Regulation
Half of assessed jurisdictions don’t have ‘adequate laws and regulatory structures’ — FATF
The Financial Action Task Force, or FATF, reported that many countries, including those with virtual asset service providers (VASPs), are not in compliance with its standards on Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML). In a report released Tuesday on the “State of Effectiveness and Compliance with the FATF Standards,” the organization said 52% of the assessed jurisdictions in 120 countries had “adequate laws and regulatory structures in place” to assess risks and verify beneficial owners of companies. In addition, the FATF reported that only 9% of countries were “substantially effective” in this area. “Countries need to prioritize their efforts and demonstrate improvements in recording, reporting and verifying information regarding legal perso...
Crypto Twitter reacts as Russian gov’t reviews finalized crypto bill
The Ministry of Finance (MinFin) of Russia finalized a draft bill named “On Digital Currency” and has sent it to the Russian government for approval to be passed as law. The draft of the federal law clarifies regulations related to the trading and mining of cryptocurrencies. On Apr. 8, Russia’s finance ministry announced the amendment and finalization of an impending crypto bill, which provides regulatory clarity related to the circulation, issuance, trading, mining and other activities within the crypto market. While unconfirmed reports of Russia legalizing cryptocurrency surfaced early Apr 16, the thriving crypto community on Twitter welcomed the announcement with arms wide open. BREAKING: The Russian government and central bank have just reached an agreement on cryptoc...
President Biden announces former Ripple adviser as pick for Fed vice chair for supervision
Following the withdrawal of former Federal Reserve Board governor Sarah Bloom Raskin, United States President Joe Biden has announced his intention to nominate former Obama administration official and law professor Michael Barr as the central bank’s vice chair for supervision. In a Friday announcement, the White House said Barr was Biden’s pick to supervise the Federal Reserve and set the regulatory agenda for its leadership. Barr was on the advisory board of Ripple Labs from 2015 to 2017, served as the Treasury Department’s assistant secretary for financial institutions under former President Barack Obama, and taught courses on financial regulation at the University of Michigan. According to the White House, he was “a key architect” of the Dodd-Frank Act — legislation that continues to in...
China-based regulatory and trade associations target NFTs in latest risk notice
The China Banking Association, the China Internet Finance Association and the Securities Association of China issued a joint statement warning the public about the “hidden risks” of investing in nonfungible tokens, or NFTs. In a Wednesday notice, the three associations launched initiatives aimed at encouraging innovation in the crypto and blockchain space focused on NFTs as well as “resolutely curb[ing] the tendency of NFT financialization and securitization” to reduce the risks around illicit activities. The China Banking Association said member institutions should not consider NFTs assets like securities, precious metals, and other financial products. In addition, cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and Tether (USDT) should not be used for the pricing and settlement of ...
EU bans providing ‘high-value crypto-asset services’ to Russia
The Council of the European Union has cut Russians off from certain cryptocurrency services as part of a package of restrictive measures against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “brutal aggression against Ukraine and its people.” In a Friday announcement, the EU council said it would be closing potential loopholes in using digital assets for Russian entities and individuals to evade sanctions with a “prohibition on providing high-value crypto-asset services” to the country. The action was one of three financial measures the European Commission proposed alongside banning transactions and freezing assets connected to four Russian banks as well as a “prohibition on providing advice on trusts to wealthy Russians.” Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin claimed on Thursday that Russians hol...
Number of UK crypto firms operating under FCA temporary registration status drops
The number of firms permitted to offer crypto services to U.K. residents under temporary registration status from the Financial Conduct Authority has dropped from 12 to five. According to a Thursday update to its list of “Cryptoasset firms with Temporary Registration,” the United Kingdom’s financial regulator named CEX.IO, Revolut, Copper, Globalblock and Moneybrain as companies in the crypto space allowed to operate in the country in addition to the 34 registered crypto asset firms the FCA has approved since August 2020. The FCA said on March 30 that it would be extending the temporary registration status for “a small number of firms where it is strictly necessary,” which included 12 companies at the time. In the United Kingdom, firms permitted to “carry out crypto ...
