A Conversation with SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce
El Salvador’s Bitcoin Nation: A Government Insider’s View
Exploring the AI and Crypto Intersection
A Tale of Two Crypto Cases
The Justice Insiders Podcast: The Sam Bankman-Fried Trial: Defendants Testifying (Poorly), FOMO, and How to Actually Blame Lawyers
Digital Planning Podcast Episode: Exploring DAOs
Turning up the Heat – A Look at the FTC’s Groundbreaking Fine Against Bankrupt Digital Asset Services Provider Celsius Network LLC - The Crypto Exchange Podcast
Crypto Year in Review 2022: State-Level Regulatory Developments in the Digital Asset Market - The Crypto Exchange Podcast
Episode 256: The FTX Scandal and Cryptocurrency Risks: Featuring Matt Stankiewicz from The Volkov Law Group
Bankruptcy Filings Among Crypto Exchanges: Is This a Sign of the Future? - The Crypto Exchange Podcast
Navigating the Impact of Counterparty Insolvency and Negative Market Conditions in the Crypto Space
Whose Crypto Is It Anyway? Bankruptcy and Crypto - The Crypto Exchange Podcast
Part 2: Additional Implications for Cryptocurrency Companies in Bankruptcy
Crypto Enforcement Is Here, and Always Has Been
Crypto and DeFi Platforms: Aggressive SEC Enforcement on the Way?
The Irish government has been supportive of the development of the financial services sector in Ireland and this extends to fintech. The government’s strategy for the development of Ireland’s international financial services...more
CryptoLink is a compilation of news stories published by outside organizations. Akin aggregates the stories, but the information contained in them does not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of the firm. Akin's...more
On March 27, 2024, the SEC received a favorable—if at least somewhat split—decision when Judge Failla of the SDNY denied a motion by Defendants Coinbase, Inc. and Coinbase Global, Inc. (collectively, “Coinbase”) for judgment...more
In our previous alert “Acquiring or Investing in EU Crypto-Asset Businesses: MiCA’s Impact,” we discussed the impact of the European Union (EU) Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) on the acquisition or investment in EU...more
In November 2022, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) launched a targeted crypto asset sweep, reviewing more than 500 retail communications related to crypto assets from member firms....more
In a move with significant implications for the crypto sector, the UK has enacted legislation to bring cryptoassets within the scope of the existing financial services regulatory regime. The relevant provisions of the...more
In the latest decision evaluating the application of federal securities laws to the digital asset context, Judge Jed S. Rakoff of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (“SDNY”) ruled in favor...more
Just weeks after the novel securities analysis in SEC v. Ripple Labs was handed down by Judge Analisa Torres, a different judge in the Southern District of New York has distinguished the approach taken in Ripple and argued...more
Under the helm of SEC Chairman Gary Gensler, the Securities and Exchange Commission has argued that many cryptocurrencies qualify as “securities” under federal law, and therefore fall within the SEC’s bailiwick....more
In 2020, the UK Government asked the Law Commission to review the legal status of digital assets in England and Wales, with the aim of making the UK an attractive jurisdiction for crypto development and investment. The Law...more
In a complaint filed June 5, 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) is suing the world’s larged cryptocurrency exchange – Binance Holdings Ltd. (“Binance”), BAM Trading Services Inc. (“BAM Trading”), BAM...more
Welcome to the latest issue of Bracewell’s FINRA Facts and Trends, a monthly newsletter devoted to condensing and digesting recent FINRA developments in the areas of enforcement, regulation and dispute resolution. This...more
Prior to its collapse, cryptocurrency exchange FTX spent millions in sponsorship dollars securing the naming and promotional rights to National Basketball Association stadiums, Formula 1 organizations, esports teams and...more
The UK Government (Treasury) has published a consultation and call for evidence on a ‘Future financial services regulatory regime for cryptoassets’ which sets out what is being called ‘phase 2’ of the UK’s approach to...more
It is no secret that over the last several years, there has been an exponential increase in the utilization of blockchain and digital assets. Crypto trading and lending platforms have grown rapidly and the total crypto market...more
On December 12, 2022, Custodia Bank (“Custodia”) – a state-chartered, digital asset-focused bank based in Wyoming – was denied its motion for a default judgment in its battle with the Federal Reserve Board of Governors (the...more
Part 1 – Celsius Bankruptcy - The Celsius Network was conceptualized as an alternative to conventional banking, offering its customers return rates of up to 20% on deposits of digital assets, and providing digital...more
Notwithstanding the turbulent past few months, which have seen roughly $2 trillion worth of value disappear from the digital asset ecosystem, we are still seeing an increase in enquiries by high net worth individuals...more
A recent report published by AIMA, the 4th AIMA Annual Global Crypto Hedge Fund Report 2022, highlighted the continued growth in the AUM being allocated to this asset class during 2021....more
As use of cryptocurrency investment has increased throughout the world, regulators have faced a bevy of novel questions, especially related to applying different strains of law to regulate novel digital assets. To date,...more
ANTITRUST AND COMPETITION - European Union General Court Confirms the European Commission’s Ability to Review Certain Transactions Even When They Fall below the European Union and Member States’ Merger Filing Thresholds - On...more
On 22 March 2022, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”) published a public consultation document proposing new and amended reporting requirements with respect to cryptoassets and electronic-money...more
Last week, the FDIC issued a Financial Institution Letter (“FIL”) related to crypto activities, following in some ways in the footsteps of the OCC in requiring notice to the regulator before engaging in crypto-related...more
The U.S. Department of Labor issued Compliance Release No. 2022-01 on March 10, 2022, raising “serious concerns” over the prudence of retirement plan fiduciaries’ investing in cryptocurrencies, and cautioning plan fiduciaries...more
Like other financial centers, Luxembourg has recently seen a strongly growing interest in investments in new technologies, including virtual assets such as digital tokens. Complementary to that interest is a growing strong...more