New York Approves Its First Publicly Available Japanese Yen Stablecoin

The New York State Department of Financial Services, the Bitlicense regulator, has authorized GMO to issue U.S. dollar and Japanese yen-pegged stablecoins. The latter “will be the first of its kind available to the public.” To date, the regulator has given out 27 charters and licenses for companies engaged in crypto activities. First Regulated Yen … Read more

$200 Billion in Fines: Mega Banks Rack up Penalties From Illegal Activities

Top U.S. banks have racked up almost $200 billion in fines and penalties over the past 20 years from illegal activities in 395 major legal cases. Bank of America tops the list, followed by JPMorgan, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo, according to a new report, which also covers Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. Big Banks’ $200 … Read more

Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary Warns Regulators Will Come Down Hard on Bitcoin — ‘It Will Be Brutal’

Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary, also known as Mr. Wonderful, has warned about regulators coming down hard on bitcoin. In addition, he says that “even if bitcoin were to go up another 2,000%, it’s completely irrelevant to institutional clients.” Kevin O’Leary Warns of Brutal Bitcoin Regulation, Says Bitcoin Is Not an Institutional Product Canadian investor … Read more

SEC Lawsuit: Tierion to Refund Investors From Its $25 Million Token Sale

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has taken action against another startup in the crypto space for selling unregistered securities. Tierion, which raised $25 million in a token sale, has agreed to “return money to investors” and disable the trading of its token. SEC Brings Charges Against Tierion Over Its Crypto Offering Texas-based blockchain … Read more

US Regulator Sues Crypto Hedge Fund Founder — $25 Million in Digital Assets to Be Frozen

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a lawsuit against a cryptocurrency hedge fund founder for fraud. The regulator is seeking an emergency order freezing $25 million in digital assets held by a crypto hedge fund he controls. Crypto Hedge Fund Founder Sued in the US The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has … Read more

Biden Administration May Roll Back Some Crypto Regulations, Top Banking Regulator Warns

The top U.S. banking regulator is concerned that the Biden administration may roll back some cryptocurrency regulations aimed at protecting consumers. This includes allowing national banks to custody crypto assets put in place during the Trump administration. Biden Administration Could Change US Crypto Regulations Acting Comptroller of the Currency, Brian Brooks, shared several concerns regarding … Read more

Russian Parliament Foresees a Wave of Token Issuance for 2021 in the Wake of Crypto Law Promulgation

The head of the Russian parliamentary committee on financial markets and the country’s first crypto law’s author is forecasting a “surge in token issuance” for 2021 in the wake of the promulgation expected to take place in January. Russian Parliament Expects a ‘Surge in Token Issuance’ for 2021 After Crypto Law Promulgation According to the … Read more

The US SEC Fines Shipchain $2 Million for Conducting an Unregistered Token Offering: Company Agrees to Cease Operations

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued a cease and desist order against Shipchain and ordered it to pay a penalty of $2.05 million. Additionally, the regulator has directed Shipchain, a shipping and logistics company, to transfer Ship tokens in the possession or control of the company’s directors to a “fund administrator.” Unregistered … Read more

Localbitcoins Trader Facing up to 40 Years in Prison Over Bitcoin Fraud Schemes

A trader on Localbitcoins and Paxful has pleaded guilty to charges in connection with a couple of bitcoin scams. The U.S. Department of Justice alleges that the trader knowingly sold bitcoin to victims of fraudulent schemes. Bitcoin Trader Facing Jail Time The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced last week that a Boston man has … Read more

Electronic Frontier Foundation: US Government Will Expand Financial Surveillance Through FinCEN’s Proposed Crypto Wallet Rules

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) raised concerns about the strengthening financial surveillance through the proposed crypto regulations announced by the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The Nonprofit Organization Is Concerned About New Rules on Self-Hosted Crypto Wallets Proposed by FinCEN According to the nonprofit organization based in the United States, the FinCEN is … Read more