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Conor O'Hanlon

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Weekly Focus:

  • CFTC and SEC Settle Charges with Abra
  • Louisiana Enacts Virtual Currency Company Law
  • Twitter ‘Hack’ of Prominent Accounts Requests Bitcoin
  • New York Department of Financial Services Superintendent Addresses Initial Feedback on proposed BitLicense Changes
  • New York Man Charged with Wire Fraud Relating to a Cryptocurrency-Related Investment Scheme
  • China to Test Digital Yuan on Food Delivery Platform; Beijing Local Government Releases Blockchain Plan
  • Japan Considering Issuance of a Digital Yen

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Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of July 17, 2020

Weekly Focus:

  • BitClave Settles with SEC
  • Telegram Withdrawals Appeal
  • First Meeting of Wyoming Select Committee on Blockchain
  • Louisiana Takes a Step Towards Establishing a Crypto License Regime
  • India Permits Banking for Cryptocurrency Related Businesses
  • Antigua and Barbuda Cryptocurrency Regulation
  • Switzerland Denies Crypto Valley Bailout

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Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of May 29, 2020

Part 3: An Overview of the Guidance

In the final part of our three-part update series covering the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) guidance on what constitutes the “actual delivery” of a digital asset in the context of a retail commodity transaction, we offer a detailed overview of the Guidance with our analysis.

Part…

Part 2: CFTC Finalizes Guidance on Digital Assets in the Context of Retail Commodity Transactions

This is the second part of a three-part update series in order to provide the industry with a critical analysis of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) finalized long-awaited interpretive guidance regarding what constitutes the “actual delivery” of a…

Part 1: Commentary on the Significance of the Guidance for the Industry

On March 24, 2020, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) finalized long-awaited interpretive guidance regarding what constitutes the “actual delivery” of a digital asset in the context of a retail commodity transaction under the Commodity Exchange Act.

This interpretive guidance is noteworthy…

Weekly Focus

  • Replies to Motions for Summary Judgments filed in SEC v. Telegram
  • Cases Consolidated in Class Action Suit Against iFinex Inc
  • Bittrex Introduces Insurance Coverage
  • Research Report Finds the Number of Cryptocurrency Scams Rose in 2019
  • Research Report Indicates Regulatory Uncertainty a Barrier for Digital Asset Companies
  • Coinbase Custody Launches in Ireland
  • Cambodia Announces Forthcoming Central Bank Digital Currency
  • France Charges Alleged BTC-e Operator
  • Deputy Governor of Japan’s Central Bank Comments on Potential Central Bank Digital Currency
  • Singapore Payment Services Act Comes Into Force
  • The World Economic Forum Announces a Global Consortium for Digital Currency Governance
  • Iranian Ministry Grants Licenses to Cryptocurrency Miners

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Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of January 31, 2020

U.S. Developments

VanEck and SolidX to Offer Bitcoin ETF to Qualified Institutional Buyers

On September 3, 2019, VanEck Securities Corp. and SolidX Management LLC announced that they are seeking to use Rule 144A of the Securities Act to issue shares in the VanEck SolidX Bitcoin Trust to qualified institutional buyers. According to a joint statement by the companies, the shares would be the first Bitcoin product for institutional investors that are cleared and would feature the same creation and redemption process common to traditional exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”).

Under the proposal, SolidX will be the sponsor of the Bitcoin Trust while VanEck will market the fund. BNY Mellon will be the daily fund accountant, administrator, and transfer agent. A syndicate of underwriters has provided $125 million of insurance according to the head of VanEck’s ETF products. From September 5, 2019 the shares will be quoted on OTC Link ATS, a Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”)–regulated alternative trading system.
Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of September 6, 2019

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Strategic Hub for Innovation and Financial Technology (FinHub) published a framework on April 3, 2019, for analyzing whether a digital asset is offered and sold as a security under the federal securities laws.

The framework includes “common sense guidance” that provides greater detail and clarity regarding the application …

Through their recent actions and statements, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has further clarified their position with respect to digital assets and ICOs. Following on from earlier enforcement efforts throughout 2017 and 2018, the SEC Enforcement Division settled cases with AirFox and Paragon, two issuers of unregistered securities in tokenized form, in addition to…

The following was posted on the Perkins Coie’s Asset Management ADVocate, to read the full post, please click here.

EtherDelta Founder Sanctioned for Operating an Unregistered Securities Exchange

By Michael S. Didiuk and Conor O’Hanlon on November 9, 2018 Posted in Compliance
In this post we discuss how on November 8, the SEC

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