On May 20, the U.S. Senate voted 66-32 to move forward with the Guardrails and Enforcement for Neutral Issuers of United States Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act (the “Act”), pushing the stablecoin bill past a major procedural hurdle....more
5/23/2025
/ Banking Sector ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Federal Reserve ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Government Agencies ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Stablecoins
In a May 12, 2025 Keynote Address before the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Crypto Task Force’s fourth industry roundtable on digital assets, newly-minted Chair Paul Atkins laid out a sweeping vision for...more
5/16/2025
/ Blockchain ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement ,
Investigations ,
Investment Adviser ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Stablecoins ,
Technology
On May 7, the OCC issued Interpretive Letter 1184, reaffirming that national banks and federal savings associations may provide cryptocurrency custody and execution services, including through sub-custodians. The OCC...more
5/16/2025
/ Banks ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Custody ,
Digital Assets ,
Financial Institutions ,
New Guidance ,
OCC ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Risk Management ,
Technology
On April 30, 2025, the FTC filed an amended complaint and final order in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia against a debt collection company in connection with allegations that the company engaged...more
5/9/2025
/ Consent Order ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Debt Collection ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FDCPA ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
GLBA Privacy ,
Penalties ,
Settlement ,
UDAAP ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On April 4, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Division of Corporation Finance issued a statement clarifying that reserve-backed U.S. dollar stablecoins are not securities, at least under current law and...more
4/21/2025
/ Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
FinTech ,
New Guidance ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Stablecoins ,
Technology Sector
On April 7, in a significant policy shift, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced via the release of a memorandum that it will no longer pursue criminal enforcement actions that effectively impose regulatory...more
On April 4, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) issued proposed regulations under the Digital Financial Assets Law (DFAL). The proposal provides clarification on DFAL’s licensing framework...more
4/14/2025
/ California ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) ,
Digital Assets ,
FinTech ,
Government Agencies ,
Licensing Rules ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Rulemaking Process
On March 28, the FDIC issued updated guidance clarifying the process for FDIC-supervised institutions to engage in crypto-related activities. The guidance rescinds and replaces prior instructions issued in 2022 and makes...more
On March 24, Kentucky enacted House Bill 701, establishing a statutory framework to support blockchain-based activity and clarifying the treatment of digital assets under state law. The legislation defines key terms, permits...more
Following President Trump’s March 6 Executive Order establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile, federal agencies and market participants may begin to grapple with the operational and compliance...more
On April 1, the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) submitted a letter to the House Financial Services Committee expressing concerns with an introduced draft of H.R. 2392—the Stablecoin Transparency and Accountability...more
On March 24, acting FDIC Chairman Travis Hill informed Congress that the agency is preparing to eliminate the use of “reputation risk” as a basis for supervisory criticism. In a letter to Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.), Hill...more
Following President Trump’s March 6 Executive Order establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, released alongside a White House Briefing, the U.S. government has taken its most formal step yet toward integrating digital assets...more
3/28/2025
/ Blockchain ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Executive Orders ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Investment ,
National Security ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Technology ,
Trump Administration
On February 20, the SEC announced the creation of its Cyber and Emerging Technologies Unit (CETU) to address misconduct involving new technologies and strengthen protections for retail investors. The CETU replaces the SEC’s...more
On March 7, the OCC issued Interpretive Letter 1183 and an accompanying statement affirming prior guidance regarding whether national banks and federal savings associations may engage in cryptocurrency-related activities,...more
3/17/2025
/ Banking Sector ,
Blockchain ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Interpretive Letters ,
OCC ,
Payment Systems ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Stablecoins
On December 23, 2024, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) announced a consent order with a lender to resolve its investigation into the company’s crypto-backed lending program, which the...more
3/3/2025
/ California ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Lenders ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Loans ,
Settlement ,
State and Local Government
Just over one month into the second Trump Administration, the crypto industry appears poised to notch yet another victory in its longstanding tug-of-war with regulators — perhaps its most significant to date. On February 21,...more
2/28/2025
/ Blockchain ,
Compliance ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FinTech ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation
On February 12, the Trump administration announced Jonathan McKernan as the Director of the CFPB and Jonathan Gould as the Comptroller of the Currency. McKernan and Gould will replace Acting Directors Russell Vought and...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has launched a ‘Crypto Task Force’ page on its website, outlining the agency’s crypto regulatory agenda under the agency’s new leadership. This initiative follows the exit of...more
2/7/2025
/ Blockchain ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FDIC ,
FinTech ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Trump Administration
On January 2, 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) proposed an interpretive rule under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA) and Regulation E to clarify how emerging payment systems, such as those used in...more
As 2024 concludes, financial markets are witnessing significant shifts, particularly within the world of cryptocurrency. As crypto investors profit, many cash out from more volatile assets, such as Bitcoin, to safer options...more
1/6/2025
/ Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Financial Markets ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Investors ,
Stablecoins ,
Technology ,
Token Sales ,
Virtual Currency
Until fall 2023, there were few SEC enforcements or litigations involving securities issues with non-fungible tokens (“NFTs”). This has changed dramatically. In rapid succession last fall, the SEC undertook two enforcements...more
1/2/2025
/ Blockchain ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Securities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Securities Violations ,
Virtual Currency
This year, the SEC has ramped up its enforcement efforts against digital asset marketplaces for selling non-fungible tokens (“NFTs”) (and other digital assets) the agency alleges are securities. In response, some potential...more
1/2/2025
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Regulation ,
Securities Violations ,
Virtual Currency
Yet another “celebrity” token memecoin project seeking to leverage a “cultural movement” has become the subject of a lawsuit alleging that the tokens were unregistered securities. A group of plaintiffs recently sued over the...more
On November 26, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned sanctions imposed by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) against a decentralized cryptocurrency mixing service (a...more
12/9/2024
/ Blockchain ,
Blocked Person ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Hackers ,
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) ,
Money Laundering ,
North Korea ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Sanctions ,
SDN List ,
Technology Sector ,
U.S. Treasury