Tag Archives: Regulations

Poor cybersecurity practices within the decentralized finance (DeFi) industry present a threat to crypto, consumers, and national security, according to a new report from the United States Treasury Department.  The first-of-its-kind document argues that DeFi’s peer-to-peer nature presents new illicit finance risks that require extra legal supervision to address.  The Risks of DeFi Released on Thursday, the 2023 DeFi Illicit Finance Risk Assessment details how cybercriminals,...

Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) issued a warning letter to four leading cryptocurrency platforms (Bitget, Bybit, MEXC Global, and BitForex) for failing to receive proper registration. The watchdog alerted in 2021 that Bybit had started offering services without obtaining the necessary licenses. The FSA’s Latest Warning The Japanese regulator maintained in a recent letter that the four companies violated the nation’s fund settlement laws by “conducting crypto asset...

Crypto firms in the United Kingdom are struggling to obtain banking services, Bloomberg reported Sunday, citing multiple sources. Local crypto executives expressed frustration with rejected applications, frozen bank accounts, and overwhelming paperwork. The situation was exacerbated by the departure of United States-based lenders Silvergate Capital, Signature Bank, and Silicon Valley Banks. Banking Restrictions Hinder Crypto Firms in the UK According to the report, the...

Indian tax authorities collected Rs 158 crore (approx. $19 million) in TDS on the transfer of virtual digital assets (VDA) till March 20, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary told the Parliament on Tuesday.  Given that the financial year ended on March 31, it can be taken as the final figure for the entire 2022-23 fiscal. 1% TDS at $125 Threshold  The Indian government brought crypto transactions under a new tax regime through the budget for 2022-23. It provided for...

On March 31, Bittrex, one of the largest and oldest US exchanges, announced the closure of its operations due to the country’s current “regulatory and economic environment.” According to the official statement, users’ funds will remain secure and available for withdrawal at any time during the wind-down of US operations. This announcement will not affect customers outside the country using Bittrex Global. US Regulations Created An Uneven Competitive Landscape Bittrex...

A controversial bill to ban the popular social media app TikTok could potentially be used to clamp down on crypto, say legal policy experts at Coin Center. The crypto-focused non-profit claimed that, in extreme cases, the legislation could be used to “block Americans’ access to open source tools or protocols like Bitcoin.” A Silent Attack On Crypto? The Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology Act (aka RESTRICT Act),...

Republican congressman Tom Emmer has introduced more crypto-related legislation – this time to help blockchain developers from unreasonable financial reporting requirements.  The new bill may help to correct controversial language within the Biden Administration’s infrastructure bill in late 2021, which could theoretically label a swath of the blockchain network participants as digital asset “brokers.” Clearing the Air on Crypto Reporting Shared over Twitter on Thursday,...

On March 14, the bank Anchorage Digital announced the layoff of 20% of its workers due to the crypto winter and regulatory uncertainty in the US. According to the official statement, the departure of 75 of its employees (approximately 20% of its team) is necessary to focus its resources on other essential processes. This is the latest development in a series of events that have affected both the banking and the crypto industry as a whole. 2023 has been marked by the closures...

Popular UK-based financial institution National Westminster Bank (NatWest) has restricted the funds its customers can spend on crypto purchases to reduce their exposure to the volatile asset class. According to a Bloomberg report, NatWest account holders now have a transfer limit of £1,000 ($1,215) per day or £5,000 ($6,090) every 30 days into crypto exchanges. NatWest Restricts Customers’ Crypto Activity NatWest, the UK’s third-largest bank by market capitalization, said the...

Barney Frank – a board member for Signature Bank and former member of U.S. Congress – believes the government had “no objective reason” to force his company into receivership on Friday. Rather, he interpreted the action as an attempt by regulators to “send a very strong anti-crypto message,” throughout the country.  Why Close Down Signature? In a phone interview with CNBC, Frank said that Signature Bank’s customers withdrew $10 billion from the firm in a bank-run style panic...