Grayscale filed a reply brief in its appeal of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) denial of its application to convert its $12-billion Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) into a spot-based Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF). The brief, filed in the District of Columbia Circuit Court, addressed points made in the SEC reply brief
Regulation
Less than 48 hours after a raid on cryptocurrency lender Nexo’s offices in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, prosecutors have reportedly charged four people. According to a Jan. 13 report by Bloomberg, authorities charged four Bulgarian nationals with forming an organized crime group, which may have included activities related to money laundering and unlicensed banking.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has passed a new law that governs virtual assets, setting up the country’s initial regulatory regime for the cryptocurrency space at the federal level. Before the federal-level regulation, the UAE already introduced several supervisory initiatives for digital assets in economic free zones like the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). Last
The judge in charge of overseeing the FTX bankruptcy proceedings has given the embattled crypto exchange the approval to sell some of its assets to aid its efforts in repaying its creditors. According to a court filing, Delaware Bankruptcy Court Judge John Dorsey has approved the sale of four key units of FTX. This includes
Hot on the heels of its Bitcoin (BTC) futures exchange-traded fund (ETF) in Hong Kong, Samsung Asset Management has indicated it’s considering the launch of a spot Bitcoin ETF on the city’s exchange if policies allow for it. In an interview with Bloomberg published on Jan. 13, Hong Kong chief executive for Samsung Asset Management,
A group of crypto fraud victims of the BitConnect investment scheme will see some respite from the multi-billion dollar fraud scheme after a court ordered they receive a share in a $17 million restitution. The United States District Court for the Southern District of California ordered the restitution for the “massive” scheme on Jan. 12
Crypto exchange WonderFi, which is backed by crypto investor and billionaire Kevin O’Leary, has confirmed it is in preliminary discussions with fellow Canadian crypto exchange Coinsquare for a possible merger. In a statement on Jan. 12, WonderFi responded to a Bloomberg report suggesting the two exchanges were in “advanced merger talks” to “create a Canadian
Eight major media companies including Bloomberg, The Financial Times and Reuters have demanded public disclosure of the two individuals responsible for guaranteeing FTX former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s $250 million bond. In a Jan. 12 letter addressed to New York District Court Judge Lewis Kaplan, attorneys from Davis Wright Tremaine LLP — acting on behalf of the
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Jan. 12 charged cryptocurrency lending firm Genesis Global Capital and crypto exchange Gemini with offering unregistered securities through Gemini’s “Earn” program. In December 2020, Genesis, a subsidiary of crypto conglomerate Digital Currency Group (DCG) entered into a deal with Gemini to offer the exchange’s customers the
Republicans in the United States House of Representatives reportedly plan to step up their oversight of the crypto industry with the creation of a new subcommittee. According to a Jan. 12 report from Politco, North Carolina Representative Patrick McHenry, chair of the House Financial Services Committee, said he planned to set up the subcommittee in
Nigerian crypto exchange Roqqu was granted a virtual currency license for the European Economic Area after two years of waiting for permission from regulatory authorities. The move allows the firm to operate in 30 countries and broaden its services within one of the world’s largest crypto markets. Speaking to Cointelegraph, the company said that it
Economists at the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) took a look at the risks inherent in the crypto ecosystem and came up with a seemingly novel solution. “Develop an alternative,” they advised in a bulletin released on Jan. 12. What they had in mind was central bank digital currency (CBDC). The authors of the bulletin,
Joseph Bankman, the father of former FTX chief executive officer Sam Bankman-Fried, has reportedly hired an attorney as the criminal case against his son moves forward. According to a Jan. 12 report from Reuters, Bankman retained Sean Hecker of New York-based law firm Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP. Bankman-Fried’s father reportedly advised and assisted his
The United States House of Representatives finally elected a speaker last week, concluding a four-day, 15-ballot ordeal that left many wondering if political gridlock was now the new normal in the U.S., and if so, what the consequences would be. For example, were the concessions made by Republican Kevin McCarthy to secure his election as
Setting aside the criminal investigations of failed crypto businesses like FTX, Celsius, 3AC, Terra and others, 2022 set the record in illicit on-chain transactions. According to a yearly report published by Chainalysis on Jan. 12, the total cryptocurrency value received by illicit addresses reached $20.1 billion in the last year. The numbers aren’t final, as the
Troubled cryptocurrency lender Nexo is facing more pressure from regulators as its offices have been reportedly raided as part of an international investigation. A group of prosecutors, investigators and foreign agents started searches of Nexo’s offices in the Bulgarian capital, the local news agency Standart reported on Jan. 12. The operation was reportedly initiated a
Nigeria’s central bank will explore the potential of stablecoins, the adoption of blockchain technology to power a central bank digital currency (CBDC) and regulatory considerations related to initial coin offerings (ICOs) over the next two years. These are the key takeaways of a policy document titled Nigeria Payments System Vision 2025, published by the Central
FTX’s bankruptcy judge has reportedly slammed the joint letter from four United States senators calling for an independent examiner in the FTX bankruptcy case. As reported by Cointelegraph, the senators sent a letter on Jan. 9 highlighting concerns about the ties between FTX and their legal representative, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP. However, in a Jan.
El Salvador has passed landmark legislation providing the legal framework for a Bitcoin-backed bond — known as the “Volcano Bond” — which will be used to pay down sovereign debt and fund the construction of its proposed “Bitcoin City”. The bill passed on Jan. 11 with 62 votes for and 16 against, and is set
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has begun the process of getting a default judgment in its case against Ooki DAO after the latter missed the deadline to respond to the lawsuit. According to a Jan. 11 court filing, the regulator has requested the court for an “entry of default” against the decentralized autonomous organization (DAO),