Weekly Blockchain Focus

  • European Central Bank announces the investigation phase of a digital Euro project.
  • SEC charges Coinschedule.com with unlawfully touting digital asset securities.
  • Federal court order permanently bans PaxForex and imposes a $300,000 penalty for offering illegal leveraged transactions in Bitcoin, Ether, Litecoin, and precious metals.
  • Shapeshift announces “largest airdrop in history” as it attempts to become a fully decentralized exchange.
  • Saquon Barkley announces plan to accept all endorsement money in Bitcoin.
  • Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen take a stake in cryptocurrency exchange FTX.

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

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.

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 Blockchain Focus

  • U.S. House Financial Services Committee Hearing
  • New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal to join SEC as head of enforcement
  • FBI Bolstering Tactics Against Illicit Cryptocurrency Transactions and Cybercrimes
  • TP ICAP To Launch Cryptoasset Trading Platform
  • Proposed Regulatory Framework – Cryptoassets in South Africa

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

Weekly Blockchain Focus

  • House Passes Crypto Bills
  • SEC delays decision on Valkyrie Bitcoin ETF – client
  • 11th Circuit Tosses Crypto Case against rapper T.I.
  • Biden nominee for Treasury Department pushes for crypto regulations
  • China Continues Crackdown on Crypto
  • South Africa Banks Block Crypto
  • UK Financial Markets Regulator Issues Crypto Warning
  • BIS Comments on Bitcoin 

Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of June 25, 2021

Weekly Blockchain Focus

  • Crypto Rating Council releases its securities law framework
  • Diem Association announces plans to shift operations to the United States
  • Tether releases a breakdown of reserve assets
  • Bank of England deputy governor calls a CBDC probable in public remarks
  • Chainalysis report states that ransomware attacks are becoming more profitable
  • Ethiopia to begin using Cardano-based blockchain IDs in its schools

Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review: Week of May 14, 2021

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

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Settlements Timeline serves as an interactive compilation of select CFTC guidance, enforcement actions, and speeches relating to the application of the federal securities laws to digital assets. Beginning with the Order filed in September, 2015 by the CFTC requiring Coinflip and its chief executive officer Francisco Riordan to cease and desist from further violations of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and CFTC Regulations, specifically, by operating a facility for the trading or processing of commodity options without complying with the CEA or CFTC Regulations otherwise applicable to swaps or conducting the activity pursuant to the CFTC’s exemption for trade options.

This Timeline is meant to be a resource for those following CFTC actions and guidance related to digital assets and to assist experienced counsel in assessing the applicability of the CFTC Regulations.

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 CFTC 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.

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.

The AMLA 2020 includes sweeping reforms updating and modernizing U.S. anti-money laundering laws, many of which have implications beyond financial institutions regulated under the Bank Secrecy Act.

This multipart series will discuss key takeaways, including (1) new corporate beneficial ownership disclosure requirements; (2) enhanced whistleblower program; (3) expanded subpoena authority over foreign financial institutions accessing the U.S. market; (4) new criminal penalties for concealing the involvement of foreign officials in transactions; (5) expansion of AML law to codify jurisdiction over virtual currency activities; and (6) development of regulatory solutions with a greater focus on emerging technologies.