Non-Fungible Marketing: Brands Continue to Launch NFTs -
A South Korean technology company has reportedly launched a weeklong promotion in the metaverse. According to reports, the virtual events occurred across multiple...more
9/26/2022
/ AML/CFT ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Fraud ,
Hackers ,
Information Reports ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
SDN List ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
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)
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
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
A well-known digital currency investment services company announced the launch of its first European exchange-traded fund (ETF), according to a press release this week. The ETF, which will be traded on multiple foreign...more
5/23/2022
/ Bitcoin ,
Bitcoin Mining ,
Blockchain ,
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDCs) ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Evasion ,
Exchange-Traded Products ,
FinCEN ,
Investment Funds ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Partnerships ,
Popular ,
Risk Assessment ,
Scams ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
U.S. Commerce Department
BIS Releases Survey on CBDC Initiatives; New Crypto Products Launch -
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) recently released the results of its 2021 survey of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). According to...more
5/16/2022
/ Casinos ,
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDCs) ,
CFTC ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Exchange-Traded Products ,
Korea ,
Metaverse ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Popular ,
SDN List ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Security Risk Assessments ,
Stablecoins
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
This week Anchorage Digital, a digital asset platform and infrastructure provider that is also the first federally chartered cryptocurrency bank, announced that it has added custody support for 11 new digital assets....more
4/25/2022
/ Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDCs) ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Digital Assets ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Hackers ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Proposed Rules ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Virtual Currency
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
Key Takeaways -
..The court denied Ripple’s senior executives’ motions to dismiss, finding that the SEC had met its pleading burden.
..The court also denied the SEC’s motion to strike Ripple’s fair-notice affirmative...more
This week, President Joe Biden signed “Executive Order on Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets” (EO). According to a fact sheet published with the EO, the EO calls for measures to accomplish the following...more
3/14/2022
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Banking Sector ,
Biden Administration ,
Bitcoin ,
CFTC ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Executive Orders ,
FinCEN ,
Russia ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stablecoins ,
Virtual Currency
Reports Address Crypto M&A and Metaverse, New Crypto Products Launch -
A Big Four accounting firm recently released its “2021 Global Cryptocurrency Mergers and Acquisition and Fundraising Report.” Key takeaways from the...more
2/22/2022
/ Acquisitions ,
Capital Raising ,
Corporate Governance ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement ,
FATF ,
Information Reports ,
Mergers ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stablecoins ,
U.S. Treasury ,
Wash Trades
U.S. Bank Seeks to Launch Stablecoin; New Crypto Payments Data Released -
A well-known digital payments consortium sold its technology platform this week to a U.S.-based bank known for its cryptocurrency-related offerings....more
2/7/2022
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
ETFs ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
Hackers ,
Money Laundering ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Scams ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stablecoins ,
Wash Trades
Crypto Payments Consortium Sells Assets; Other Crypto Firms Make Moves -
A well-known digital payments consortium announced this week that it will sell its blockchain-based technology to a large cryptocurrency-focused U.S....more
1/31/2022
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDCs) ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
FinTech ,
GAAP ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
From Music to Marketplaces: NFT Use Cases Continue to Expand - According to recent reports, a Philadelphia rapper has announced that the final installment of his mixtape series will drop as a non-fungible token (NFT). Details...more
Financial Messaging Network Launches Experiments in Stablecoin Sector - A global messaging network used by financial institutions to send and receive financial information recently announced that it is exploring the tokenized...more
Raising Municipal Funds and Rewarding Loyalty: New Cryptocurrency Use Cases - Earlier this week, a cryptocurrency nonprofit organization reportedly launched a Bitcoin-based digital asset designed to raise funds for New York...more
New Crypto Payment Products Launch, Report Cites Exchange Consolidation - This week, a major U.S. financial services firm announced its partnership with three leading cryptocurrency service providers in the Asia Pacific...more
Crypto Products Launch in Payments, ETFs, DeFi; Bitcoin Mining Data Published - This week, a digital asset marketplace announced a partnership with a major multinational technology company specializing in Internet and...more
Crypto Market Develops in DeFi, Payments, Compliance and Consumer Adoption - A large institutional financial and media conglomerate recently announced a partnership with a major financial services and investment management...more
8/30/2021
/ Blockchain ,
CFTC ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Financial Markets ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Online Marketplace ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Virtual Currency
Crypto Firms Pursue Bank Charters, Traditional Financial Firms Integrate Crypto - This week, the Wyoming Division of Banking granted a new Special Purpose Depository Institution (SPDI) bank charter to Commercium Financial...more
New Crypto Products Launch in Payment Cards, Gold and Sandwiches - Coinjar, an Australian cryptocurrency exchange, recently announced its launch of a payment card backed by a major U.S. credit card and financial services...more
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
NFT Initiatives Continue, Cryptocurrency Advertising Restrictions Ease - In New Dehli, a blockchain-powered platform is hosting an exhibition displaying 27 art pieces by Bengal-born artist Lalu Prasad Shaw. According to a...more