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
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 Oct. 6, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the creation of a National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team to tackle investigations and prosecutions of criminal misuses of cryptocurrency. As the non-fungible...more
8/31/2022
/ Bribery ,
Counterfeiting ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Authority ,
Enforcement Priorities ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Fraud ,
Insider Trading ,
Market Manipulation ,
Money Laundering ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Spoofing
Fashion Brands Score with NFTs, but Market Trends Show Threats Abound -
According to a recent report, iconic fashion brands from ready-to-wear sportswear to haute couture have been reaping the financial rewards of their...more
8/29/2022
/ AML/CFT ,
Cease and Desist ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
European Central Bank ,
False Statements ,
Fashion Industry ,
FDIC ,
Fraud ,
New Guidance ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular
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
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) often involve two areas with known money laundering and terrorist financing risks: cryptocurrencies and high-value assets, like art. As detailed below, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial...more
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
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
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)
Overview of Common NFT Contractual Relationships -
Participants in the fast-moving - but legally uncertain - non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace can maximize their business opportunities and mitigate risk by delineating...more
7/7/2022
/ Commercial Contracts ,
Contract Drafting ,
Contract Terms ,
DMCA ,
License Agreements ,
Market Participants ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Service Agreements ,
Service Contracts ,
Smart Contracts ,
Vendors ,
Written Agreements
Key Takeaways -
..In June 2022, the DOJ issued a Report recommending increased cooperation amongst international law enforcement to combat crimes involving digital assets.
..The Report identified characteristics...more
6/30/2022
/ Banking Sector ,
Biden Administration ,
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDCs) ,
Criminal Investigations ,
Cross-Border ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Executive Orders ,
FATF ,
Information Reports ,
Law Enforcement
New Fiat-Pegged Stablecoins Launch, BIS Publishes New Findings on CBDCs -
Late last week, a global fintech firm and issuer of the dollar-pegged stablecoin, USD Coin (USDC), announced that it was preparing to issue a...more
6/27/2022
/ Auction ,
Canada ,
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDCs) ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Stablecoins ,
Startups ,
Ukraine
In 2021, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) generated overall sales of close to $25 billion and became one of the year’s most defining cultural phenomena. This trend has continued with NFT sales topping $2 billion in the first...more
6/23/2022
/ Advertising ,
Advertising to Minors ,
Brand ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Copyright ,
Digital Media ,
E-Commerce ,
Influencers ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Social Networks ,
Targeted Digital Advertising ,
Trademarks
Firms Announce New Crypto Initiatives; Data Published on Crypto and NFT Use -
Late last week, a major U.S. cryptocurrency custodian announced “a groundbreaking, industry-first custody exchange network giving institutions...more
6/20/2022
/ Australia ,
Blockchain ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
FinTech ,
First Amendment ,
Fourth Amendment ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Scams ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stablecoins
Fintech and Crypto Firms Announce Myriad New Crypto Product Launches -
This week, a major global payments firm announced the launch of a stablecoin settlement solution that leverages technology by Fireblocks, a digital...more
6/10/2022
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
CFTC ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Currency ,
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ,
Embezzlement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FinTech ,
Fraud ,
Hackers ,
NYDFS ,
Popular ,
Scams ,
Stablecoins ,
Virtual Currency
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are the latest advancement in the ongoing evolution of the blockchain market. To help put this new phenomenon into context, the BakerHostetler Blockchain team has prepared a series of papers that...more
According to reports, a major U.S.-based global investment bank has allowed a borrower to use bitcoin as collateral for a cash loan, for the first time in the bank’s history. In other financial news, according to reports, the...more
5/9/2022
/ Banks ,
Bitcoin ,
Bitcoin Mining ,
Blockchain ,
Collateral ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Priorities ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
FinCEN ,
Fraud ,
Hackers ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
NYDFS ,
Patriot Act ,
Retailers ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Key Takeaways -
..SEC enforcement actions related to crypto and cyber are expected to significantly increase with the additional 20 staff assigned to the Division of Enforcement unit dedicated to these industries....more
A major U.S. fintech firm recently announced the launch of a “crypto payouts” pilot that will allow a select group of creators to receive cryptocurrency payments through a major social media platform. According to a press...more
5/2/2022
/ 401k ,
Anti-Money Laundering ,
Bitcoin ,
Bitcoin Mining ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Wallets ,
El Salvador ,
Enforcement ,
Evasion ,
FinTech ,
Indictments ,
New Regulations ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Online Platforms ,
Popular ,
Stablecoins
Crypto Payment Initiatives Announced in Stablecoins, Lightning Network, Mining -
Late last week, the issuer of USD Coin (USDC) announced that it had selected a major U.S. bank as a primary custodian for USDC reserves....more
4/11/2022
/ Bitcoin ,
Bitcoin Mining ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ,
Economic Sanctions ,
HM Treasury ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Popular ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Russia ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stablecoins ,
UK ,
Ukraine ,
United Nations
Last week a fintech company reportedly teamed with a local digital asset exchange in the Philippines to develop a blockchain-based solution for cross-border remittances. According to reports, the partnership aims to increase...more