The United States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion received an education in the uses of blockchain technology in a hearing titled “Crypto Crime in Context: Breaking Down the Illicit Activity in Digital Assets” on Nov. 15. The hearing was bipartisan in nature, chair French Hill stated at the outset. …
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The weeklong Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit began on Nov. 11 in San Francisco. The highlight of the event will surely be on the sidelines, when United States President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Ping meet on Nov. 15. But with the focus of the organization being on the regional economy, the finance ministers’…
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Nonprofit ethics group Campaign for Accountability (CfA) sent a letter to U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Sherrod Brown on Nov. 9 to present them with information on the alleged use of cryptocurrency in money laundering. The letter discussed the Tron blockchain and stablecoin issuer Circle in particular. In the letter signed by CfA executive director…
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Pro-crypto Congressman Tom Emmer is advancing an amendment aimed at depriving the United States securities regulator from using government funds to go after crypto enforcement. On Nov. 8, Emmer attached an amendment to HR 4664 — the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, or federal budget. The amendment, which has passed unopposed, prohibits the…
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The United States Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has proposed a rule to allow it to supervise large non-bank digital wallet and app providers. The rule is part of a larger move by the agency that has seen it extend its supervision to consumer reporting, consumer debt collection, student loan servicing, international money transfers and…
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Coinbase has expanded its Global Advisory Council with four national security experts, it announced on Nov. 7. The new members will help the cryptocurrency exchange assess the impact of regulatory uncertainty in the United States. The Coinbase council will take on a decidedly more strategic tone with the new members. Mark Esper is a former…
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The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has released its annual examination of the most serious management and performance challenges facing the agency. Crypto was on its list, as no surprise to anyone in the crypto community. The OIG’s “Statement on the SEC’s Management and Performance…
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A suite of documents was published in the United Kingdom on Nov. 6 that concern stablecoin regulation. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) released a discussion paper, as did the Bank of England (BOE). To accompany those, the BOE’s Prudential Regulatory Authority (PRA) released a letter to CEOs of deposit-taking institutions, and the BOE released a…
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The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) recognized two more tokens on Nov. 2, adding XRP (XRP) and Toncoin (TON) to its list of recognized tokens. They join Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and Litecoin (LTC) as coins recognized in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The tokens’ new status will allow financial institutions in the DIFC…
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Rules for crypto asset promotion that came into force in the United Kingdom on Oct. 8 have led to some confusion, judging from the low level of compliance. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) responded with additional guidance for crypto firms to help them fall into line. The FCA released “finalized non-handbook guidance” to compliance with…
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