Money services businesses (MSBs), a category which includes money transmitters (e.g., PayPal and other payment facilitators), as well as administrators and exchangers of convertible virtual currencies (e.g., Bitcoin...more
Companies that provide consumer financial services and products be warned—a careful review of your fine print may be in order. Although broad disclaimers, liability waivers, and releases tend to be commonplace in general...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
On March 5, 2024, the New York Attorney General (AG) Letitia James sued Yellowstone Capital LLC (Yellowstone) and various affiliates, accusing them of running a predatory lending operation by disguising the loans as purchases...more
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has proposed a sweeping expansion of the Bank Secrecy Act’s (BSA) affirmative anti-money laundering (AML) and countering the financing of...more
2/27/2024
/ AML/CFT ,
Anti-Money Laundering ,
Banking Sector ,
Compliance ,
Financial Adviser ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinCEN ,
Investment Adviser ,
Money Laundering ,
Terrorist Financing
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
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
The legal landscape for marijuana-related businesses (MRBs) has seen significant change and challenges in recent years. Despite the legalization of marijuana for medical or recreational use in various states, it remains a...more
10/19/2023
/ Agribusiness ,
Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
Dispensaries ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Marijuana Cultivation ,
Marijuana Related Businesses
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
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
As marketplaces have become digital and more technology platforms are integrating payment solutions into the customer experience, there has been increased interest among technology companies in potentially becoming money...more
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
Welcome to Wilson Sonsini’s Focus on Fintech newsletter. This quarterly newsletter provides ongoing analysis and commentary on regulatory developments impacting the fintech industry.
The third quarter of 2022 has been a...more
11/2/2022
/ Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
CFTC ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Financial Crimes ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinCEN ,
FinTech ,
Payment Systems
On October 11, 2022, the U.S. Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced settlements with Bittrex Inc. (Bittrex). The settlements arise from violations of...more
10/19/2022
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Financial Institutions ,
FinCEN ,
Money Laundering ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Popular ,
Sanctions
Wilson Sonsini provides extensive and cutting-edge legal services for innovators, technology pioneers, and disruptors. As part of our focus on emerging technologies, our attorneys are publishing a series on applying and...more
The global NFT (non-fungible token) market now is worth dozens of billions of dollars annually. Innovators and early adopters, marketplaces, and sellers, are all eager to join this market but may have questions about how to...more
5/24/2022
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Blockchain ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Markets ,
Money Laundering ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Popular ,
Virtual Currency
On August 27, 2021 the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency released guidance on Conducting Due Diligence on Financial...more
11/10/2021
/ Asset Management ,
Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Digital Assets ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
Popular ,
Risk Management ,
UK