Japan is feeling the pressure of China’s strident moves forward with a digital yuan. According to a Feb. 7 Reuters report, top lawmakers in the country are calling on their government to push for digital currencies to be placed on the G7’s agenda this year. Akira Amari — former economy minister and a prominent member
Regulation
A new working group, spearheaded by senior employees of Ripple and Coinbase, is going to advise United States regulators on crypto-friendly policies. But congresspeople are too busy preparing for the upcoming elections, which means that U.S. crypto firms will have to continue hula-hooping through state-by-state regulations in the near future. Earlier this month, a D.C.-based
The United Kingdom’s major financial regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), is looking to hire a specialist with a cryptocurrency background. Specifically, the FCA is seeking an intelligence associate with crypto expertise to address digital assets under the European Union’s 5th Anti-Money Laundering Directive, the regulator said in a LinkedIn job posting on Feb. 6.
As crypto continues its foray into the mainstream financial world, more countries are recognizing digital assets legally. Singapore is the latest to join the party. On Jan. 28, the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) Payment Services Act went into effect, setting up a framework for the regulation of payment-related activities in the country. Given that
The counsel for the estate of Dave Kleiman has accused self-proclaimed “Satoshi Nakamoto” Craig Wright of abusing attorney client privilege to withhold documents and confuse trial proceedings. On Feb. 2, plaintiff Ira Kleiman — the late Dave Kleiman’s brother and personal representative of the estate — filed a memorandum challenging Craig’s privilege designations with the
A policy think tank of the Indian government, NITI Aayog, has released its national blockchain policy draft paper dubbed “Blockchain — The India Strategy” which explains different use cases of blockchain in India along with some conclusions from ongoing pilot projects. NITI Aayog was established with the aim to achieve sustainable development goals by fostering
European researchers writing for the Oxford University Faculty of Law blog argue that the distinction between utility and security tokens is less important than most assume when it comes to regulation. In a Feb. 3 blog post and their paper, “Blockchain Startups and Prospectus Regulation,” Dmitri Boreiko, Paolo Giudici and Guido Ferrarini claim that the
Capital markets blockchain platform iSTOX has graduated from Singapore’s regulatory sandbox and been approved as a recognized market operator and capital markets services licensee. Singapore’s The Business Times confirmed on Feb. 3 that the platform, developed by blockchain infrastructure firm ICHX Tech, is now fully operational and licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS),
Gemini Europe — the United Kingdom and EU affiliate of the Winklevoss twins’ United States-based crypto exchange Gemini — has appointed a new chief compliance and money laundering reporting officer. As part of the firm’s expansion into the transatlantic market, the new appointee, Blair Halliday, will oversee Gemini Europe’s compliance program in the region. A
It’s here! The United States tax season officially started on Jan. 27, and this time, crypto tax is in the spotlight. Following developments that culminated in theInternal Revenue Service publishing new guidance in October 2019, the bureau has begun to invest efforts in cryptocurrency tax reporting and investigation and is expecting to see an increase
Swiss regulators have given the go-ahead for what is purportedly the country’s first fully compliant initial public offering (IPO) on a blockchain. Swiss blockchain firm Overture will launch a compliant IPO and offer ordinary class-A shares natively on the Ethereum blockchain, using smart contracts provided by Zug-based EURO DAXX (the European Digital Assets Exchange), a
Legislation regulating the operations of cryptocurrency firms in Singapore comes into effect today, Jan. 28. The new Payment Services Act will regulate cryptocurrency payments and trading enterprises under some aspects of the regulatory regime that currently governs traditional payment services and require them to hold a license. Crypto payment services must also comply with the
A United Kingdom High Court ordered a proprietary injunction on Bitcoin (BTC) obtained through a ransomware attack on a Canadian insurance company. A proprietary injunction is an order which prevents a person from dealing with their own assets when it is subject of a proprietary claim. On Jan. 17, the UK High Court released documents
The year 2019, for a short while, raised expectations that stablecoins would bring about mass adoption of cryptocurrencies. 2020, however, seems to be dousing those hopes with ever-tightening regulation that is putting pressure on investors and companies alike. The first complication came only 10 days into the year. In early January, the European Union’s landmark
The Hawaii State Senate has passed the first reading of a bill authorizing banks to hold digital assets in their custody. The bill was introduced on Jan. 17 by five state senators, including the only Republican member of the Senate, Kurt Fevella. It passed the first reading on Jan. 21 and was then referred to
The World Economic Forum (WEF) — together with some of the world’s major central banks — has created a central bank digital currency (CBDC) policymaker toolkit. According to an announcement on Jan. 22, the toolkit is the WEF’s attempt to help policy-makers understand whether deploying a CBDC would be advantageous and guide them through its
U.S.-based crypto exchange and custodian Gemini has finished a SOC 2 Type 2 evaluation, proving the operation’s security. “The Type 2 is the highest level of security compliance that any organization can demonstrate,” Gemini’s head of risk, Gemini Yusuf Hussain, told Cointelegraph in an interview about the Jan. 23 announcement. Compliance focus In preparation for
The Blockchain Association has filed an amicus curiae brief in response to litigation against Telegram initiated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The Blockchain Association, a collective of advocates involved with the blockchain industry, filed an amicus curiae brief with the court of the Southern District of New York on Jan. 21.
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) is seeking to oversee stablecoin projects like Facebook’s controversial stablecoin Libra. In an official proposal to the Senate published on Jan. 20, APRA submitted a possible regulatory framework dedicated to fintech and regulatory technology (regtech) covering topics ranging from digital wallets to data protection. The proposed framework, “is intended
South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance is considering imposing a 20% tax on income from cryptocurrency transactions. According to a report published by local English-language news outlet The Korea Times on Jan. 20, the ministry had reportedly ordered its income office to review cryptocurrency taxation. The Korea Times cited an anonymous official who reportedly
