On May 5, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced proposed legislation to increase oversight of the cryptocurrency industry. Calling the “landmark legislation” the “strongest and most comprehensive set of regulations on cryptocurrency in the nation,” James said the bill would increase transparency, eliminate conflicts of interest, and impose “commonsense” investor protection measures consistent with other financial services regulations. Among other things, the bill would strengthen NYDFS’ regulatory authority over digital assets and codify the Department’s ability to license digital asset brokers, marketplaces, investment advisors, and issuers prior to engaging in business in the state. NYDFS would also be given jurisdiction to enforce violations of law within the crypto industry, including by issuing subpoenas; imposing civil penalties of $10,000 per violation per individual or $100,000 per violation per firm; collecting restitution, damages, and penalties; and shutting down businesses found to be engaging in fraud and illegal activities.
The bill would also strengthen investor protections by enacting and codifying “know-your-customer” protections, “[b]anning the use of the term ‘stablecoin’ to describe or market digital assets unless they are backed 1:1 with U.S. currency or high-quality liquid assets as defined in federal regulations,” and requiring crypto platforms to reimburse victims of fraud, similar to a bank’s responsibility under the EFTA. Other provisions would, among other things, (i) implement protections to stop conflicts of interest, including by preventing common ownership of crypto issuers, marketplaces, brokers, and investment advisers and preventing such persons from engaging in more than one of those activities; and (ii) require public reporting of financial statements to increase transparency and mandate that companies be required to undergo independent audits and publish audited financial statements, among other things.
The proposed bill will be submitted by the attorney general’s office to the New York Senate and Assembly for their consideration during the 2023 legislative session.
