New Products Launch for Crypto Futures, Wallets, Stablecoins and Settlement -
According to a recent press release, a leading global options exchange has received the necessary approval from the U.S. Commodity Futures...more
6/12/2023
/ Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Wallets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fraud ,
Hackers ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stablecoins
Crypto Firms Announce New Product Launches in Custody, Stablecoins, Wallets -
According to a recent press release, Prometheum Capital has received the first-ever approval from the Financial Industry Regulation Authority...more
6/5/2023
/ Broker-Dealer ,
CFTC ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Enforcement Actions ,
European Banking Authority (EBA) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
Fraud ,
IOSCO ,
New Guidance ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Popular ,
SDN List ,
Securities ,
State Attorneys General ,
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
On May 1, 2023, the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS or Department) issued a consent order (Consent Order), imposing a $1.2 million fine on bitFlyer USA, a cryptocurrency trading platform and custodial...more
5/17/2023
/ BitLicense ,
Compliance ,
Consent Order ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Enforcement Priorities ,
Financial Regulatory Agencies ,
Licenses ,
Licensing Rules ,
NYDFS
Multiple Financial Services Firms Announce New Crypto Products -
A major U.S. financial services firm recently launched its Crypto Credential product, “a set of common standards and infrastructure that will help verify...more
5/8/2023
/ Blockchain ,
CFTC ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Enforcement Priorities ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Fraud ,
Income Taxes ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Payment Methods ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
UK
European Bank Launches Stablecoin; Financial Firms Expand Crypto Products -
A subsidiary of a major European financial services firm recently launched EUR CoinVertible (EURCV), an Ethereum ERC20 stablecoin backed 1:1 by...more
4/24/2023
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Wallets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Ethereum ,
Hackers ,
Popular ,
SDN List ,
Stablecoins
“Z” Doors Are Open: Rival Zero Knowledge EVMs Launch -
Earlier this week, a technology innovation lab reportedly released a public Alpha version of its “zero-knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine” (zkEVM), which has been...more
4/3/2023
/ Banks ,
CFTC ,
Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Depository Institutions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Ethereum ,
Federal Reserve ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
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)
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 Protocols Announce Updates, US Bank Introduces Deposit Token Concept -
According to recent reports, Rocket Pool, a decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol used as an Ethereum (ETH) staking service, has reached $1...more
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
On January 4, 2023, the New York State Department of Financial Services (“DFS”) announced that Coinbase, Inc., a major U.S. cryptocurrency exchange, will pay a $50 million penalty and invest an additional $50 million in its...more
1/17/2023
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Bank Secrecy Act ,
Coinbase ,
Compliance ,
Consent Order ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Customer Due Diligence (CDD) ,
Cybersecurity ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Government Investigations ,
Know Your Customers ,
Money Transmitter ,
NYDFS ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Regulatory Violations ,
Settlement ,
Statutory Violations ,
Virtual Currency
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
Takeaways:
..The Court granted the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the SEC) motion for summary judgment, holding that LBC tokens are securities and that the offers and sales of the tokens by LBRY, Inc. (LBRY)...more
Crypto Products Launch in Debit Cards, Payment Gateways, Trading Platforms -
This week, two cryptocurrency financial services and trading platforms announced partnerships with traditional financial services companies to...more
10/31/2022
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDCs) ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
FinTech ,
Malware ,
Metaverse ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Payment Systems ,
Regulatory Authority ,
State Securities Regulators ,
Supply Chain
On October 11, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced a $29 million civil monetary penalty against Bittrex, a...more
10/25/2022
/ Bank Secrecy Act ,
BSA/AML ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Compliance ,
Consent Order ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FinCEN ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Statutory Violations
New Crypto Products Launch in Custody, Cloud Collaborations and Stablecoins -
This week, a major U.S. financial institution announced that its Digital Asset Custody platform is now live in the United States. According to...more
10/17/2022
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Currency ,
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Stability Board ,
FinCEN ,
Fines ,
Government Investigations ,
Hackers ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
OECD ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stablecoins ,
Statutory Violations
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
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
Takeaways -
..U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC, or Commission) Chair Gary Gensler reaffirmed his view that the “vast majority” of cryptocurrency tokens are securities, and recent agency enforcement actions...more
On August 1, 2022, the New York State Department of Financial Services (“DFS” or “Department”) issued a Consent Order, imposing a $30 million fine on Robinhood Crypto, LLC (“Robinhood”), a trading platform that allows...more
New NFT Initiatives Announced in Jewelry, Automobile and Liquor Industries -
A U.S. luxury jeweler has reportedly partnered with the popular NFT (non-fungible tokens) collection CryptoPunk to transform the digital...more
8/8/2022
/ Banking Sector ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Deposit Insurance ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Regulatory Agencies ,
Fraud ,
Hackers ,
New Guidance ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Regulatory Violations ,
Virtual Currency
Bitcoin Network Mining Difficulty Continues Downward Trend Amid Heat Wave -
A recent analysis of Bitcoin mining activity has shown that Bitcoin Network mining difficulty dropped by 5 percent recently, continuing a...more
Significant parallel actions commenced this week by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) bring crypto fraud enforcement into the spotlight, with the SEC alleging that multiple...more
7/25/2022
/ Coinbase ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Cryptoassets ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Wallets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Ethereum ,
Howey ,
Illegal Tipping ,
Indictments ,
Insider Trading ,
Material Nonpublic Information ,
Proposed Rules ,
Rule 10(b) ,
Rule 10b-5 ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Tokens ,
Securities Violations
Financial Firm Launches Crypto Group, MakerDAO Votes to Integrate with Bank -
A major multinational financial institution recently “announced the formation of its Digital Assets and Financial Markets group.” According to...more
7/11/2022
/ Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) ,
Brand ,
CFTC ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cyber Crimes ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Action Task Force ,
Financial Institutions ,
Fraud ,
Hackers ,
Infringement ,
IP Litigation ,
New Guidance ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)