Podcast: CFTC Issues LIBOR Transition Relief for Swaps
LEGAL ALERT: CFPB Issues Proposed Revisions to No-Action Letter Policy
Open for Business: SEFs Navigate the New Regulatory Environment
On Sept. 2, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Division of Trading Markets and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) Division of Market Oversight and Division of Clearing and Risk issued a joint...more
Editor's Note - The following newsletter provides a roundup summarizing enforcement actions, guidance, rulemakings, and other public statements taken by a federal and/or state financial services regulatory agency,...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) issued a statement in response to the Wyoming Division of Banking’s No-Action Letter on Custody of Digital Assets and Qualified Custodian Status....more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Division of Trading and Markets recently issued a no action letter to FINRA that may help to streamline the settlement of digital asset securities transactions by...more
Recent SEC guidance on digital assets cleared a path for at least certain stable coins or payment tokens to avoid securities regulation. However, Latham & Watkins attorneys say there are still a number of open questions that...more
It was a year filled with tantalizing tidbits and many loose ends. 2019 marked the 10th year since blockchain technology was released into the wild by its still unknown inventor, Satoshi Nakamoto, who mined the first bitcoin...more
Digital assets and Blockchain technologies which were once described as the tools of criminals, are now a key part of efforts by traditional financial services firms to transform their businesses and innovative firms looking...more
In this issue of The Distributed Ledger, we discuss the IRS' warning letters for over 10,000 cryptocurrency holders, the SEC's settlement with a blockchain company regarding unregistered ICO transactions, and a European...more
Federal regulators start to address some of the recent questions about digital assets such as tokens and virtual currencies, though many questions remain. U.S. Regulators and Congress are grappling with how to manage the...more
The SEC has issued its second-ever no-action letter to a token issuer. Pocketful of Quarters, Inc. (PoQ) sought the no-action letter in connection with the issuance of a cryptographically protected token (Quarters), which...more
U.S. Developments - Regulatory Developments - SEC Issues Second No Action Letter for Blockchain-Based Project - On July 25, 2019, the staff of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued its second ever...more
SEC Issues No-Action Letter, Financial Services Firms and Major Exchanges Make Moves, New Products Launched in Europe - This week, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued to Pocket Full of Quarters Inc....more
During the previous quarter, the SEC proposed new rulemaking to reduce the number of smaller companies that become subject to enhanced reporting requirements through “accelerated filer” and “large accelerated filer” status....more
Amid increasing enforcement activity with respect to cryptocurrencies, coins and tokens, the SEC recently issued guidance intended to provide clarity to the markets. ...more
On April 24, 2019, Skadden hosted a webinar titled “The Current State of Cryptocurrency Enforcement and Securities Litigation.” The presented topics largely focused on the SEC’s evolving regulatory approach to cryptocurrency...more
REGULATORY UPDATES - Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) Releases Its 2019 Priorities - On January 22, 2019, FINRA released its Annual Risk Monitoring and Examination Priorities Letter, which highlighted the...more
The New York State Department of Financial Services cancelled the temporary authority of a major cryptocurrency exchange to operate in New York, saying its failure to meet anti-money laundering, AML compliance officer quality...more
In this issue, we examine the release of the much-anticipated Strategic Hub for Innovation and Financial Technology (FinHub) guidance for analyzing how U.S. federal securities laws apply to initial coin offerings, the...more
U.S. Developments - Regulatory Updates - SEC Releases “No-Action Letter” Stating Turnkey Jet ICO Tokens Are Not Securities and Releases “Framework for ‘Investment Contract’ Analysis of Digital Assets” - The U.S....more
(You Say Security, I Say Utility; Midtrial Acquittal) - The Securities and Exchange Commission’s FinHub group issued guidance last week, providing a checklist of characteristics to help determine whether a cryptoasset may...more
U.S. Developments - Congressmen Introduce Legislation to Define “Digital Token” Under the Securities Laws - On December 20, 2018, two congressmen introduced the “Token Taxonomy Act” (H.R. 7356) before the 115th Congress...more
Here in is a summary of recent investment management developments that affect registered investment companies, private equity funds, hedge funds, investment advisers, and others in the investment management industry....more
Editor's Note - “Humility and Prudence” at the CFPB. In a memo to employees of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) later turned into a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Acting CFPB Director Mick Mulvaney articulated his...more