Regulation

Marco Ruiz Ochoa pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in the Southern District Court of New York on Sept. 27 in relation to Ponzi scheme perpetrated by the IcomTech company. Ochoa was CEO of IcomTech from its founding in 2018 to 2019. According to a statement from the United States

Gary Gensler, chairman of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, told the House Financial Services Committee hearing on Sept. 27 that he enjoys testifying before the committee. He had well over four hours of that pleasure that day, much of which was devoted to criticism of his agency’s policies and actions. Among the long

United States Representative Tom Emmer spoke out against Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler during a hearing at the House Financial Services Committee on Sept. 27. According to the lawmaker, Gensler has been loyal to Wall Street “at the clear expense of innovation, competition, and everyday Americans.” Over four minutes of questioning, Emmer hinted

A federal judge has granted a motion from the legal team for Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) allowing the former FTX CEO to wear business attire during his first criminal trial. In a Sept. 27 order filed in United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Judge Lewis Kaplan said the United States Marshals

Rep. Patrick McHenry, who chairs the United States House Financial Services Committee, has suggested that he may try to subpoena the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over documents related to former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, or SBF. In a Sept. 27 hearing on oversight of the commission, McHenry claimed chair SEC Gary Gensler had made

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has claimed that it will fully quit Russia by selling its local business to a completely new exchange known as CommEx. While promising its customers a “smooth” migration, Binance hasn’t provided much information about its successor in Russia. At the time of the announcement, little is known about CommEx’s founders or background. The

Legal frameworks ensuring user privacy and the freedom to choose between central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and other forms of money will be key in driving CBDC adoption, according to the head of the Bank of International Settlements. Speaking at the BIS Innovation Hub conference in Switzerland on Sept. 27, BIS general manager Agustín Carstens

The Secretary for Security of Hong Kong, Chris Tang Ping-keung, has vowed to bring justice to people who fell victim to the JPEX crypto exchange fraud, local media has reported. On Wednesday, Sept. 27, the security chief’s office said police are actively looking for the key operators behind the JPEX crypto exchange that orchestrated the

Brian Armstrong, CEO of major United States-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, has condemned the decision of JPMorgan’s subsidiary Chase UK to restrict crypto-related transactions. Brian Armstrong took to X (formerly Twitter) on Sept. 26 to slam Chase Bank for its “totally inappropriate” move to ban its customers in the United Kingdom from making any debit card

After losing its euro banking partner, Paysafe, Binance France has proposed that its customers immediately convert all the fiat money they hold on the exchange into crypto, according to comments from an executive to local media.  The partnership between Binance France and Paysafe expired on Sept. 25. The latter supported Binance’s French subsidiary with infrastructure

The U.S. House Financial Services Committee will hear how the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is changing its oversight and rules to keep pace with technological advancements including cryptocurrencies and artificial intelligence. SEC chair Gary Gensler is set to outline how the U.S. securities regulator is updating its rules to align with “technology and business

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has announced its full exit from Russia by selling its firm to a newly launched crypto exchange business known as CommEX. Binance has entered into an agreement to sell the entirety of its Russia business to CommEX, the firm said in an announcement to Cointelegraph on Sept. 27. The exchange didn’t disclose

Prosecutors from the United States Department of Justice will be allowed to surface the details of Sam Bankman-Fried’s political donations as the evidence is directly relevant to his fraud charges, ruled U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan. The decision was part of a series of rulings made by Kaplan in a 16-page pretrial order on Sept.

The customers of bankrupt cryptocurrency lending platform BlockFi are one step closer to being paid out after a United States Bankruptcy Court in New Jersey approved its liquidation plan. Bankruptcy Judge Michael A. Kaplan approved BlockFi’s third amended Chapter 11 plan in a Sept. 26 court hearing, a filing on the same day shows. Sept.

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is taking the maximum time allowed for the regulator to reach a decision on a spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund, or ETF, offering from ARK 21Shares.  In a Sept. 26 notice, the SEC said it would designate a longer period on whether to approve or disapprove of

Four members of the United States Congress are requesting Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler “immediately” approve the listing of spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds, or ETFs. In a Sept. 26 letter to Gensler, U.S. Representatives Mike Flood, Wiley Nickel, Tom Emmer and Ritchie Torres claimed the SEC was “discriminat[ing] against spot bitcoin exchange

Lauren Belive, a former official with the White House’s Office of Legislative Affairs and policy director with the United States House Committee on Rules, has joined crypto firm Ripple as its head of U.S. public policy and government. In a Sept. 26 announcement on LinkedIn, Belive said she had accepted the policy position at Ripple

Bitwise Asset Management has filed an amended application for a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF), beefing it up with 40 pages of new text responding to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) objections to the product. It still might not be enough to satisfy regulatory requirements, though, a company executive warned. Bitwise is

The Federal Reserve Banks of Boston and New York published a staff report on Sep. 26 comparing stablecoins, such as USDT and USDC, to money market funds. Key findings in the report include the observation that stablecoins and money market funds follow similar patterns during runs and that stablecoins could inject instability into the broader

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury has added a crypto wallet allegedly connected to a major international crime syndicate as part of its list of Specially Designated Nationals. In a Sept. 26 announcement, the U.S. Treasury said it had sanctioned 10 individuals, including many tied to