Regulation

The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced the launch of a Digital Sandbox aimed at supporting tech firms in the early stages of product development. In a July 20 announcement, the FCA said the Digital Sandbox will become available on a permanent basis starting on Aug. 1. The financial watchdog conducted two pilot

On July 13, 2023, United States District Court Judge Analisa Torres ruled that Ripple’s XRP (XRP) token should not be considered a security when sold on retail digital asset exchanges. Stuart Alderoty, chief legal officer at Ripple, told Cointelegraph that last week’s ruling makes it clear that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) theory

The United Kingdom government has rejected a proposal made by the U.K. Treasury Committee to regulate crypto retail trading in the same way it oversees gambling, stressing that it “firmly disagrees” with the Committee’s stance.  A panel of British lawmakers called for regulating the crypto market in the country similar to gambling in a May 17

Digital currency investment product, Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), was one of the best performers at Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest in the second quarter of 2023. According to ARK’s latest quarterly ETF report published on July 19, GBTC was one of the top contributors to the success of its ARK Next Generation Internet exchange-traded fund (ARKW)

The Federal Reserve of the United States clarified that its new service for instant payments between organizations — FedNow Service — has no relation with central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). The Federal Reserve certified the FedNow Service as “ready,” after it onboarded 41 financial institutions, 15 service providers and the U.S. Department of the Treasury

Nearly $250 billion worth of transactions have taken place using China’s digital yuan in the one-and-a-half years since the start of its pilot, the country’s central bank governor has claimed. On July 19, People’s Bank of China governor Yi Gang spoke at a conference in Singapore and said its central bank digital currency transacted 1.8

United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler has called for “new tools, expertise, and resources” aimed at addressing misconduct in the crypto space in the regulator’s 2024 budget request. In prepared testimony for a July 19 hearing of the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government with the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee,

United States Sen. Jack Reed sponsored a bipartisan bill introduced into the Senate on July 18 that would tighten Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations and sanctions requirements for decentralized finance (DeFi). According to a news release on Reed’s website, the bill is titled the Crypto-Asset National Security Enhancement and Enforcement (CANSEE)

Two members of the United States House of Representatives have added their names to a list of lawmakers criticizing Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chair Gary Gensler’s approach to digital asset regulation.  In a letter to Gensler dated July 19, Representatives French Hill and Dusty Johnson suggested legislation was a more effective approach to addressing

The Central Bank of the Russian Federation’s (CBR) central bank digital currency (CBDC) project has been developing rapidly. The first news about the initiative appeared in 2020, and a regulatory bill was introduced in 2022, which has now passed through its final reading in the parliament’s lower chamber, the Duma. However, the final rollout of

Forge, a subsidiary of Société Générale — the third-largest bank in France — became the first company to obtain the highest access license for providing crypto services in the country — a prerequisite for numerous service activities (PSAN). The provider will have a right to custody digital assets, to purchase and sell them for legal

Hong Kong’s rapid adoption of cryptocurrencies and Web3 is a sign of some “big moves” happening in mainland China, a co-founder of the local game software firm Animoca believes.  The current crypto trend in Hong Kong is “not really just about” the city-state, but about wider China, despite mainland China banning crypto, according to Animoca

Bankrupt crypto lender Celsius is battling a Chapter 11 bankruptcy with billions of dollars in claims made by various parties. A new estimate by the Bank of the Future (BF) suggests that the troubled crypto lender could likely repay the USD claims if the price of Bitcoin and Ether, the two assets that the firm

The Australian financial services regulator has finally canceled the financial license of FTX Australia, the bankrupt crypto exchange’s local subsidiary — effective July 14. On July 19, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) announced the cancellation, before noting that FTX Australia will still be allowed to provide limited financial services while it wraps up

The Eighth Judicial District Court of Nevada has granted a petition from the state’s Financial Institutions Division (NFID) placing crypto custodian Prime Trust into receivership, pending a hearing to show cause.  In a July 14 filing, the Nevada court ordered the appointment of a receiver for Prime Trust following a June 26 petition from the

On July 11, the European Commission formally adopted its new strategy on Web4 and virtual worlds with the aim of ensuring “an open, secure, trustworthy, fair and inclusive digital environment” for European Union citizens. The strategy is based on four main pillars, revolving around the empowerment of human resources, support of businesses, further development of

New York Rep. Ritchie Torres has called on United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler to reconsider the regulator’s position on crypto following a “dreadful day in court.” In a July 18 letter to Gensler, Torres requested the SEC limit its enforcement cases to “bonafide bad actors” rather than “indiscriminately” treating the

BlackRock’s application for a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) has sparked the beginning of a new crypto bull market, which will go parabolic at some point closer to the halving scheduled for April 2024, according to Mark Yusko, the chief investment officer and founder of Morgan Creek Capital.  “Based on Metcalfe’s law model, fair value for

Brian Armstrong, the CEO of United States-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, is reportedly planning to meet with members of Congress to discuss digital asset legislation and related issues. According to a July 17 Bloomberg report, Armstrong has a scheduled meeting with the New Democrat Coalition, a group of roughly 100 Democrats in the House of Representatives

The European Union has been vocal about its place in the rapidly expanding ecosystem of emerging technologies.  It has been a leader in establishing clear crypto regulations with its long-awaited Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework signed into law in late May. The EU has also been pushing forward on creating regulations for the development and deployment of