Significant parallel actions commenced this week by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) bring crypto fraud enforcement into the spotlight, with the SEC alleging that multiple...more
7/25/2022
/ Coinbase ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Cryptoassets ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Wallets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Ethereum ,
Howey ,
Illegal Tipping ,
Indictments ,
Insider Trading ,
Material Nonpublic Information ,
Proposed Rules ,
Rule 10(b) ,
Rule 10b-5 ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Tokens ,
Securities Violations
Firms Announce New Crypto Initiatives; Data Published on Crypto and NFT Use -
Late last week, a major U.S. cryptocurrency custodian announced “a groundbreaking, industry-first custody exchange network giving institutions...more
6/20/2022
/ Australia ,
Blockchain ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
FinTech ,
First Amendment ,
Fourth Amendment ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Scams ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stablecoins
According to reports, a major U.S.-based global investment bank has allowed a borrower to use bitcoin as collateral for a cash loan, for the first time in the bank’s history. In other financial news, according to reports, the...more
5/9/2022
/ Banks ,
Bitcoin ,
Bitcoin Mining ,
Blockchain ,
Collateral ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Priorities ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
FinCEN ,
Fraud ,
Hackers ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
NYDFS ,
Patriot Act ,
Retailers ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Key Takeaways -
..SEC enforcement actions related to crypto and cyber are expected to significantly increase with the additional 20 staff assigned to the Division of Enforcement unit dedicated to these industries....more
Crypto Payment Initiatives Announced in Stablecoins, Lightning Network, Mining -
Late last week, the issuer of USD Coin (USDC) announced that it had selected a major U.S. bank as a primary custodian for USDC reserves....more
4/11/2022
/ Bitcoin ,
Bitcoin Mining ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ,
Economic Sanctions ,
HM Treasury ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Popular ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Russia ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stablecoins ,
UK ,
Ukraine ,
United Nations
Our fifth episode provides an overview of the key legal issues facing cryptocurrencies and blockchain in the U.S....more
3/30/2022
/ Bank Secrecy Act ,
Banking Sector ,
Biden Administration ,
Blockchain ,
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDCs) ,
CFTC ,
Commodities ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Derivatives ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Executive Orders ,
FinCEN ,
IRS ,
Money Transmitter ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stablecoins ,
Unregistered Securities ,
Virtual Currency
This week a U.S. investment bank announced the public launch of its digital asset division. According to a press release, “the new division offers full-service trade execution and custody solutions on a platform that provides...more
This week, President Joe Biden signed “Executive Order on Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets” (EO). According to a fact sheet published with the EO, the EO calls for measures to accomplish the following...more
3/14/2022
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Banking Sector ,
Biden Administration ,
Bitcoin ,
CFTC ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Executive Orders ,
FinCEN ,
Russia ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stablecoins ,
Virtual Currency
Traditional Financial Firms Expand Reach into Cryptocurrency Sphere -
Early this week, a major investment bank announced that it plans to launch a digital asset custody platform later this year. This announcement follows...more
3/7/2022
/ Charitable Donations ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Donations ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Enforcement Priorities ,
FATF ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Ponzi Scheme ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Ukraine
Reports Address Crypto M&A and Metaverse, New Crypto Products Launch -
A Big Four accounting firm recently released its “2021 Global Cryptocurrency Mergers and Acquisition and Fundraising Report.” Key takeaways from the...more
2/22/2022
/ Acquisitions ,
Capital Raising ,
Corporate Governance ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement ,
FATF ,
Information Reports ,
Mergers ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stablecoins ,
U.S. Treasury ,
Wash Trades
U.S. Bank Seeks to Launch Stablecoin; New Crypto Payments Data Released -
A well-known digital payments consortium sold its technology platform this week to a U.S.-based bank known for its cryptocurrency-related offerings....more
2/7/2022
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
ETFs ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
Hackers ,
Money Laundering ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Scams ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stablecoins ,
Wash Trades
Crypto Payments Consortium Sells Assets; Other Crypto Firms Make Moves -
A well-known digital payments consortium announced this week that it will sell its blockchain-based technology to a large cryptocurrency-focused U.S....more
1/31/2022
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDCs) ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
FinTech ,
GAAP ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
From Music to Marketplaces: NFT Use Cases Continue to Expand - According to recent reports, a Philadelphia rapper has announced that the final installment of his mixtape series will drop as a non-fungible token (NFT). Details...more
Financial Messaging Network Launches Experiments in Stablecoin Sector - A global messaging network used by financial institutions to send and receive financial information recently announced that it is exploring the tokenized...more
Raising Municipal Funds and Rewarding Loyalty: New Cryptocurrency Use Cases - Earlier this week, a cryptocurrency nonprofit organization reportedly launched a Bitcoin-based digital asset designed to raise funds for New York...more
New Crypto Payment Products Launch, Report Cites Exchange Consolidation - This week, a major U.S. financial services firm announced its partnership with three leading cryptocurrency service providers in the Asia Pacific...more
Crypto Products Launch in Payments, ETFs, DeFi; Bitcoin Mining Data Published - This week, a digital asset marketplace announced a partnership with a major multinational technology company specializing in Internet and...more
CBDC Initiatives Announced, Blockchain Trade Finance Platform Launches - This week, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) announced Project Dunbar, an initiative in which BIS will collaborate with the Reserve Bank of...more
9/7/2021
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDCs) ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Financial Markets ,
Fraud ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Virtual Currency
Crypto Market Develops in DeFi, Payments, Compliance and Consumer Adoption - A large institutional financial and media conglomerate recently announced a partnership with a major financial services and investment management...more
8/30/2021
/ Blockchain ,
CFTC ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Financial Markets ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Online Marketplace ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Virtual Currency
Crypto Firms Pursue Bank Charters, Traditional Financial Firms Integrate Crypto - This week, the Wyoming Division of Banking granted a new Special Purpose Depository Institution (SPDI) bank charter to Commercium Financial...more
New Crypto Products Launch in Payment Cards, Gold and Sandwiches - Coinjar, an Australian cryptocurrency exchange, recently announced its launch of a payment card backed by a major U.S. credit card and financial services...more
US Stablecoin Issuers Publish New Details on US Dollar Reserves - This week, Circle, the issuer of USDC – a cryptocurrency “stablecoin” with each unit backed 1:1 by U.S. dollars – published its latest reserve attestation...more
Rob Musiala, a Counsel in the Digital Assets and Data Management group and the co-leader of our Blockchain Technologies and Digital Currencies team, breaks down everything you need to know about NFTs, all in 10 minutes or...more
7/26/2021
/ Blockchain ,
CFTC ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Ethereum ,
FinCEN ,
Investors ,
IRS ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Royalties ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Smart Contracts
Market Actors Continue to Integrate Cryptocurrency into Payment Systems - According to a press release this week, California-based Silvergate Bank announced that it will become the issuer of Diem USD, a new cryptocurrency...more
5/17/2021
/ Bitcoin ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Hackers ,
Investment ,
Investors ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Payment Systems ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Virtual Currency
US Institutional Financial Firms, and Fintech Startups, Launch Crypto Products - A major U.S. financial services corporation announced this week that it would begin to settle transactions over the Ethereum Network in USD Coin...more
4/5/2021
/ Bitcoin ,
Broker-Dealer ,
CFTC ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Currency ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinCEN ,
Fraud ,
IRS ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Virtual Currency