Dean A. Galaro

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Weekly Focus

  • California Appellate Court Upholds Coinbase Summary Judgement
  • California Issues Opinion on Crypto Escrow Services under the Money Transmission Act
  • The Federal Reserve Is Testing a Digital Dollar and Distributed Ledgers
  • New York Updates Cryptocurrency Greenlist
  • SEC Charges Issuer with Fraudulent ICO
  • Wealthsimple Receives Approval for Canadian Regulatory Sandbox
  • Russian Monitoring Service Planning to Create Cryptocurrency Tracking System
  • MicroStrategy Adopts Bitcoin as Treasury Reserve Asset
  • Coinbase Announces Crypto-Backed Loans
  • Grayscale Ethereum Trust Files Registration Statement

…
Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of August 14, 2020

Weekly Focus:

  • Hawaii Launches Digital Currency Sandbox
  • Coinbase CLO appointed to Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
  • DHS Critical Infrastructure Memo Includes Blockchain Managers
  • Bank of Russia Reluctant to Legalize Cryptocurrencies
  • Approved Smart Contract Certification for Argentinian Gas Distributor
  • Thai Remittance Platform Uses Ripple
  • Bakkt Launches Partnership with Starbucks
  • Huobi Exchange Implements Liquidation Halt

…
Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of March 20, 2020

U.S. Developments

Regulatory

VanEck/SolidX Bitcoin ETF Proposal Withdrawn.

Facing an October 18 deadline for the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to approve or disapprove, Cboe BZX Exchange withdrew the proposed rule change to list and trade SolidX Bitcoin Shares issued by VanEck SolidX Bitcoin Trust on September 13, 2019. The decision had already been delayed on March 29, 2019, and August 12, 2019. This same exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) proposal was also withdrawn in January 2019 after the government shutdown threatened to force a rejection of the proposal. Cboe BZX Exchange gave no explanation for the withdrawal of the proposed rule change in the September 17, 2019, filing. According to Gabor Gurbacs, the VanEck director of digital asset strategies, the company is still working to bring a Bitcoin ETF to market in the United States.
Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of September 20, 2019

U.S. Developments

Kik Publicizes Response to Possible SEC Enforcement

On January 27, the Wall Street Journal published an article describing the impending legal battle over cryptocurrency Kin and its 2017 ICO. That same day, Ted Livingston, the founder and CEO of Canadian company Kik Interactive (Kik) and the developer behind Kin, published the Wells Notice he received from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on November 16, 2018, as well as Kik’s response.
Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of January 28 – February 1, 2019

U.S. Developments

Regulation

Upcoming Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (“ETF”) Decisions

On January 4, 2018, NYSE Arca filed a proposed rule change to list 9 Bitcoin ETFs. Subsequently, the time for the Security Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to approve or disapprove was pushed back in March, April, July, and September. On August 22, 2018, the SEC disapproved the listings and the rule change. The following day, the SEC notified NYSE that it would be reviewing the ETFs pursuant to Rule 431 and staying the August 22 order. The ETF applications came from ProShares, Direxion, and GraniteShares.…

Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of November 5-9, 2018