Counsel Sarah Shtylman will be a part of the The Block Presents: DeFi and The Law – A round table discussion with crypto’s leading lawyers

Link to register: https://app.livestorm.co/the-block/the-block-presents-defi-and-the-law-a-round-table-discussion-with-cryptos-leading-lawyers

10/13 – 9:00 am Pacific/12:00 pm Eastern

Live stream panel titled Can Privacy-Preserving Cryptocurrencies and Regulation Co-exist?

Join Electric Coin Co and a panel of experts to learn more about the compatibility of privacy, cryptocurrencies and existing regulation.

Panelists:

Yusuf Hussain, Head of Risk, Gemini

Dana Syracuse, Partner, Perkins Coie

Jack Gavigan, Regulatory Relations, ECC

The panel will be moderated by Maria Filipakis, managing partner of Topside LLC and former Executive Deputy Superintendent of the Capital Markets Division at the New York State Department of Financial Services.

The conversation will cover Gemini’s announcement of Zcash shielded support (https://gemini.com/blog/youre-one-ste…), Perkins Coie’s recent paper on AML regulation privacy-enabling cryptocurrencies (https://www.perkinscoie.com/en/news-i…), and how regulators and the industry evaluate risks and controls.

More information: https://electriccoin.co/event/can-privacy-preserving-cryptocurrency-and-regulation-coexist/

See below to view:

Weekly Focus

  • CFTC and DOJ Actions Involving BitMEX
  • SEC Settlement with Salt Lending
  • CFTC Action Against PaxForex
  • Summary Judgment Granted in SEC Action Against Kik
  • FinCEN and OFAC Issue Advisories on Ransomware
  • FinCEN Director Blanco Speech at ACAMS AML Conference
  • French Authorities Investigate Use of Virtual Currency to Fund Terrorism

Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of October 2, 2020

Part of Future Industry Association’s (FIA) L&C Division Webinar Series

Join the FIA Law & Compliance Division on 22 October for a webinar regarding virtual currency transactions. The CFTC recently finalized its interpretive guidance on what qualifies as “actual delivery” of virtual currency for purposes of the Commodity Exchange Act’s retail commodity transaction definition. In this webinar, we will: 1) consider what types of arrangements result in actual delivery consistent with the guidance; and 2) discuss recent CFTC enforcement actions involving illegal off-exchange retail commodity transactions.

Date & Time: Thursday, 22 October 2020 | 10:00 a.m. – 11.00 a.m. ET

Moderator:

  • Natalie Tynan, Associate General Counsel and Head of Technology Documentation Strategy, FIA

Presenters:

The staff (“Staff”) of the Division of Trading and Markets of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a no-action letter (NAL) at the request of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) on September 25, 2020, which built upon a joint statement (“Joint Statement”) issued by the staffs of the SEC and FINRA in 2019 (please see our prior client update for additional discussion of this 2019 guidance). As part of its guidance, the Joint Statement provided an example of a noncustodial business model for broker-dealers that involved the operation of an alternative trading system (ATS). Upon a request by FINRA on behalf of its broker-dealer members, the NAL provides modified relief for ATSs that meet certain conditions, enabling them to settle digital asset security trades under a slightly modified structure designed to reduce operational and settlement risks. Continue Reading SEC Staff Provides Relief on the Role of ATSs in the Settlement of Digital Asset Security Trades

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

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

Weekly Focus

  • CFTC approves LedgerX to clear fully-collateralized futures and options.
  • Square launches the Cryptocurrency Open Patent Alliance to spur cryptocurrency adoption and protect against trolls.
  • Mastercard launches testing platform for central bank digital currencies.
  • California’s Consumer Financial Regulator to get a new name and new powers.
  • Blockpit and CryptoTax complete merger.

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

The Perkins Coie Digital Asset Timeline has been updated from this version, you can find the most up-to-date version here.

Perkins Coie LLP is pleased to bring you this updated Digital Asset SEC Timeline.

The Digital Asset SEC Timeline serves as an interactive compilation of select SEC guidance, enforcement actions, and speeches relating to the application of the federal securities laws to digital assets. Beginning with the release of the DAO Investigative Report in July 2017, the Timeline includes relevant information for analyzing the offering, issuance, and trading of certain digital assets in the context of the federal securities laws.

This Timeline is meant to be a resource for those following SEC actions and guidance related to digital assets and to assist experienced securities counsel in assessing the applicability of the federal securities laws. The Timeline is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If you are, or are planning to engage in transactions involving digital assets, you may want to contact experienced securities counsel.

Information in the Timeline is provided “as-is,” and may not reflect the latest guidance from the SEC and/or other federal or state regulatory authorities. The Timeline contains links to third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader or user. Use of and access to the Timeline, including the links contained within the Timeline, do not create an attorney-client relationship with Perkins Coie LLP.

Weekly Focus

  • Federal Reserve Publishes Observations From “FooWire” Project
  • Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard Announces Collaboration With MIT
  • SEC Appoints New Director of Enforcement
  • Companies Accepted to Hawaii Regulatory Sandbox Begin Providing Services
  • Prosecutors Unseal Charges Against Crypto Mining Ponzi Scheme
  • Monetary Authority of Singapore and Industry Groups Roll Out “Code of Practice” for Payment Service Provider Licensing
  • China Expanding its Digital Currency Testing Program

Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of August 21, 2020

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