Welcome to Wilson Sonsini’s Focus on Fintech newsletter. This quarterly newsletter provides ongoing analysis and commentary on regulatory developments impacting the fintech industry.
In this issue, our attorneys discuss...more
5/2/2025
/ Banking Sector ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
Popular ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Securities Regulation
A federal banking agency, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), has smoothed the way for national banks and federal savings associations to engage in crypto-related activities with the issuance of Interpretive...more
In this issue of Wilson Sonsini's Focus on Fintech, our attorneys discuss updates and developments from federal regulators, including those related to artificial intelligence in financial markets, regulated securities...more
As payments innovation continues to accelerate, Wilson Sonsini is publishing a series of pragmatic playbooks to help companies navigate the legal complexities in the highly regulated payments space. In this new installment,...more
In this issue of Wilson Sonsini's Focus on Fintech, our attorneys discuss updates and developments from federal regulators, including those related to bank-fintech partnerships, cryptocurrency and virtual currency updates,...more
12/17/2024
/ Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Blockchain ,
CFTC ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Federal Reserve ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinCEN ,
FinTech ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
In the latest edition, our attorneys discuss updates and developments from federal regulators, including those related to cryptocurrencies, cybersecurity in financial markets, and the intersection of fintech and AI. They also...more
In this latest edition, our attorneys discuss updates and developments from federal regulators, including those related to the intersection of fintech and artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency and virtual currency updates,...more
In the highly competitive payments space, where safety and efficiency tools are table stakes, financial institutions are increasingly employing artificial intelligence (AI) solutions....more
Large technology companies and innovators in the consumer financial services space should expect to see stepped up regulatory attention ahead. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) continues to increase its focus on...more
As payments innovation continues to accelerate, Wilson Sonsini is publishing a series of pragmatic playbooks to help companies navigate the legal complexities in the highly regulated payments space. In this first installment,...more
In this issue, we discuss updates and developments from federal regulators, including those related to the intersection of fintech and artificial intelligence, crypto-asset and central bank digital currencies, and consumer...more
Creative, attention-grabbing marketing is an art mastered by many fintech companies. However, federal financial and consumer protection regulators are ramping up scrutiny of marketing materials related to financial services,...more
Where will the fintech industry head in 2024? Our fintech and financial services partners make a few predictions below....more
1/16/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Banking Sector ,
CFTC ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Financial Transactions ,
FinTech ,
Machine Learning ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
In this most recent issue, we discuss a number of updates and developments from federal regulators, including those related to novel banking arrangements, misrepresentations in advertisements and marketing, the intersection...more
In this most recent issue, we discuss a number of federal banking agency updates, including the long-awaited Final Interagency Guidance on Third-Party Relationships and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s report on the...more
8/23/2023
/ Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
FDIC ,
Federal Reserve ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
OCC ,
UK
The head of the Federal Reserve’s New York Innovation Center (NYIC), Per von Zelowitz, joined Wilson Sonsini partner Jess Cheng for a conversation on the central bank’s payments innovation initiatives regarding the future of...more
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Fed), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) (collectively, the Agencies) issued the long-awaited...more
M&A transactions involving financial services providers—including tech-based providers or “fintechs”—raise a host of unique questions based on the types of services they provide, which are often highly regulated and may...more
6/16/2023
/ Acquisitions ,
Anti-Money Laundering ,
Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Privacy ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
Foreign Investment ,
Mergers ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Regulatory Agencies
In this latest issue of the firm’s Focus on Fintech newsletter, our attorneys discuss the dissolution of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank and the increased scrutiny on banking activity, as well as a number of updates...more
The last few years had started to see a convergence between crypto and banking, with bitcoin appearing to rapidly grow mainstream. That momentum hit a wall with the spectacular crypto market failures of 2022, including the...more
2/7/2023
/ Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
FDIC ,
Federal Reserve ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
OCC ,
Popular
On January 18, 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) designated Bitzlato Limited (Bitzlato), a crypto asset exchange business incorporated in Hong Kong, as a “primary money...more
In this latest issue of Wilson Sonsini's Focus on Fintech newsletter, we discuss the FTX bankruptcy and the increased federal regulatory scrutiny of crypto assets, and new rules and innovations in the payments...more
2/1/2023
/ Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDCs) ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
OCC ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
U.S. Treasury ,
UK
Technology companies in the payments space should pay close attention to the Federal Reserve’s (the Fed’s) upcoming launch of a long-awaited new payment system, the FedNow Service. The system will change the consumer payments...more
The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) recently published a discussion paper (here) summarizing its preliminary findings on the potential competition impact of Big Tech entry into retail financial services. The FCA is now...more
12/6/2022
/ Banking Sector ,
Big Tech ,
Digital Assets ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
Payment Systems ,
Popular ,
U.S. Treasury ,
UK