Regulation

The United States Federal Reserve released an 86-page report on March 24 detailing the reasons for denying Custodia Bank’s application for membership in January, including the bank’s involvement in the crypto space.  According to the report, the Fed’s board has raised “concerns about banks with business plans focused on a narrow sector of the economy”,

The White House released its annual economic report on March 20, and it dedicated an entire section to digital assets.  The authors should be commended for doing so. I largely agree with the report’s assessment that certain aspects of the digital asset ecosystem are causing problems for consumers, financial systems and the environment. However, as

With Coinbase seemingly on the verge of a court battle with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the firm has emphasized that the U.S. government’s hawkish approach to crypto regulation has “left a vacuum that other countries are eager to fill.’ The SEC issued Coinbase a wells notice on March 22 outlining that SEC staff

A recent article surfaced alleging that Binance employees and volunteers were assisting Chinese users on how to bypass Know Your Customer (KYC) and other security protocols.  However, speaking to Cointelegraph a spokesperson from Binance clarified that employees are “explicitly forbidden” from supporting users in circumventing any laws or policies. The spokesperson also said the company

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has made significant efforts to be a leader in transparency in the industry since the FTX scandal. However, a new report claims that Binance insiders are allegedly helping users bypass security protocols.  According to a CNBC investigation, employees and volunteers at Binance have allegedly been aiding customers in China

Kyle Davies, the co-founder of bankrupt crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital, has been ordered to answer the subpoena issued to him in January or risk being held in contempt of court. The Jan. 5 subpoena was issued to Davies via Twitter following approval from a New York bankruptcy court, instructing him to provide 3AC’s

Algorand Foundation CEO Stacy Waden took to Twitter to confirm rumors about Coinbase’s decision to discontinue Algorand (ALGO) staking rewards for retail customers. Coinbase and Algorand, however, cite different reasons for the move. According to Waden’s tweet, Coinbase informed Algorand about the sudden termination of rewards for ALGO tokens on March 22, as the crypto

Australia-based crypto exchange Independent Reserve is looking at opportunities to set up shop in Hong Kong, as the city continues efforts to become a cryptocurrency hub.  Set to take effect in June, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) released a proposed licensing regime for cryptocurrency exchanges on Feb. 20 in line with its

United States Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell has conceded that his regulator was blindsided by the sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), despite it being under their watch. In a press conference held just after the Federal Open Market Committee meeting on March 22, Powell said he immediately knew there was a need for

The metaverse continues to be a hot topic in the Web3 space, as a group of industry professionals took to the Venus de Milo stage at Paris Blockchain Week 2023 to discuss the future of digital reality.  In the panel “Metaverse Regulation: Dos and Don’ts,” the group discussed how regulators around the world might interpret

Russia-linked cryptocurrency exchange Bitzlato has partially restored access to user funds despite being officially seized by European authorities. Bitzlato has enabled its users to withdraw up to 50% of assets stuck on the platform due to enforcement from the United States and Europol, the firm announced on its Telegram channel on March 20. According to

If the United States government really is implementing “Operation Choke Point 2.0” it will hurt financial stability and may have contributed to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) according to Donald Trump’s former Acting White House Chief of Staff, Mick Mulvaney. “I don’t want to think that the government would actually do that,” Mulvaney

The self-regulatory trade association CryptoUK has proposed providing a ‘white list’ of registered firms in the United Kingdom to address banks limiting or banning transactions to crypto companies. In separate letters to U.K. Economic Secretary Andrew Griffith and members of the Financial Conduct Authority and Payment Systems Regulator dated March 21, CryptoUK said many banks

Australia’s prudential regulator has reportedly asked local banks to report on cryptocurrency transactions amid the ongoing contagion of Silicon Valley Bank’s (SVB) collapse. The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has started requesting banks to declare their exposures to startups and crypto-related companies, the Australian Financial Review reported on March 21. The regulator has ordered banks

A central bank digital currency (CBDC) can impact monetary policy by increasing money velocity, disintermediation, volatility of bank reserves, currency substitution and altered capital flows, even when it is not designed to do so, according to a study published by the International Monetary Fund. The unintended impact of a CBDC may be felt particularly acute

Ron DeSantis, the Governor of Florida expected by many to throw his hat into the ring for the 2024 United States presidential race, has called for a ban on a digital dollar. Standing in front of a podium bearing the line “Big Brother’s Digital Dollar” at a March 20 press conference, DeSantis spoke out against the