Regulation

Before crypto exchange FTX and its founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) got tied down around allegations of misappropriation of users’ funds, SBF was among the most influential crypto entrepreneurs. Long before FTX collapsed, an allegedly leaked email exchange with a top regulator shows SBF’s intent to get the exchange federally regulated. On May 28, 2022, nearly

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) and Switzerland’s financial regulator reportedly believe that the acquisition of investment bank Credit Suisse by UBS, Switzerland’s largest bank, is the “only option” to prevent a “collapse in confidence” in Credit Suisse. According to a March 18 Financial Times report citing three people familiar with the situation, Switzerland is preparing

What is the Howey test? The Howey test is a legal test used in the United States to determine whether a transaction qualifies as an investment contract and, thus, is considered a security under federal law. The test was established by the U.S. Supreme Court in SEC v. W.J. Howey Co. (1946), and it has

The lawyer representing crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) in the ongoing FTX case will soon present a revised bail package to Judge Lewis Kaplan of the Southern District of New York. The move comes after Kaplan expressed displeasure about SBF’s use of encrypted-messaging apps and virtual private network (VPN) services while out on bail. Legal

Institutional cryptocurrency custodian Protego’s conditional national trust banking charter has expired without it receiving permanent approval, according to a March 17 report in Fortune. A spokesperson for the United States Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) told Fortune that the firm did not meet pre-conversion requirements. According to the spokesperson: “[The] pre-conversion requirements

Global economic conditions are tightening; interest rates are in flux; and inflation has yet to be curbed. Considering the economic headwinds, the fact that Silvergate Bank, Silicon Valley Bank and other banks are breaking is not surprising.  But why now? Quickly rising interest rates are extremely disruptive to banking models, but the collapse of these

Signature Bank in particular served the likes of Paxos Trust and Celsius and other major crypto firms that suffered as a result of the decisions taken by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and New York State Department of Financial Services. Meanwhile Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) reportedly handled over $5 billion of funds for a handful

Our weekly roundup of news from East Asia curates the industry’s most important developments. Chinese billionaire arrested in U.S. for $1B financial fraud  According to an announcement published by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on Mar. 15, Chinese billonaire Ho Wan Kwok (aka Miles Guo and more commonly as Guo Wengui), has been arrested

The United States-based crypto advocacy group Blockchain Association called on financial regulators to provide information related to the potential “de-banking of crypto firms” in the wake of the failures of the Signature, Silicon Valley Bank and Silvergate banks. In a March 16 notice, the Blockchain Association said it had submitted Freedom of Information Act requests

In episode 11 of Hashing It Out, Cointelegraph’s Elisha Owusu Akyaw speaks to Steven McClurg, the chief investment officer of Valkyrie Investments, about the state of Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and the way forward. Regulators in the United States have mounted stiff opposition against listing Bitcoin spot ETFs even though Canadian and European regulators

The United States Federal Reserve has confirmed a July launch date for its long-awaited instant payments system, seen by some as an alternative to central bank digital currencies and stablecoins. The instant payment network will settle payments in seconds and can support transactions between consumers, merchants and banks. It does not rely on blockchain technology.

The United States Justice Department announced on March 15 that it was pressing charges against a resident of Hanoi, Vietnam, in connection to the operation of the ChipMixer. The announcement came shortly after it became known that a Europol action led by German law enforcement had closed down the Vietnam-based crypto mixer. The U.S. Attorney’s

United States officials want to remove a provision included in bankrupt lender Voyager Digital’s plan to sell its digital assets to crypto exchange Binance.US that would prevent them from legally pursuing anyone involved with the sale.  In a motion filed on March 14 in a New York bankruptcy court, U.S. trustee William Harrington and other

The cryptocurrency-friendly Signature Bank was reportedly being investigated by two United States government bodies prior to its collapse. According to a March 15 Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter, investigators with the Justice Department were examining whether Signature took adequate measures to detect potential money laundering by its clients. It was noted the

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase filed an amicus brief in support of a motion to dismiss the case brought by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against former Coinbase product manager Ishan Wahi and other for insider trading. Coinbase condemns the defendants conduct, it said in the brief, but supports the defendants’ motion because of

Amid multiple ongoing investigations, FTX continues to move funds. Addresses related to the failed crypto exchange reportedly transferred around $145 million in stablecoins to various platforms.  As Lookonchain spotted on March 14, three wallets associated with FTX and its subsidiary, Alameda Research, have moved 69.64 million Tether (USDT) and 75.94 million USD Coin (USDC). The

The United States should lead the development of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) away from being “surveillance coins” and towards being “freedom coins,” says the former chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). In a Mar. 13 op-ed in The Hill, Christopher Giancarlo, nicknamed “Crypto Dad” for his pro-crypto outlook, said the U.S. “must

Barney Frank, a former member of the United States House of Representatives, has reportedly suggested New York regulators closed the crypto-friendly Signature Bank as part of a seeming show of force. According to a March 13 CNBC report, Frank — also a board member of Signature Bank — said the only indication of problems at

The broader cryptocurrency community continues to debate the ongoing fallout following the closure of three major American banks, with calls for neobank services for the industry on the cards. Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), which has traditionally served startups across several innovation sector industries, was shuttered by California’s Department of Financial Protection and Innovation on March

The United States Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FIDC) started an auction process the night of March 11 for Silicon Valley Bank, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources. Bids were to be only open for just a few hours before the process closes on March 12.  According to Bloomberg’s sources, the FDIC is seeking a buyer for