Regulation

As Russia continues to delay adopting cryptocurrency regulations, local advocates have appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to change the government’s approach to regulating the market. The Russian Association of Crypto Industry and Blockchain (RACIB) — a major group of crypto and blockchain enthusiasts in Russia — issued an open letter to Putin on March 6,

While there’s nothing new in imposing anti-money laundering (AML) standards on crypto, it is only now that the Indian government has decided to notify all interested parties of the obligation to comply with the national AML law.  On March 7, The Gazette of India published a notification from the Ministry of Finance, subjecting a range

Considering the regulatory struggle to keep up with ever-evolving innovations, Margrethe Vestager, the executive vice president of the European Commission, recommended a headstart into brainstorming implications of technologies such as the Metaverse and ChatGPT. Vestager highlighted how digital transition and the shift to a digital economy have brought about risk and opportunities for the masses

The crypto community is debating whether SMS two-factor authentication (2FA) should ever be used for account security following news that a Coinbase customer is suing the cryptocurrency exchange for $96,000. On Mar. 6 Jared Ferguson filed a lawsuit against Coinbase in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, claiming he lost

The law firms, investment banks and consulting companies working with FTX on its bankruptcy case billed the crypto exchange a combined $34.18 million in January, court documents reveal. FTX’s chief restructuring officer and new CEO, John J. Ray III, also received a hefty pay package, charging $1,300 an hour to a total of $305,000 in

A panel of judges heard oral arguments in the Grayscale Investments suit against the United States Securities and Trade Commission (SEC) on March 7. Grayscale is challenging the SEC order not to approve Grayscale’s application to create a Bitcoin (BTC) spot exchange-traded fund (ETF). The SEC issued its order on July 6, 2022. Former solicitor

A group of United States lawmakers is reportedly planning to reintroduce legislation to change the reporting requirements for certain taxpayers involved in crypto transactions. According to a March 7 report from Punchbowl News, Representatives Patrick McHenry and Ritchie Torres plan to reintroduce the Keep Innovation in America Act. McHenry was one of the leading voices

In 2022, the citizens of South Korea transacted 5.6 trillion Korean won ($4.3 billion) through “illegal” crypto exchanges, according to local sources. The country’s government has been especially attentive toward such money movement amid the tightening regime of licensing.  On March 7, local media published the numbers the Korea Customs Service provided. According to customs,

The government of Thailand is moving to benefit from the digital asset industry growth by allowing tax-free issuance of digital tokens for investment. Thailand’s cabinet has agreed to waive corporate income tax and value-added tax (VAT) for companies that issue investment tokens, Reuters reported. Announcing the news on March 7, deputy government spokesman Rachada Dhnadirek

WeChat, China’s leading social networking and payment app, has added the country’s central bank digital currency (CBDC), to its payment services, according to reports in local media. The move aims to help broaden the appeal of the digital yuan. WeChat now supports the fast payment function of the digital yuan wallet, making it the second

The Chinese government has plans for a governmental overhaul, according to a new announcement. This includes introducing a new national financial regulator. On Tuesday, March 7, the government announced that its current banking and insurance watchdog, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC), will be abolished. The responsibilities of this commission will be moved

Some countries worldwide suffered bigger financial losses to cryptocurrency scams despite a massive bear market in 2022. Losses from crypto scams in Hong Kong amounted to 1.7 billion Hong Kong dollars ($216.6 million) last year — surging 106% from a year before — according to local police. The number of crypto-related scams reported in Hong

Cryptocurrency firms operating multiple entities in different countries should be overseen by one consolidated “home” regulator to stop them from playing “games” aimed at skirting regulators, the acting head of the United States banking regulator has opined. Michael Hsu, the Acting Head of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) made the comments in prepared remarks

The Biden Administration is “aware of the situation” at Silvergate and will continue to monitor reports on the troubled bank as it unfolds, according to a White House spokesperson. Speaking at a press briefing on March 6, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the White House has noted that Silvergate marked another major crypto firm to

Lawyers for Andrew Vara, the United States Trustee representing the interests of the Department of Justice in crypto exchange FTX’s bankruptcy proceedings, has filed an appeal against a federal judge’s denial of a motion appointing an independent examiner in the case. In a March 6 filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware,

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission has targeted an investment adviser and individual allegedly connected to a $100-million cryptocurrency fraud in its latest enforcement action. According to a March 6 announcement, the SEC filed an emergency action on Feb. 23 against investment adviser BKCoin and one of the principals, Kevin Kang, alleging the two

When Michael Corleone ordered hits on rival bosses in The Godfather, he had Don Cuneo locked inside a revolving door and shot. Getting whacked while trapped behind a barred door appears to be the treatment United States Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler has in mind for U.S. crypto projects based on recent SEC

American lawmakers and regulators continue to compete in their creative efforts to propose anything but comprehensive game rules for the crypto industry.  Senators Edward Markey and Richard Blumenthal have penned a letter asking Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to deny young adults access to the firm’s metaverse platform. According to the two lawmakers, allowing teenagers between

Iran is moving forward with its central bank digital currency (CBDC) plans, completing preliminary research for the launch of a potential digital rial. The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) has completed a pre-pilot phase in the development of Iran’s CBDC, according to an official statement by CBI’s research arm, the Monetary and Banking Research Institute

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has ruled that the old 200, 500 and 1,000 naira notes remain in circulation until Dec. 31, 2023, effectively nullifying the naira redesign previously announced by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. The introduction of redesign sought to phase out the use of the old naira notes.  A seven-member panel of the