United States Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell has spoken out about the expansion of decentralized finance (DeFi) and its impact on the traditional finance ecosystem, calling for appropriate regulation. During an event titled the “Opportunities and challenges of the tokenisation of finance” hosted by the Banque de France on Sept. 27, Jerome Powell said there
Regulation
Binance announced the existence of its Global Law Enforcement Training Program in a blogpost on Sept. 27. The creation of the program could be considered retroactive, since the company’s investigations team has been holding workshops for law enforcement for the past year. Binance expanded its investigations team a year ago, and has held one-day workshops
New Jersey Representative Josh Gottheimer said that United States lawmakers needed to pass legislation clarifying regulators’ role over crypto or risk companies taking their business abroad. Following a roundtable discussion on Sept. 27 with Commodity Futures Trading Commission chair Rostin Behnam and many industry leaders, Gottheimer said some of the crypto bills proposed by members
The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority, or FCA, has added cryptocurrency-friendly payments app Revolut to its list of companies authorized to offer crypto products and services in the country. In a Monday update to its list of registered crypto asset firms in the U.K., the FCA showed Revolut was in compliance with amended regulations from
Japan is expected to enact new rules on money transfers to prevent the use of crypto for money laundering, according to local news agency Nikkei. The changes will bring Japan up-to-date with Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations. An amendment to the Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds will be introduced in the
South Korean authorities have requested crypto exchange OKX and Kucoin to freeze 3,313 Bitcoin (BTC) reportedly tied to Do Kwon, the co-founder of Terra blockchain developer Terraform Labs. Kwon, who is currently on the run from the Korean authorities in the securities violation case, reportedly created a new wallet on Sept. 15, just a day
Russia is in the pilot phase of its central bank digital currency development (CBDC), and new reports indicate that the country could use its national digital currency to settle international trade. According to a report published in Reuters, Russia is reportedly planning to use the digital rouble for mutual settlements with China by next year.
The electricity mix of Bitcoin (BTC) has drastically changed over the past few years, with nuclear energy and natural gas becoming the fastest growing energy sources powering Bitcoin mining, according to new data. The Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) on Tuesday released a major update to its Bitcoin mining-dedicated data source, the Cambridge Bitcoin
The California Department of Financial Protection & Innovation (DFPI) has filed a desist and refrain order against crypto lending platform Nexo as part of its ongoing investigation of companies offering interest-bearing crypto assets accounts. The agency claims it is joining regulators from seven other American states in taking action against the company. The other states
Terra co-founder Do Kwon, wanted by South Korean authorities and whose whereabouts are currently unknown, has suggested he’s not changing his routine in response to potential legal action. In a Monday tweet, Kwon said members of Crypto Twitter had likely seen him walking on the street or around shopping malls — without mentioning the city
The European Central Bank (ECB) needs a wholesale central bank digital currency (CBDC) because market players expect it, ECB executive board member Fabio Panetta told a banking symposium in Germany on Monday. Two options for wholesale CBDCs are currently under consideration. Wholesale CBDC is not a new concept, Panetta said. Eurosystem’s Target2 uses a centralized
Singapore’s largest bank, DBS, has announced another move to expand its crypto services while remaining cautious in complying with the financial authorities’ view that crypto assets are not suitable for retail investors in the country. On Friday, the bank disclosed its decision to expand crypto trading services on its digital exchange (DDEx) to approximately 100,000 “wealth
Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly granted citizenship to United States National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden, who had been residing in the country since 2013. According to a Monday report from Reuters, Putin signed a decree effectively changing Snowden’s legal status in Russia from permanent resident to citizen. The NSA whistleblower has been in exile
Making it to the list of countries that intend to launch an in-house central bank digital currency (CBDC), the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) released a white paper outlining an elaborate plan for conducting a pilot project for eAUD. On Aug. 9, 2022, the RBA announced a collaboration with the Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre
The newly appointed CEO of crypto exchange Kraken has stated that he has no plans to register the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or delist any tokens that have been labeled by the SEC as securities. In a Reuters report on Thursday, incoming CEO Dave Ripley said he doesn’t see a reason
Approximately one million Australians will purchase cryptocurrency for the first time over the next 12 months — bringing total crypto ownership in the country to over five million — according to a newly released survey. The findings came from the second Annual Australian Crypto Survey by Australian crypto exchange Swyftx, which was conducted by research
The digital asset landscape in the European Union is evolving ahead of the passage of the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation framework that aims to instill regulatory clarity around crypto assets. While well-intentioned, the current structure of MiCA may throttle innovation. But if a revised version of this policy passes, it could see the European Union
Adding to the existing regulatory hurdles for the crypto ecosystems, California Governor Gavin Newsom refused to sign a bill that would establish a licensing and regulatory framework for digital assets. Assembly Bill 2269 sought to allow the issuance of operational licenses for crypto companies in California. On Sept. 1, California State Assembly passed the bill
The long-awaited cryptocurrency regulation framework released by President Joe Biden’s Treasury Department this month attempted to outline a plan for managing the burgeoning crypto industry. Unfortunately, the department’s assessment failed to embody more substance than a mere mission statement. While Biden’s administration appears to be taking a “whole-of-government approach” toward overseeing the decentralized finance (DeFi)
Members of the United States House of Representatives and Senate as well as Supreme Court justices currently trading cryptocurrencies may have to stop HODLing while in office should a bill get enough votes. According to a framework released on Thursday, chair Zoe Lofgren of the Committee on House Administration — responsible for the day-to-day operations