On June 25, 2024, a final judgment was entered by a federal district court against investment adviser Lufkin Advisors LLC and its principal, Chauncey Lufkin, for losing access to a crypto wallet used to manage a client’s...more
As the Web3 and digital assets ecosystem continues to grow, hacks, scams and other threats remain a major cause for concern and a potential impediment to broader adoption. Data from various sources indicates that after a year...more
The last week of June saw a flurry of legal developments in quick succession. The SEC sued Consensys, the developers of the largest self-custodial digital wallet (MetaMask). The IRS released its digital asset tax rules. The...more
EigenLayer TVL Surpasses $20B; New Self-Custodial Wallet Features Launch - According to recent reports, the total value locked (TVL) on the Ethereum network-based EigenLayer restaking protocol recently surpassed $20...more
Crypto Custody Providers Launch Institutional Focused Offerings - According to a recent press release by BitGo, a major U.S. cryptocurrency custody provider, BitGo’s GoNetwork and Copper’s ClearLoop have entered into a...more
US Exchange Approved for Crypto Futures; Wallet Integrates with Fintech Firm - A major U.S. cryptocurrency exchange recently announced that it has secured regulatory approval from the National Futures Association (NFA) to...more
Legislation Targets Unhosted Wallets, Validators and Digital Asset ATMs - On July 28th, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), reintroduced the...more
To help you keep abreast of relevant activities, below find a breakdown of some of the biggest events at the federal and state levels to impact the Consumer Finance Services industry this past week...more
New Products Launch for Crypto Futures, Wallets, Stablecoins and Settlement - According to a recent press release, a leading global options exchange has received the necessary approval from the U.S. Commodity Futures...more
New ERC-4337 Smart Contract Standard Released to Enhance Wallet Security - According to reports, Ethereum has deployed a new feature known as “account abstraction,” which has been in development for two years and can “make...more
Like Zeus unleashing the Kraken in Clash of the Titans, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has unleashed the Kraken (not the digital asset company) to unleash havoc on Genesis Global Capital LLC (Genesis) and...more
Customer lists held by providers and the personal information users enter to obtain digital wallets or set up crypto exchange accounts are enviable targets for hackers. Such data can be used to launch targeted phishing...more
As we first warned last summer, crypto property held in a custodian-controlled account could become the property of that custodian in the case of a bankruptcy filing. At the time, we recommended that crypto investors avoid...more
Part 1 – Celsius Bankruptcy - The Celsius Network was conceptualized as an alternative to conventional banking, offering its customers return rates of up to 20% on deposits of digital assets, and providing digital...more
New Research and Surveys Address CBDCs, Institutional Crypto Investment - Staff from the board of governors of the U.S. central bank recently published a research paper addressing central bank digital currencies (CBDCs)....more
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
La respuesta a la pregunta: “¿Está su criptomoneda en una Billetera Personal o en un Intercambio?” importa, ya que hemos aprendido que las criptomonedas que se mantienen en un “Crypto Exchange” (Intercambio) NO es lo mismo...more
A large U.S.-based financial services company launched its crypto services arm last week, providing consumers with a platform to buy and sell cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). According to reports, the...more
U.S. Developments - Federal and State Regulatory Developments - U.S. Department of Homeland Security Issues Challenge for Development of Trusted User Interface for Digital Wallets - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security...more
UK regulations implementing the EU 5th Money Laundering Directive (“5MLD”) came into force on 10 January 2020: the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (“MLR 2019”). The regulations make a...more