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Weekly Blockchain Focus

  • Zelenskyy Signs Virtual Assets Bill Into Law, Legalizing Crypto in Ukraine
  • Japan Sets Penalties on Crypto Exchanges in Case of Violations of Sanctions on Russia
  • SEC Rejects Spot Bitcoin ETF Proposals From NYDIG, Global X
  • Bipartisan Praise for Biden’s Executive Order on Crypto
  • Crypto Apps break 100M Downloads in Fourth Quarter
  • EU Parliament Committee Votes Against Proof-of-Work Ban and Supports Alternative Amendment on Crypto Assets

Further Reading

  • Andreessen Horowitz Hires Michele Korver, Former FinCEN Chief Currency Advisor
  • CNBC: Senate Banking Committee holds hearing on crypto and illicit finance
  • The Block: ConsenSys raises $450 million Series D at $7 billion valuation
  • The Washington Post: Sarah Bloom Raskin withdraws nomination for Fed vice chair for supervision

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Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of March 28, 2022

Weekly Fintech Focus

  • U.S. Congress to Hold Oversight Hearing on the Mining of Cryptocurrency
  • NY DFS to Hire New Deputy Superintendent
  • Recent Federal Regulator Announcements Signal Changes in Senior Leadership at the SEC, CFTC, and FDIC
  • CFTC Fines Crypto Betting Service Polymarket $1.4M for Unregistered Swaps
  • Australian Open Offers NFT Sales Alongside 2022 Tournament
  • ESMA Releases Request for Evidence Regarding Regulation on Distributed Ledger Technology

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Continue Reading Virtual Currency Legal Report: Week of January 7, 2022

On October 15, 2021, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) released guidance on sanctions compliance for the digital currency industry, the agency’s most detailed statement to date on its expectations for participants in this rapidly growing industry. This guidance expands on the five pillars of OFAC’s 2019 Framework by…

Weekly Focus:

  • Congress Members Propose Legislation Aimed at Better Clarifying Digital Asset Regulation
  • SEC Division of Examinations Risk Alert Signal Continued Focus on Digital Assets
  • Federal Reserve Publishes White Paper on Central Bank Digital Currency
  • BitPay, Inc. Reaches Settlement with OFAC
  • Coinbase Announces Filing of Registration Statement
  • Wisdom Tree Files Bitcoin ETF Proposal

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Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of March 12, 2021

Weekly Focus:

  • Federal Regulation Actions Frozen Pending Review from New Administration
  • New Administration Appoints New Agency Leads
  • OCC Issues Ruling Permitting National Banks to Use Certain Blockchain Technologies
  • CFPB Finalizes Rule on the Role of Supervisory Guidance
  • Federal banking regulators issue FAQs on SAR filing obligations.
  • Dutch Gambling Regulator Fines Virtual Coin Gaming Company

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Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of January 22, 2021

Weekly Focus:

  • Members of Congress Request SEC Clarity On Digital Securities Custody
  • Digital Asset ‘Stacks’ Plans 2.0 Launch as Non-Security
  • Secretary Mnuchin Emphasizes G7 Coordination on Digital Currencies
  • CFTC and SEC Leaders to Step Down
  • DOJ Indicts ICO Promoter for Tax Fraud, SEC Files Civil Suit
  • France Strengthens Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Requirements for Digital Asset Companies
  • Thailand Plans to Incorporate Blockchain into Tax Revenue Collection Systems

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Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of December 11, 2020

Weekly Focus:

  • Congress Members Introduce Stablecoin Legislation
  • FINRA Grants Securitize Green Light for Broker-Dealer/ATS Acquisition
  • SEC Establishes Transition of FinHub to Separate Office
  • SIFMA, PwC Publish White Paper on Interplay Between Digital Assets and the Securities Markets
  • Bitcoin Development Fund Launches Using Open-Source Funding Model
  • Ethereum 2.0 Milestone Reached
  • S&P Dow Jones Indices Announces Plan to Launch Cryptocurrency Indexes in 2021
  • China-Based Bank Halts Planned Digital Bond Sale Shortly Before Launch
  • Ukraine Crypto-Specific Bill Progresses Through Parliament
  • German Private Bank Announces Cryptocurrency Fund Launch

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Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of December 4, 2020

Weekly Focus:

  • DOJ Seizes More Than $1 Billion in Cryptocurrency from Silk Road Hacker
  • CFTC Announces Charges Against Digital Asset Ponzi Scheme
  • SEC’s Enforcement Division Collected $4.68 Billion in 2020
  • Vortex Blockchain Technologies Settles with the SEC
  • Blockchain Industry Speculates on Regulation in a Biden Administration
  • LabCFTC Announces Agenda for Empower Innovation 2020
  • Cred Inc. Files for Chapter 11 in Delaware
  • Deutsche Bank Publishes Report on CBDC
  • Reserve Bank of Australia Partners with Blockchain Company on CBDC Project
  • Lebanon’s Central Bank Progresses on Plans for CBDC
  • Russian Central Bank Issues CBDC Consultation Paper
  • Bank of Canada Is Working with G7 on Global Approach to Digital Currencies
  • The U.K. Treasury Announces Plans to Regulate Stablecoins
  • Germany Drafts Bill for Blockchain-Based Securities

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Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of November 13, 2020

Weekly Focus:

  • Kik & SEC Agree to $5M Judgment
  • CFTC Releases Advisory on Futures Commission Merchants
  • New York “Techsprint” Focuses on Virtual Currency Companies
  • Powell Considers U.S. Digital Dollar at IMF Virtual Panel
  • Ripple Considers Leaving U.S. over Lack of Regulatory Clarity
  • New Jersey “Digital Asset and Blockchain Technology Act” Moves Forward in State Legislature
  • IMF Issues New Report on CBDCs and GSCs
  • The Bahamas Rolls Out First CBDC, the “Sand Dollar”
  • Bank of Spain Releases CBDC Research Plan

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Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of October 23, 2020

Weekly Focus

  • S. Department of Homeland Security Issues Challenge for Development of Trusted User Interface for Digital Wallets
  • Kraken Announces Approval From Wyoming Division of Banking for a Special Purpose Depository Institution Charter
  • CFTC Provides Temporary No-Action Relief to Tassat From SEF Reinstatement Requirements
  • FinCEN Seeks Public Comments on AML Program Requirements
  • CSBS Announces “One Company, One Exam” for Licensed Payment Firms
  • CFTC Files Complaint in Alleged Fraudulent Digital Asset Scheme
  • SEC Brings Charges against T.I. for Violations of Securities Laws
  • SEC Brings a Complaint Against Individuals and Two Companies Relating to Token Offerings
  • FAFT Issues Report on Virtual Assets Red Flag Indicators of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing
  • Gibraltar Issues Updated Guidance Notes for DLT
  • Report: New Zealand Updates Tax Guidance for Crypto Assets
  • Report: Bahamas Planning to Formally Launch Its CBDC as Soon as October 2020
  • Report: India Considering a New Law Banning Cryptocurrency Trading
  • Nigeria Issues Statement on Digital Assets and Their Classification and Treatment
  • EU Committee Legislative Proposal on the Regulation of Crypto-Assets

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Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of September 18, 2020