Weekly Focus:

  • Bipartisan crypto bill passes House of Representatives
  • Fed leaves interest rates unchanged, while Chairman Powell says equity markets are a “bit frothy”
  • Paxos becomes third federally regulated crypto bank (& raises $300 million)
  • Wyoming DAO law to go into effect in July
  • DOJ announces arrest of Bitcoin Fog founder who allegedly laundered $335M in crypto
  • Turkey bans cryptocurrency payments, sets up central custodian
  • South Korea set to tax crypto trading gains

Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of April 30, 2021

Weekly Focus:

  • The Regulation Process for FinCEN’s New Beneficial Ownership Reporting Requirement Launches
  • The Department of Treasury Sanctions Individuals for Laundering Cryptocurrency for Lazarus Group
  • Guilty Plea in DeepDotWeb Criminal Proceedings
  • Japan Announces Plans to Adopt FATF Travel Rule for Crypto
  • Canadian Securities Organizations Unveil Guidance on Treatment of Cryptocurrencies

Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of April 2, 2021

Weekly Focus:

  • Securities Fraud on the Dark Web Using Bitcoin
  • Germany Securities Settlement Bridge
  • South Korea Implements AML Regulations
  • India’s New Crypto Reporting Regulations
  • Bank of Jamaica Announces Central Bank Digital Current Pilot Program

Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of March 26, 2021

Weekly Focus:

  • BitMEX CEO to Surrender on AML Charges
  • Twitter Scammer Agrees to Three Years’ Jail Time
  • Irish Central Bank Expanding AML Enforcement to Cryptocurrency Companies
  • European Regulators Warn Investors of “High Risk,” Non-Regulated Crypto Assets
  • UK Watchdog ASA Banned Advertisement for Cryptocurrency Company
  • Visa to Allow Merchants to Accept Bitcoin as Payment

Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of March 19, 2021

Weekly Focus:

  • The nominee for chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Gary Gensler, testifies before the Senate Banking Committee.
  • The NY attorney general issues industry alerts citing risks in cryptocurrency investments and emphasizing registration requirement for industry members.
  • IRS clarifies and limits virtual currency disclosure question on Form 1040.
  • Kentucky legislature advances crypto mining incentives bills.
  • Kings of Leon to release its next album as an NFT.

Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of March 5, 2021

Weekly Focus:

  • Tesla buys $1.5 billion in Bitcoin
  • BNY Mellon launches crypto custody unit
  • OCC welcomes new crypto company
  • Iowa introduces smart contracts bill
  • Rhode Island introduces blockchain act
  • BitMEX publishes data storage framework for FATF ‘Travel Rule’
  • Bank of Korea says CBDCs are fiat currency
  • Central Bank of Nigeria issues prohibition on crypto trading

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

Weekly Focus:

  • US Senate Confirms Janet Yellen as Secretary of the Treasury
  • FinCEN Extends Comment Period for Rulemaking on Cryptocurrency Transaction Requirements
  • Hawaii’s Digital Currency Innovation Lab Reopens for Applications
  • Philippines Central Bank Issues Anti-Money Laundering Guidelines for Cryptocurrency
  • Bank of International Settlements Publishes Survey on Central Bank Digital Currency
  • Coinbase Announces More Details Related to Its Proposed Public Offering
  • Valkyrie Investments Files Application for Bitcoin ETF

Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of January 29, 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

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

Weekly Focus:

  • CFTC Releases Digital Asset Primer
  • Coinbase Submits Form S-1 to the Securities and Exchange Commission
  • CME Announces Ethereum Futures Product Launch in February 2021
  • Paxos Conducts $142 Million Series C Raise
  • FinCEN Issues Notice of Proposed Rulemaking with New Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements for Digital Asset Transactions
  • Figure Applies for OCC Charter
  • Compound Releases Whitepaper Describing Product to Add Interoperability Between Chains
  • Germany Legalizes Electronic Securities on the Blockchain

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

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

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