The biggest regulatory story of the week, if not the year, has been the United States Security and Exchange Commission’s lack of opposition to the launch of the first-ever Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds, which took eight long years to materialize. While the first ETFs are tracking CME-traded Bitcoin futures rather than the asset’s spot price, the
Regulation
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is set to officially introduced the country’s central bank digital currency (CBDC), the eNaira. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has published a document in which it reaffirmed its intention to introduce the eNaira, after previously attempting but failing to do so on Oct. 1. According to the Design Paper for
New York-based decentralized prediction market Polymarket has come under investigations from the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). According to an Oct. 23 report from Bloomberg citing anonymous sources, the CFTC is investigating whether Polymarket is allowing its customers to trade binary options and swaps that should be registered with the financial regulator. The
In her monthly Expert Take column, Selva Ozelli, an international tax attorney and CPA, covers the intersection between emerging technologies and sustainability, and provides the latest developments around taxes, AML/CFT regulations and legal issues affecting crypto and blockchain. Lately, news headlines are focused on regulators’ concerns over the lack of investor protections in the cryptocurrency
Hong Kong, one of the most significant and leading financial centers in the world, has played a large role in the development of cryptocurrencies. For instance, the Chinese territory has birthed some of the most established and successful crypto companies to date including the crypto derivatives exchange FTX, along with the digital asset platform Crypto.com.
On the opening day of Messari Mainnet 2021, New York City’s long-awaited first crypto conference since the start of COVID-19, reports came blazing in via a viral tweet that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission had served a subpoena to an event panelist at the top of an escalator in broad daylight. While it’s
With regulatory bodies rumored to soon accept a pure Bitcoin (BTC)-backed exchange-traded fund, it is important to understand the journey of some of the first crypto-based ETFs that have recently been approved by government agencies. The United States Securities and Exchange Commission approved a Bitcoin-adjacent ETF, giving investors the opportunity to gain exposure to Bitcoin
The proposal was filed with the Texas Secretary of State, which sought to address and clarify the reporting requirements of political contributions made with cryptocurrencies. According to the filing: “The new rule permits candidates, officeholders, and political committees to accept cryptocurrency. It does not distinguish between any types of cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin.” If approved, cryptocurrency
Valkyrie’s Bitcoin (BTC) futures-based exchange-traded fund (ETF) is poised to follow the launch of ProShares’ Bitcoin Strategy ETF on Friday. Valkyrie Bitcoin Strategy ETF is finally effective and is set to start trading on Nasdaq under the ticker BTF on Friday, Valkyrie confirmed to Cointelegraph on Thursday. The launch comes after the United States Securities
But others, like Arca CEO Rayne Steinberg, had “mixed feelings” about the events. While pleased that a much-awaited crypto investment vehicle finally received regulatory approval — ending eight years of futility on the part of U.S. fund issuers — he had some misgivings about the product that finally met the approval of the SEC, specifically
Ripple chief executive Brad Garlinghouse has been airing his thoughts over the state of the crypto market and regulations, and a grudge over the financial regulator’s approach to Ethereum appears to have surfaced. Speaking at the DC Fintech Week virtual conference on Oct. 21, the Ripple boss declared that Ethereum had been granted a regulatory
Wally Adeyemo, the Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of the Treasury, said the department would likely be enforcing more sanctions on companies involved in illicit transactions related to ransomware payments. Speaking at an online event hosted by the Center for a New American Security with former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and Ambassador Paula
The odds of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approving a Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF) before a physical Bitcoin ETF are higher than ever, courtesy of Chairman Gary Gensler’s now oft-repeated preference for the former. But here’s the issue: an ETF built around crypto futures isn’t the most efficient, economical or easiest
The Russian government is considering a new project to mine Bitcoin (BTC) with associated petroleum gas. Vasiliy Shpak, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Russia, has reportedly filed a proposal with the Russian central bank and the Ministry of Digital Development to use the country’s oil field equipment for mining cryptocurrency. According to a report
The High Court of Sindh (SHC), the highest judicial body in Pakistan’s Sindh Province, has asked the government to come up with modalities for cryptocurrency regulation. According to Pakistani English daily The Express Tribune, the SHC gave the instruction while hearing a petition brought before the court challenging the legality of the country’s 2018 crypto
After dipping below $30,000 in June, Bitcoin (BTC) went on a nearly four-month rally, appreciating by more than 100%. On Oct. 15, it was able to recapture the $60,000 level after closing the day with a 7.56% spike. The ensuing rally was attributed to the excitement around the SEC giving the green light on the