St. Louis Fed Rejects Notion of Central Bank-Issued Cryptocurrencies

The St. Louis Federal Reserve has published an essay critically evaluating the notion of cryptocurrencies that are issued by central banks. The article is highly dismissive in presenting what it describes as “the non-case for central bank cryptocurrencies,” concluding that “a central bank will not issue cryptocurrencies in the sense of a truly decentralized and … Read more

Malta’s Cabinet Approves Cryptocurrency Bill

The Cabinet of Malta has approved three bills related to cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. One bill in particular, the Virtual Financial Assets Bill, provides a regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies and initial coin offerings. Also read: Yahoo! Japan Confirms Entrance Into the Crypto Space Crypto Bill Approved by Cabinet The Cabinet of Malta approved three bills on … Read more

New Self-Regulatory Rules for Crypto Exchanges in South Korea Clarified

The majority of South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges are implementing new self-regulatory rules and performing self-inspection. The industry group in charge of leading the efforts has clarified the differences between the new and old self-regulatory rules for its 23 exchange members. Also read: Russian Regulators Draft Law to Restrict Crypto Mining, Payments, and Token Sales Promoting Safe … Read more

Quebec Chief Scientist Rejects “Myth” of Widespread Illicit Bitcoin Use

The Chief Scientist of Quebec, Rémi Quirion, has published a document rejecting the popular “myth” that illicit transactions are among those for which bitcoin is principally used. Quebec’s Chief Scientist is closely associated with the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) – a publicly funded institution dedicated to “providing support for the production and dissemination … Read more

Angellist: Number of New Crypto Job Listings Doubled in the Last Three Months

Angellist, a popular website that allows startups to raise money from angel investors, has revealed data about new crypto job listings on its platform. The company details the hiring needs of companies in the crypto space and what jobs are in demand. Also read: Russian Regulators Draft Law to Restrict Crypto Mining, Payments, and Token Sales … Read more

Hong Kong and Singapore Emerge as New Meccas for Token Sales

Two countries have recently emerged as the new Meccas for token sales following bans in China and South Korea. The number of initial coin offerings in Singapore and Hong Kong has skyrocketed in recent months, as companies seek a favorable environment to raise funds outside their home countries. Also read: Yahoo! Japan Confirms Entrance Into the … Read more

16 Regulated Crypto Exchanges Unveil Plans to Restore Public Trust in Japan

The new Japanese cryptocurrency association comprising of sixteen government-approved exchanges debuted on Monday. The group has unveiled its plans to spearhead self-regulation in order to rebuild the public’s trust in the crypto industry. Also read: Yahoo! Japan Confirms Entrance Into the Crypto Space New Japanese Association Debuts Sixteen fully-licensed cryptocurrency exchanges in Japan have formally launched … Read more

Bitcoin in Brief Tuesday: Wary Giants, Eager Dwarfs

For some obvious reasons, but also irrational fears, big players like China, Russia, and the European Union are wary of cryptos like bitcoin. Centralized control doesn’t square with decentralization. However, often that’s not how their own regions and smaller neighbors feel about cryptocurrencies. In today’s Bitcoin in Brief we cover some recent developments mirroring this … Read more

Half of the ICO Money in Russia Went to Pyramids

Russian ICOs attracted a total of $300 million last year but half of the funds went to financial pyramids, according to the Russian Association of Cryptocurrencies and Blockchain. The organization that represents the crypto community in the country is now working on an ICO standard to help investors distinguish real projects from fraudulent schemes. Russian … Read more

Finland Has Identified Thousands of Bitcoin Traders Who Owe Taxes

The Finnish government has revealed the number of taxpayers who owe taxes from bitcoin-related income. The country’s Tax Administration claims to have “different ways to combine information and identify people” who owe taxes from crypto profits, which are now “well over ten times higher than last year.” Also read: Russian Regulators Draft Law to Restrict Crypto … Read more