According to a recent press release, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin has submitted an application to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish a national trust bank, First National Digital Currency...more
The VASP Act defines “Virtual Assets” as digital representations of value that can be digitally traded or transferred and can be used for payment or investment purposes. Digital representations of fiat currencies (which is...more
Crypto Product News: BTC/ETH ETNs, Custody, Insurance, Tokenized Treasuries - The London Stock Exchange (LSE) recently published a market notice addressing applications for Bitcoin and Ether exchange traded notes (ETNs),...more
Today we are very pleased to welcome, once again, guest blogger Dr. Kateryna Boguslavska of the Basel Institute on Governance (“Basel Institute”), who will discuss the Basel Institute’s release of the 12th annual Public...more
SWIFT Publishes Blockchain Pilot Findings; Firms Announce USDC Integrations - According to a recent press release, the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (Swift) recently published a report with...more
Crypto Firms Expand Offerings in Stablecoins, Private Key Management - The issuer of the Pax Dollar (USDP) stablecoin recently announced that USDP is now available to all Mexican customers of a major Latin American online...more
Product Integrations and Data Indicate Increased Interest in DeFi - MetaMask, a web3 Ethereum Network cryptocurrency wallet, recently announced a new integration with a major U.S. payments and fintech firm....more
On March 9, 2022, President Joseph Biden issued Executive Order 14067, which charged the Department of Justice (in consultation with the Departments of State, Treasury, and Homeland Security) to submit a report on how to...more
Traditional Financial Firms Expand Reach into Cryptocurrency Sphere - Early this week, a major investment bank announced that it plans to launch a digital asset custody platform later this year. This announcement follows...more
As cryptocurrency, decentralized finance (DeFi), and other uses of blockchain technology continue to proliferate, global regulators are grappling with how best to regulate their use. We have previously written about the...more
Regulatory Guidance Aims to Apply Banking Regulations to Stablecoin Issuers - On November 1, 2021, an interagency group consisting of the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets (PWG), the FDIC, and the Office of the...more
The Regulation Process for FinCEN’s New Beneficial Ownership Reporting Requirement Launches - The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on Thursday to solicit...more
U.S. Developments - Tesla buys $1.5 billion in Bitcoin - In a 10-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday, Tesla announced that it had bought $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin. Tesla said the...more
On October 8, 2020, the Attorney General’s Cyber-Digital Task Force (“the Task Force”) issued its Cryptocurrency Enforcement Framework (the “Report”), which offers background on virtual assets, enforcement milestones, and...more
US Developments - OCC Issues Interpretation that Banks Can Offer Crypto Custody Services - On July 22, 2020, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued an interpretive letter clarifying that national banks...more
A Director of Enforcement at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has set out some of the key challenges the regulator expects in its new role as AML/CTF (anti-money laundering/counter terrorist financing) supervisor for...more
The G20 has urged countries to adopt the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards on virtual assets and virtual asset service providers, which were adopted in June last year. ...more
U.S. Developments - U.S. Regulatory Developments - Bill Addressing Tax Treatment of Crypto Transactions Introduced to the House - On January 16, 2020, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA) and Congressman David Schweikert...more
Blockchain Developments in Interbank Settlement, Capital Markets, Cryptocurrency Payments - According to reports this week, a major German bank has joined the emerging payments initiative, built on the Quorum blockchain, of...more
U.S. Developments - Enforcement and Litigation Developments - Craig Wright Faces Sanctions - Craig Wright, the self-proclaimed inventor of Bitcoin, has been tied up in litigation since February 2018 related to his...more
U.S. Regulatory - Kik Files Answer to SEC Complaint - On August 7, Canadian messaging company Kik Interactive Inc. (“Kik”) filed its answer to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) complaint filed in the...more
U.S. Developments - Facebook Announces Formation of Calibra and Launch of Libra - On June 18, 2019, Facebook announced the launch of Libra, a new cryptocurrency designed to have a stable value and be widely accepted...more
U.S. Developments - Regulatory Developments - SEC Chair’s Recent Comments on Digital Assets - Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Chairman Jay Clayton touched on digital asset issues during two recent...more
CFTC Plans Public Meeting Addressing Fintech, Including Blockchain Technology - On March 27, 2019, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Technology Advisory Committee will host a public meeting at the CFTC...more
U.S. Developments - SEC Remarks on International Virtual Currency Enforcement - On December 5, 2018, Steven Peikin, Co-Director of the Division of Enforcement at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), gave a...more