology company has reportedly launched a weeklong promotion in the metaverse. According to reports, the virtual events occurred across multiple...more
9/26/2022
/ AML/CFT ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Fraud ,
Hackers ,
Information Reports ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
SDN List ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
U.S. Treasury
On Sept. 16, 2022, the White House released a Fact Sheet providing key findings and action items arising from the nine reports addressing digital assets that have been submitted to the president to date consistent with the...more
9/23/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDCs) ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Executive Orders ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Financial Stability Board ,
Innovation ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
OECD ,
U.S. Commerce Department ,
U.S. Treasury
Ethereum Network Completes Transition to Proof of Stake Consensus -
After years of development and delays, Ethereum’s long-awaited “merge” occurred this week, changing the network’s consensus mechanism from proof-of-work...more
9/19/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Blockchain ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Ethereum ,
Executive Orders ,
Impact Assessments ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Ponzi Scheme ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
NFT Initiatives Launch in Ticket Sales, Social Media and College Football -
According to a recent press release, a major ticket sales and distribution company announced that event organizers who sell tickets on its platform...more
9/12/2022
/ Banking Regulators ,
Blockchain ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fraud ,
Hackers ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
OCC ,
Popular ,
Sports
CryptoPunk Sold at $2.6M, USPTO to Address NFTs, Court Approves NFT Service -
A rare NFT from the CryptoPunk collection recently sold for approximately $2.6 million, the fifth-largest sale in the collection’s history....more
7/18/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Copyright Office ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement ,
Financial Regulatory Agencies ,
FSB ,
Information Reports ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
IOSCO ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Stablecoins ,
U.S. Treasury ,
UK ,
USPTO