Regulation

The legal duel between the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Kraken, a leading cryptocurrency exchange, looks like another misguided attempt by the SEC to exert control over an industry that fundamentally challenges an outdated regulatory playbook. The agency’s lawsuit, filed in November, accuses Kraken of operating as an unregistered securities exchange. The

Following his conviction on federal fraud charges on Nov. 2, former FTX CEO Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried will not pursue any post-trial motions. In a Dec. 1 letter to Judge Lewis Kaplan in United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, lawyers representing Bankman-Fried said they had “decided not to file any post-trial

Lawyers representing the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and Terraform Labs and co-founder Do Kwon sparred in court over information provided by a whistleblower in the securities lawsuit. According to a transcript of court events provided by Inner City Press on Nov. 30, the SEC reiterated its claims that Terra and Kwon “committed fraud”

A copyright lawsuit filed against multiple companies developing artificial intelligence (AI) tools has been amended as artists and their legal teams alleged the misuse of their creative works.  On Nov. 29, a group of visual artists amended a case previously struck down by a United States judge, adding seven new artists and more details about

Australia’s controversial new guidelines for cryptocurrency taxation should be ignored for being unclear and should probably be seen as “toilet paper,” according to an Australian law firm. On Nov. 9, the Australian Tax Office (ATO) released guidance that could impact how investors and traders involved in decentralized finance report their taxes. In a Nov. 27

The United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is considering a proposal that would have sweeping consequences for the cryptocurrency industry. Investors should be concerned, because it could significantly impact the way that individuals — both inside and outside America — are allowed to engage with digital assets. The IRS is proposing an initiative under Section

Crypto exchange Coinbase says it had recorded a 6% rise in requests from law enforcement and government agencies compared to 2022, with the number of jurisdictions issuing requests jumping by 19, according to the exchange’s annual Transparency Report. Four countries — the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Spain — made up nearly three-quarters

Our weekly roundup of news from East Asia curates the industry’s most important developments. Yet another crypto scandal in Hong Kong  Scammers posing as investment experts allegedly enticed 145 victims to tip $18.9 million into the unlicensed Hong Kong crypto exchange Hounax. According to reports earlier this week, the police said investors were allegedly promised

Kristin Johnson of the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said there are many ways of handling cryptocurrencies in the country, but legislating through courts could provide a solid, if slow, path. Speaking at the Blockchain Association’s Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 30, Johnson said the “best outcome” for corporate governance of

Crypto exchange Binance launched a pilot program that allows banks to store trading collateral off-exchange, according to a Nov. 30 announcement. Binance claimed that the program would help reduce counterparty risk. Binance trading interface. Source: Binance According to the announcement, the program allows institutions to hold collateral at a third-party bank instead of depositing it

The United States’ approach to cryptocurrencies could do more harm than good and they risk losing major players by the time they “get their act together,” Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has said. “When you look at some of the U.S. regulators, in particular, they’ve done a really good job of alienating most of the industry.

Binance’s $4.3 billion settlement with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is being hailed as a positive move for the company and the wider cryptocurrency industry, according to Galaxy Digital’s Mike Novogratz. In an interview with Bloomberg on Nov. 29, the CEO of the cryptocurrency investment firm expressed his belief that the high-profile settlement should assuage

Digital asset investment platform Fasset was granted an operational license on Nov. 29, according to a listing on the Dubai Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA) website. The Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license granted to Fasset allows it to perform broker-dealer services legally in Dubai. The conditions of the license say that the platform is

An upcoming ‘scams code framework’ proposed by Australia’s Department of the Treasury considers applying sector-specific codes and standards to banking and cryptocurrency scams, among others. Adding to the efforts of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), a regulator within the Treasury, to combat scams via the yearly Scams Awareness Week initiative, the Treasury issued

Brazilians may soon be required to pay up to 15% tax on income derived from cryptocurrencies held on exchanges outside the country, after new income tax rules were approved by the Brazil Senate on Nov. 29. The bill has already passed in the Chamber of Deputies and is expected to be approved by President Luiz

Wally Adeyemo, Deputy Secretary of the United States Treasury, said his department is looking into new sanctions tools to pursue bad actors in the crypto space, citing a recent settlement with Binance. In prepared remarks for the Blockchain Association’s Policy Summit on Nov. 29, Adeyemo said the U.S. Treasury had called on Congress to allow

The United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on cryptocurrency mixer Sinbad, alleging the platform was responsible for laundering funds for the North Korea-based hacking group Lazarus. In a Nov. 29 announcement, OFAC said Sinbad had “processed millions of dollars’ worth of virtual currency from Lazarus Group heists,” including the

Crypto firm Paxos has secured in-principle approval from Abu Dhabi’s regulator on two fronts: to issue stablecoins and conduct digital asset services. In a Nov. 29 announcement, Paxos said the Financial Services Regulatory Authority in the Abu Dhabi Global Market had granted in-principle approval for the company to issue U.S. dollar-backed stablecoins, as well as

His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has instructed crypto users in the United Kingdom to declare and pay their taxes on digital assets within a strict timeframe or face the consequences. HMRC guidance on how to declare and pay taxes on crypto holdings, published on Nov. 29, starts with a clear warning:  “If you do not

A stakeholder in the blockchain and fintech ecosystem has called on the federal government of Nigeria to implement regulations that will foster the widespread integration of the approved blockchain policy in the country. Nigeria’s National Blockchain Policy aims to deliver economic growth, job creation and more financial inclusion.  Obinna Iwuno, the president of the Stakeholders