Regulation

Stuart Alderoty, the chief legal officer of Ripple Labs, as well as members of the XRP (XRP) community, have expressed their support on X (formerly Twitter) for United States Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner Hester Peirce’s stance against perceived “injustice” in the LBRY lawsuit. Alderoty thanked Peirce and suggested that when ongoing injustices occur in non-fraud

Hester Peirce of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued a dissenting opinion on the regulator’s lawsuit against blockchain firm LBRY. In an Oct. 27 statement, Peirce described feeling “unsettled” following the SEC’s enforcement action against LBRY in March 2021. In November 2022, a judge ruled in favor of the SEC, stating

The jury overseeing the criminal trial of Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried listened to the former FTX CEO’s testimony for the first time, which involved largely denying knowledge of fraudulent activities at the crypto exchange. According to reports from the New York courtroom on Oct. 27, Bankman-Fried suggested Wang, the former chief technology officer at FTX, had

On Oct. 25, Taiwanese legislators introduced the Virtual Asset Management Bill to the unicameral parliament, the Legislative Yuan. The bill aims to provide “better protection” for the customers and “properly supervise” the industry.  The 30-page bill appears moderate in its demands for the industry. It suggests some common sense obligations for the virtual asset service

Our weekly roundup of news from East Asia curates the industry’s most important developments. Largest money laundering scandal in Australia unravels Changjiang Currency Exchange, a money transmitter business based in Australia, has beenbustedin a $145 million ($230 million Aussie dollar) money laundering scandal. On October 26 a 300-strong police operation spanning Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide,

Attorneys representing the United States Justice Department rested their case against Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried after more than three weeks of expert witnesses and testimonies from former FTX and Alameda employees.  According to reports from the courtroom on Oct. 26, the U.S. government’s last witness before resting was FBI agent Mark Troiano, who primarily testified on

Pro-Ripple lawyer John Deaton said he expects a lengthy legal process in the United States Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) vs. Ripple case — possibly lasting a year. Deaton suggested that a settlement may only be considered if Coinbase’s motion to dismiss the SEC’s case against it is successful.  In a detailed post on X (formerly known as Twitter), Deaton

GTA and CoD veterans’ new studio collabs with Immutable Web3 gaming ecosystem Immutable is helping Random Games join the blockchain gaming world. The studio was founded by veteran developers and storytellers from famous franchises including Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty, Fortnite, Batman, Star Trek, The Walking Dead, Star Wars and South Park. The collaboration

Former FTX CEO Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried will testify as part of his defense case, said his attorney Mark Cohen. In an Oct. 25 telephone conference between SBF’s lawyers, prosecutors, and Judge Lewis Kaplan, Cohen said following the prosecution completing the presentation of its case on Oct. 26, his team planned to call three witnesses as

The United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has extended the commentaries period for crypto tax reporting rules proposed in August 2023. The public consultation will last until Nov. 13.  The “Gross Proceeds and Basis Reporting by Brokers and Determination of Amount Realized and Basis for Digital Asset Transactions” rules were made public on Aug. 29.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is at it again. With mainstream press outlets including Germany’s Deutsche Welle running sensationalist headlines — “How cryptocurrency fueled Hamas’ terrorist attack” — Warren is using Hamas’ attack on Israel to fuel her own war on cryptocurrency. Crypto’s role in the conflict came into focus on Oct. 10, when Israeli police

Lawyers representing Binance and CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao have filed statements in support of a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in March. In an Oct. 23 filing in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, CZ’s and Binance’s attorneys made several legal claims

The United States government may be losing regulatory oversight of the stablecoin market, according to a new report by blockchain research firm Chainalysis. Stablecoin activity has been increasingly occurring through entities that aren’t licensed in the United States, Chainalysis stated in its latest North America cryptocurrency report released on Oct. 23. According to Chainalysis’ findings,

Adelle Nazarian is the top staffer at the American Blockchain PAC, where she serves as its CEO. But she has a long story to tell about her life prior to her time in the crypto industry — from her Persian roots to her career in journalism. Nazarian, who worked as a freelance journalist after serving

California legislators have proposed a new bill titled “Digital financial asset transaction kiosks,” calling for a cap on crypto ATM withdrawals of $1,000 per day in light of growing scams. Additionally, starting in 2025, the law would limit operators’ fees to $5 or 15% (whichever is higher). The bill, if approved, would come into effect on

The market for FTX creditor claims has been heating up, with some claims now reportedly selling for more than 50 cents on the dollar, according to Thomas Braziel, partner at 117 Partners — a firm specializing in crypto bankruptcy claims.  Braziel told Cointelegraph that a claim worth more than $20 million recently sold for between

The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong announced it will update its policies on virtual currency sales and requirements “in light of the latest market developments and enquiries from the industry”. In an Oct. 20 notice, the SFC said under the updated guidelines, certain virtual currency products will only be available to professional

The United States Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, issued an alert for financial institutions as part of efforts to identify “suspicious activity” related to funding terrorist groups. In an Oct. 20 notice, FinCEN said that the militant group Hamas — behind the Oct. 7 attack on Israel — employed “fundraising campaigns involving

Cryptocurrency advocacy group DeFi Education Fund (DEF) has urged a United States court to consider the unique aspects of blockchain technology when evaluating the privacy rights of cryptocurrency users under the Fourth Amendment. DEF filed an amicus brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals (First Circuit) on Oct. 20, supporting James Harper’s appeal against the

Top Stories This Week Grayscale files for new spot Bitcoin ETF on NYSE Arca Major cryptocurrency investment firm Grayscale Investments has filed a new application with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a new spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF). The new filing aligns with Grayscale’s ongoing effort to convert its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust into