REGULATION
Cryptocurrencies are not issued by a monetary authority, are not controlled or regulated and their price is determined by the supply and demand of their market.
HSBC Chief Legal Officer Stuart Levey Gets Appointed as Libra’s New CEO, Expert in Dealing with Regulatory Backlash
The Libra Association appointed its first CEO, Stuart Levey, the Chief Legal Officer at HSBC Holdings. Levey will be overseeing the Libra digital currency and payments system and holds a strong compliance track record and is expected to join Libra in the coming months. However, HSBC has not shown the same upright compliance record. Levey is also expected to “combine technology innovation with robust compliance and regulatory framework.” The Facebook-led project has invited scrutiny from global regulators, with concerns over its threat to national sovereignty with its potential launch. Many of Libra’s original members, including Vodafone, PayPal, and Visa have also chosen to leave the association.
Dutch Central Bank Forces Crypto Firms to Register Within Two Weeks or Face Cease and Desist
The Dutch Central Bank, De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) has announced that crypto companies must register with the authority by May 18, or to stop operating immediately. DNB has looking to enforce the Dutch anti-money laundering (AML) laws, which was passed by the Dutch Parliament in April to comply with the Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD4) laws. The Dutch AML laws are in compliance with the Financial Action Task Force-recommended AML directives and standards.
European Central Bank Encourages Clear Regulatory Structure for Stablecoins to Reap the Benefits While Minimizing Potential Risks
The European Central Bank (ECB) published an in-depth report on global stablecoins, focusing on highlighting the requirement for clear regulatory parameters for stablecoins, and the risks it may pose to financial stability. The ECB suggests that a “robust regulatory framework” must be established to address risks before its benefits could be explored.
Why Hong Kong is Still Not Ready to Become Asia's Leader in Crypto and Blockchain
During a live webinar, as part of the UK FinTech Week, Clara Chiu, the Head of Fintech Unit & Director of Licensing at the SFC explicitly stated that Hong Kong does not have the mandate to create a large regulatory regime for cryptocurrencies or to attract more investors or players in the crypto field. Rather than promoting the crypto sector, Hong Kong is rather focused on protecting investors and promoting new regulations for the same reason. Is focusing on licensing enough for the city?
Facebook’s Libra Could Do to the Payment Sector What Elon Musk's SpaceX Did to the Space Industry, Binance Research Reveals
Libra has released its updated whitepaper, marking several significant changes towards providing individual stablecoins for major fiat currencies, including USD, EUR, GBP, and Libra Coin.
Oxford Law Researchers Call for Strict Cryptocurrency Regulation to Avoid Another Financial Crisis
Researchers at Oxford University Law Faculty claim that crypto market regulation is mandatory to prevent systemic risk in times of financial crisis.
Cryptopia Users Win New Zealand Ruling Over Locked Cryptocurrency as High Court Declares them "Property"
Clients of Cryptopia exchange will finally get their funds back after a New Zealand high court classifies the rules that they are entitled to their funds.
Has Judgement Finally Come for 2017 ICOs? Class Action Lawsuits Name Binance, BitMEX and Block.One Among Host of Crypto Defendants
Crypto Giants Binance, BitMEX, along with Executives CZ, Arthur Hayes Named Among Defendants in 11 Class Action Suits For Violating Securities Laws.
What are the New Amendments in Japan’s Crypto Laws to be Enforced Next Month?
Japan will be enforcing new cryptocurrency-related regulations in May, as two of the pieces of legislation were passed by the Japanese House of Representatives last year. The Payment Services Act (PSA) and the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (FIEA) were originally scheduled to come into effect in April, however, there has been a delay and the final enforcement date has been officially pushed to May.
Judge Denies Telegram's Appeal to Issue Grams to Non-US Entities, Says it's Too Late to Question SEC Jurisdiction
US Federal Judge P. Kevin Castel has denied Telegram’s request to issue its Gram tokens to overseas investors.
TON Developers Threaten to Go Rogue and Launch Network as Telegram Battles SEC Lawsuit
While the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) may have temporarily succeeded in stopping the launch of Telegram’s TON network, can they really stop open-source technology?
US CFTC Reaches Clarity on Interpretive Guidance on the Physical Delivery of Traded Cryptocurrency
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced that the Commission has voted unanimously and has clarified the guidance on the question of the physical delivery of digital assets.
Telegram Prohibited from Issuing Gram Tokens as US Court Grants SEC's Injunction
A United States District Court has sided with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) granting an injunction against Telegram to to temporarily prevent the company from issuing its Gram tokens.
Hawaii Pushes Out New Digital Currency Regulatory Sandbox to Boost Crypto Growth
The government of Hawaii has recently announced its establishment of a regulatory sandbox for digital currency companies. The partnership between the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Division of Financial Institutions (DFI) and Hawaii Technology Development Corporation (HTDC) will see the launch of Hawaii’s first pilot program aimed for digital currencies.
Zimbabwe’s Central Bank Finally Takes a Big U-Turn to Regulate Cryptocurrencies
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, the country’s central bank, revealed that it would develop a regulatory framework to check operations of companies dealing with cryptocurrencies. The Chronicle, the local newspaper, reported that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has already begun drafting a policy framework to guide business activities of cryptocurrency firms.