Crypto exchange Binance US and its founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) are reportedly looking for ways to reduce his stake in the firm, amid harsh scrutiny from United States federal regulators over the past year. The crypto executive — Binance US’ majority owner — has reportedly been trying to reduce his stake in the U.S.-based exchange…
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The United States Chamber of Commerce has blasted the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for its “haphazard, enforcement-based approach” to regulating the cryptocurrency industry on American soil. In an amicus brief filed to the U.S. Court of Appeals on May 9, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce threw its full weight behind Coinbase, accusing the SEC of…
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The chair of the United States House of Representatives Financial Services Committee and six subcommittee chairs have sent a letter to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Secretary Vanessa Countryman voicing their concerns over the agency’s proposed advisory clients custody rule. They join a string of crypto industry figures in expressing their objections. Financial Services…
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The Federal Reserve’s forthcoming instant payment service FedNow will be integrated with Metal Blockchain, according to a May 11 announcement from the Metal Blockchain team. The announcement said that the integration will allow Metal users to instantly convert funds to stablecoin and back again using FedNow’s “send/receive” function. Metal Blockchain’s listing in the FedNow Service…
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The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) has issued a mobile money-service license to Safaricom M-Pesa Mobile Financial Service, it announced May 11. Previously, only Telebirr, part of the state-owned Ethio Telecom network, operated in that market. Kenya-based Safaricom was also the first company to break Ethio Telecom’s monopoly on Ethiopian mobile phone service in October,…
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Paradigm, the crypto investment firm led by Coinbase co-founder Fred Ehrsam, has petitioned to file an amicus brief in support of Coinbase’s case against the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In March, Coinbase received a Wells notice from the SEC, potentially leading to the financial regulator taking enforcement action against the U.S.-based crypto…
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Watchdog group Empower Oversight Whistleblowers & Research (EMPOWR) has filed suit against the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to force the agency to comply with a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for access to communications between former SEC officials and their former and future employers. EMPOWR claimed in its suit that the…
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The United States Government Accountability Office, or GAO, has released its preliminary review of the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank — and included exposure to deposits from the cryptocurrency industry. In a report released on May 11, the GAO said “poor governance and unsatisfactory risk-management practices” led to the collapse of Signature…
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The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) is actively exploring opportunities for offline payments involving a central bank digital currency, or CBDC. On May 11, the BIS Innovation Hub Nordic Centre published a comprehensive handbook exploring how CBDCs could work for offline payments. The guide is written in collaboration with technical consultancy Consult Hyperion, addressing objectives…
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Bitcoin (BTC) headed toward $27,000 after the May 11 Wall Street open as bulls failed to show strength. BTC/USD 1-hour candle chart (Bitstamp). Source: TradingView BTC price “rolls over” after brief recovery Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView followed BTC/USD as it risked a further loss of support. After a modest recovery from local…
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