Belarus has introduced a legal framework for so-called “cryptobanks,” formally integrating digital asset activity into the country’s regulated banking system under direct state oversight. On Friday, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed Decree No. 19, defining how crypto banks may operate and what conditions they must meet to enter the market. The decree positions cryptobanks as…
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Google is rolling out updated crypto app requirements in South Korea, a move that may significantly restrict access to offshore crypto exchanges by tying app availability to local regulatory clearance. According to South Korean media outlet News1, starting Jan. 28, crypto exchange and wallet apps listed on Google Play in South Korea must upload documentation…
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India’s crypto industry is renewing calls for tax reform ahead of the country’s February Union Budget, arguing that the current framework is discouraging onshore activity as regulatory compliance requirements continue to tighten. India’s current crypto tax framework, introduced in 2022, levies a flat 30% tax on crypto gains and applies a 1% tax deducted at…
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Nigeria is rolling out a new approach to cryptocurrency oversight that relies on tax and identity systems rather than blockchain surveillance, as part of a sweeping reform of its tax regime. Under its newly implemented tax reforms, crypto service providers are required to link transactions to Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) and, where applicable, National Identification…
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Thailand has launched a campaign against so-called “gray money,” tightening oversight across physical gold markets and digital assets as part of an effort to close money-laundering loopholes, according to local reports. The push, reportedly ordered by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, brings traditionally separate asset classes under a single framework to combat illicit finance. Local media…
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Corporate Bitcoin investor Strategy added another 13,627 Bitcoin to its balance sheet last week, spending $1.25 billion as it continues accumulating Bitcoin early in the year. The purchase marks the company’s biggest BTC buy since July. In a Form 9-K filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, the company disclosed on Monday that its…
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The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has brought into force a major update to its Crypto Token Regulatory Framework, shifting responsibility for crypto token suitability assessments from the regulator to licensed companies operating in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Dubai’s financial free economic zone. Under the revised rules, which took effect on Monday, companies…
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Florida lawmakers are advancing a proposal that would allow the state to create a strategic cryptocurrency reserve, narrowing earlier efforts to a framework that would effectively limit holdings to bitcoin. According to Florida’s legislative records, Senate Bill (SB) 1038, sponsored by Republican Senator Joe Gruters, was filed on Dec. 30 and was referred to the…
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South Korea’s financial authorities are reportedly weighing whether to allow regulators to preemptively freeze crypto accounts suspected of price manipulation. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) is reviewing the introduction of a payment suspension system that would block transactions before suspects launder potentially illicit gains, local outlet Newsis reported Tuesday. The measure would mirror tools already…
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Japan appears to be moving to bring cryptocurrencies deeper into its traditional market rulebook, signaling that regulators want digital assets handled through established exchanges and securities-style oversight rather than a parallel system. The direction was underscored on Monday by Finance Minister and Financial Services Minister Satsuki Katayama, who publicly backed traditional securities exchanges and market…
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