RegFi Episode 4: Consumer Reports Evaluates Fintech to Empower Consumers
The Compliance Challenge: Managing Legal & Regulatory Risk
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year”—or is it? Unfortunately, it can be the most wonderful time for criminals, who try to prey on financial generosity through scams and frauds. Extra vigilance is needed during the...more
Approaches and developments - The government of the British Virgin Islands (“BVI”) and the BVI Financial Services Commission (“FSC”) – the principal financial services regulator – have progressed important initiatives in...more
This season of Explainer Things is progressing nicely, don’t you think? We’ve introduced our recurring characters, like cryptocurrency, data privacy, and CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. We’ve established the tone – lighthearted...more
On Friday, September 16, 2022, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced a formalized focus on digital asset abuse by publically releasing a 46 page report on the Role of Law Enforcement in Detecting, Investigating, and...more
On July 27, CFPB Director Chopra was interviewed in multiple publications, here and here, about, among other topics, how the CFPB could seek to help mortgage borrowers strained by the Federal Reserve’s battle against...more
As a result of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, effective for Tax Returns for the Calendar year 2022, small business that accept payment cards as a form of payment will receive a Form 1099-K for the gross amount of the...more
In light of Elon Musk’s recent offer to buy Twitter, Inc. (“Twitter”) there has been a resurgence in the desire to develop decentralized social media platforms. In efforts to avoid being at the whim of a single company or...more
Decentralized finance, DeFi, has quickly grown in popularity and is beginning to gain the attention of regulators attempting to stay ahead of one of the latest investor crazes. Blockchain-based financial technology such as...more
I read an interesting article by Justin Brown and Lisa Schreter of Littler Mendelson about the usage of cryptocurrency as a way of paying employees. As if those of us who advise management did not have enough headaches, this...more
On 19 January 2022, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) published a consultation paper (CP22/2) (the “Consultation”) setting out its proposals to strengthen its financial promotion rules for high-risk investments...more
As cryptocurrency, decentralized finance (DeFi), and other uses of blockchain technology continue to proliferate, global regulators are grappling with how best to regulate their use. We have previously written about the...more
On October 28, 2021, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the international body that sets standards for anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT), released updated guidance addressing the...more
What first started as a meme featuring a fluffy dog with poor grammar has now resulted in a trademark fight over the ownership of an estimated $80 billion brand. If the progression of this Internet sensation has left your...more
Bitcoin was first introduced in a 2009 white paper, Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System. Since then, cryptocurrencies, also known as virtual or digital currencies, have exploded, with thousands of different types...more
As NFTs gain popularity, buyers and sellers should consider the potential issues related to federal anti-money laundering laws. While non-fungible tokens (“NFTs”) have existed for several years, the market for NFTs grew...more
On March 19, 2021, the Financial Action Task Force (“FATF”), an intergovernmental body tasked with setting international standards aimed at preventing money laundering and terrorist financing (“FATF Standards”), released its...more
Recently proposed regulations could present significant compliance burdens for the banks and money service businesses that engage in cryptocurrency transactions with unhosted wallets or wallets held in jurisdictions specified...more
Earlier this month, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the money laundering convictions of Thomas Costanzo, a bitcoin broker. According to Costanzo, the bitcoin transfers at issue, which originated from and were...more
The first official guidance on the taxation of cryptocurrency transactions in more than five years has been issued. The guidance includes both a Revenue Ruling (Rev. Rul. 2019-24, 2019-44 I.R.B. 1) and answers to...more
On October 9, 2019, the IRS released Revenue Ruling 2019-24, which provides guidance with respect to hard forks and airdrops of cryptocurrency, and new frequently asked questions (FAQs), which provide guidance on other...more
Some Answers — Producing Even More Questions - On May 9, 2019, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) published a comprehensive “interpretive guidance” (the “Guidance”) to “remind” businesses and individuals...more
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued guidance on May 9, 2019, underscoring the application of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and its implementing regulations relating to money...more
For the past several years, advocates of crypto assets and other public uses of blockchain technology have sought guidance from U.S. regulators regarding the legal implications of new or novel uses of that technology....more
First Post in a Two-Part Series - Recent actions in the crypto realm demonstrate that authorities and regulators have not slackened their commitment to applying and enforcing Anti-Money Laundering (“AML”) laws and...more
Hemos leído que la Moneda Virtual (MV) es un "activo especulativo" que, en determinadas circunstancias, puede utilizarse para pagar bienes o servicios o ser retenido para inversiones; y que su intercambio o uso de intercambio...more