Pro traders turn into bears after Ethereum price dropped to $3,200
After a 42% rally over a three-week period, Ether (ETH) peaked at $3,580 on April 3 and since then, a 12% correction to $3,140 has taken place. Tech giants launching their own smart contract platforms and regulatory uncertainty might have impacted investors’ sentiment and derivatives metrics also show worsening conditions that confirm professional traders’ shift toward a bearish sentiment. Ether/USD price at FTX. Source: TradingView On April 6, the Financial Times reported that Meta is reportedly planning to introduce virtual currency and lending services. This move is aimed at exploring alternative sources of revenue for Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger. United States Senator Pat Toomey, the ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee, also drafted a bill proposing a r...
Former US Senator and House member joins Crypto Council for Innovation
Cory Gardner, who served as a United States senator for Colorado from 2015 to 2021, has joined the Crypto Council for Innovation, a crypto advocacy group aimed at establishing dialogues with governments and regulatory agencies on the benefits of digital assets. In a Thursday announcement, the Crypto Council for Innovation, or CCI, said Gardner was one of three new members to join the group’s leadership team. Under CEO Sheila Warren, the former senator will work alongside Amanda Russo, a communicators adviser for the World Economic Forum, and Annie Dizon, a former executive with social impact nonprofit TechSoup. In addition, Katherine Wu, a venture partner at Archetype, will become CCI’s first research fellow, while former Algorand Foundation CEO Sean Lee joined the group to help buil...
Treasury Secretary hints at regulatory framework to address potential risks in digital asset markets
United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen listed stablecoins as one of the major policy concerns in the digital asset space for regulators, currently subject to “inconsistent and fragmented oversight.” Speaking to attendees at American University in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, Yellen said the Treasury Department was working with Congress to advance legislation to help ensure that “stablecoins are resilient to risks” for consumers and the U.S. financial system. According to the Treasury Secretary, while stablecoins raised “policy concerns” and issues around the coins’ reserve assets, many parts of the digital asset space present potential risks that could exacerbate inequality. “Our regulatory frameworks should be designed to support responsible innovation while managing risks and esp...
Toomey drafts bill to exempt stablecoins from securities regulations
Republican Senator Pat Toomey, the ranking member for the Senate Banking Committee, has drafted a bill proposing a regulatory framework for stablecoins in the United States. According to a draft released Wednesday, the Stablecoin Transparency of Reserves and Uniform Safe Transactions Act, abbreviated as the Stablecoin TRUST Act, proposed that the digital assets be identified as “payment stablecoins” — a convertible virtual currency used as a medium of exchange that can be redeemed for fiat by the issuer. Critically, the bill proposed that such offerings should be exempt from securities regulations by amending existing laws to ensure the definition of “security” does not include a payment stablecoin. The legislation also proposed that stablecoin issuers — which would include national t...
ProShares files with SEC for Short Bitcoin Strategy ETF
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) issuer ProShares has filed a registration statement with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission to list shares of a Short Bitcoin Strategy ETF. In a Tuesday filing, ProShares applied with the SEC for an investment vehicle that would allow users to bet against Bitcoin (BTC) futures using an exchange-traded fund. According to the registration statement, the Short Bitcoin Strategy ETF will be based on daily investment results corresponding to the inverse of the return of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Bitcoin Futures Contracts Index for a day. ProShares just filed for a Short Bitcoin Futures ETF. Even tho SEC rejected similar filing last year, this has shot IMO given ProShares’ perfect read on SEC w/ $BITO and the lack of issues w/ futures ETF...
US sanctions Russia’s largest darknet market and crypto exchange Garantex
The United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has announced it will impose sanctions on darknet market Hydra and virtual currency exchange Garantex. In a Tuesday announcement, the Treasury Department said it had worked with the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations to sanction the Russia-based darknet marketplace as well as Garantex. The move from the U.S. government agencies came the same day the German Federal Criminal Police announced it had shut down Hydra’s servers in Germany and seized more than $25 million worth of Bitcoin (BTC) connected to the marketplace. Illegaler #Darknet-Marktplatz „Hydra Market“ ...
