On June 7, Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced S. 4356, the Responsible Financial Innovation Act (Lummis-Gillibrand Bill). If enacted, the legislation would create a regulatory framework...more
New Cryptocurrency Payments Systems, Tokens and Trade Associations Launch -
A leading global cryptocurrency platform has reportedly announced a partnership with a global e-commerce platform that would allow e-commerce...more
6/6/2022
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDCs) ,
CFTC ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ,
European Central Bank ,
Financial Stability Board ,
FinTech ,
Fraud ,
G7 ,
Insider Trading ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Risk Mitigation ,
U.S. Treasury ,
Virtual Currency
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
A major U.S. fintech firm recently announced the launch of a “crypto payouts” pilot that will allow a select group of creators to receive cryptocurrency payments through a major social media platform. According to a press...more
5/2/2022
/ 401k ,
Anti-Money Laundering ,
Bitcoin ,
Bitcoin Mining ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Wallets ,
El Salvador ,
Enforcement ,
Evasion ,
FinTech ,
Indictments ,
New Regulations ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Online Platforms ,
Popular ,
Stablecoins
Sports Teams and Messaging Apps Go All-In on NFTs, Potential Hack
Foiled -
A major U.S. football team has reportedly inked a lucrative sponsorship deal with a popular digital asset platform. According to reports, the...more
4/18/2022
/ ATMs ,
Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FinTech ,
Hackers ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Agenda
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
On March 9, 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Executive Order on Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets (EO) and the White House released a corresponding fact sheet summarizing related key policy objectives. As...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
3/7/2022
/ Charitable Donations ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Donations ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Enforcement Priorities ,
FATF ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Ponzi Scheme ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Ukraine
Financial Services Firms Make Moves Targeting Cryptocurrency Markets -
A major U.K.-based stock exchange recently announced plans to acquire a provider of cloud-based technology, including order and execution management...more
Key Takeaways -
..Banks and cryptocurrency exchanges need to update their BSA programs to account for the unique aspects of cryptocurrencies, detect and report related suspicious activity, and minimize the risk of...more
2/17/2022
/ BSA/AML ,
Compliance ,
Corporate Criminal Fines ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cyber Crimes ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Currency ,
FBI ,
Financial Institutions ,
FinCEN ,
Policies and Procedures ,
U.S. Treasury ,
White Collar Crimes
CBDC Initiatives Announced, Blockchain Trade Finance Platform Launches - This week, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) announced Project Dunbar, an initiative in which BIS will collaborate with the Reserve Bank of...more
9/7/2021
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDCs) ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Financial Markets ,
Fraud ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Virtual Currency
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
In a speech before the Aspen Security Forum on August 3, 2021, Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC” or “Commission”) Chair Gary Gensler urged lawmakers to provide him with the power to police cryptocurrency trading,...more
Cryptocurrency Exchanges, ETFs and Payment Initiatives Announced - Cryptocurrency firm Bullish announced its intention to go public on the New York Stock Exchange as it prepares to launch a cryptocurrency exchange, according...more
7/19/2021
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
CFTC ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Currency ,
ETFs ,
Fraud ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Ransomware ,
Virtual Currency
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
Reports Address CBDCs and Security Tokens, Banks Launch Crypto Initiatives - A recent report released by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) analyzes results from a survey of 50 central banks in the first quarter of...more
6/21/2021
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDCs) ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Financial Markets ,
Fraud ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Token Sales ,
Virtual Currency
Bank Offers Ether-Backed Loans, Auction and Property Sales Accept Crypto - Digital asset bank Anchorage recently announced that its institutional clients will now be able to obtain Ethereum-backed loans through the bank’s...more
BD-ATS to Issue Blockchain Securities, Crypto Hedge Fund Report Published - Blockchain-based trading platform tZERO recently announced an agreement with an energy projects funding platform to digitize approximately $25...more
Reports Analyze Bitcoin Price Crash and Network Energy Consumption - A well-known blockchain analytics company has issued a report commenting on this week’s crash of the prices of cryptocurrency, including bitcoin. The report...more
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
CBDC Paper Released, NY DFS Grants License, Study Cites Crypto Adoption - The Digital Dollar Project, a partnership created by the Digital Dollar Foundation, released a white paper this week highlighting use cases for a U.S....more
Cryptocurrency Exchanges Forge New Paths, Bitcoin ETF Applications Continue - This week one of the largest U.S. cryptocurrency exchanges, Coinbase, completed its initial public offering through a direct listing of its shares...more
4/19/2021
/ Bitcoin ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
ETFs ,
European Central Bank ,
Fraud ,
Hackers ,
IRS ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Safe Harbors ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
On April 14, 2021, the U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination of Gary Gensler as the 33rd Chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC” or “Commission”). This change will bring forth a Democratic majority at the...more
4/16/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
CFTC ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Fraud ,
FSOC ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs)