US Stablecoin Issuers Publish New Details on US Dollar Reserves - This week, Circle, the issuer of USDC – a cryptocurrency “stablecoin” with each unit backed 1:1 by U.S. dollars – published its latest reserve attestation...more
Rob Musiala, a Counsel in the Digital Assets and Data Management group and the co-leader of our Blockchain Technologies and Digital Currencies team, breaks down everything you need to know about NFTs, all in 10 minutes or...more
7/26/2021
/ Blockchain ,
CFTC ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Ethereum ,
FinCEN ,
Investors ,
IRS ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Royalties ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Smart Contracts
Market Actors Continue to Integrate Cryptocurrency into Payment Systems - According to a press release this week, California-based Silvergate Bank announced that it will become the issuer of Diem USD, a new cryptocurrency...more
5/17/2021
/ Bitcoin ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Hackers ,
Investment ,
Investors ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Payment Systems ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Virtual Currency
US Institutional Financial Firms, and Fintech Startups, Launch Crypto Products - A major U.S. financial services corporation announced this week that it would begin to settle transactions over the Ethereum Network in USD Coin...more
4/5/2021
/ Bitcoin ,
Broker-Dealer ,
CFTC ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Currency ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinCEN ,
Fraud ,
IRS ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Virtual Currency
Exchanges and Banks Expand Cryptocurrency Services and Products - A major U.S. cryptocurrency exchange recently announced the launch of its asset hub. The initiative is intended to “streamline the asset listing process … and...more
Crypto Trust to Convert to Bank, FinCEN Extends New Rule Comment - The Anchorage Trust Company, a subsidiary of Anchor Labs, an advanced digital asset platform (Anchorage), secured conditional approval this week from the...more
FinCEN Proposed Rule Creates New Cryptocurrency Record-Keeping Requirements - On Dec. 18, 2020, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, published a notice of...more
The Telegram case is arguably the most important case of 2020 involving the legal classification of blockchain-based digital assets. Because it is often cost-prohibitive for companies to challenge the government in court, the...more
Credit Card Company To Integrate USDC Payments, 401(k) Advisor Integrates Bitcoin - A major U.S. credit card company has announced plans to link its global payments network of over 60 million merchants to a cryptocurrency...more
12/7/2020
/ 401k ,
Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Credit Cards ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
FinHub ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Virtual Currency
Ethereum 2.0 Moves Closer to Launch, Blockchain Identity Solutions Announced - After having launched last week, the deposit contract for the newest upgrade to the Ethereum blockchain, Ethereum 2.0, now tops out at over 50,000...more
On Sept. 30, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York granted the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) motion for summary judgment against Kik Interactive Inc. (Kik) and denied Kik’s...more
Cryptoasset Study Published, Bahamas Launches CBDC, Zcash Service Announced - The University of Cambridge has published its 3rd Global Cryptoasset Benchmarking Study. ...more
U.S. Crypto Exchange Approved as Wyoming Bank, MSB Regulations to be Simplified - This week Kraken, a major U.S. cryptocurrency exchange, announced that it has received approval from the State of Wyoming to form a Special...more
Federal Reserve Addresses CBDCs Amid Crypto Initiatives by US and Foreign Firms - Late last week, Lael Brainard, a member of the Board of Governors of the U.S. Federal Reserve System, gave a speech in which she commented on...more
On April 3, 2020, exactly one year after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued its “Framework for ‘Investment Contracts’ Analysis of Digital Assets” (Framework), 11 class action lawsuits were filed in the...more
Monetary Authority of Singapore and World Bank Publish Blockchain Payments Reports - The fifth and final phase of Project Ubin, a blockchain project spearheaded by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, concluded this week. ...more
U.S. and Australia Explore Blockchain Solutions, Global Blockchain Survey Published - This week, Simba Chain announced that it has been awarded “a two-year, $1.5 million contract by the U.S. Air Force to fund a Phase II Small...more
U.S. Crypto Trading Firms Make Acquisitions Targeted at “Prime Brokerage” Services - This week major U.S. cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase announced plans to acquire Tagomi, a U.S.-based prime brokerage platform focused on...more
On May 8, 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Kik Interactive Inc. (Kik) finished briefing their cross motions for summary judgment, which were previously filed on March 20, with opposition briefs...more
Bitcoin Fund Completes Offering, Ether Futures Launch, Crypto Funds Report Published - We previously reported that a Toronto-based investment manager was launching a Bitcoin Fund, and it has now completed a $48 million...more
CFTC Approves Bitcoin Futures and Prosecutes Fraud, Amicus Brief Filed in Kik Case - The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has issued an Order of Designation to Bitnomial Exchange, LLC, granting it status as a...more
Telegram, Kik and Tezos Cases Reach Milestones in Blockchain Token Litigation -
On May 24, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York granted the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) motion for a...more
Exchanges Expand in US and Gibraltar; India Supreme Court Ruling Favors Industry -
Late last week, a major global messenger app based in Japan announced that it has launched BitFront, a new global cryptocurrency exchange...more
Blockchain Enterprise Applications Continue to Emerge Across Industries -
A press release late last week announced that blockchain startup SIMBA Chain has been awarded a five-year, $9.5 million contract with the U.S. Navy...more
On Feb. 6, during a speech at the International Blockchain Congress in Chicago, SEC Commissioner Hester M. Peirce unveiled a proposed “safe harbor” that would seek to provide an exemption from the registration requirements of...more