Jeremy Allaire – CEO of Circle Internet Financial Ltd. – argued that US investors could soon relocate due to the lack of proper regulations and the growing banking crisis. The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in March caused severe issues for the stablecoin issuer. USDC de-pegged from its $1 fixed valuation to as low as $0.87 after Circle revealed a massive $3.3 billion exposure to the financial institution. However, it coped with the problem, assuring that investors...
Read More »US Treasury Sanctions Individuals Connected to Lazarus Group
The United States Department of Treasury sanctioned three individuals who helped the notorious hackers Lazarus Group to process the conversion of stolen cryptocurrency to fiat, allegedly for the funding of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) illicit weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs. An earlier report by Chainalysis claimed that Lazarus Group was responsible for crypto theft worth about $1.7 billion in 2022. 3 China-based OTC...
Read More »Bitcoin Bull Chamath Palihapitiya Claims Crypto Is Dead in America
Host of the popular podcast “All In” and seasoned venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya has been a long-time believer in fledgling companies and causes. During his career, Palihapitiya has invested in successful companies such as Slack and Yammer. For the past few years, Palihapitiya has championed Bitcoin and its march to 200k to the world of venture capitalists. He has also been a senior executive at Facebook in its early days, a far cry from his teenage years spent...
Read More »SEC Wins Lawsuit Filed Against Hydrogen Technology Corporation
Last September, the SEC took the Hydrogen Technology Corporation and its CEO, Michael Ross Kane, to court for the alleged price manipulation of the firm’s proprietary token, HYDRO. Proven Manipulation Of Market Value According to the charges, Kane used services offered by Moonwalkers Trading Ltd, a South African company, without a clear legitimate business purpose in order to conduct bogus trades using the HYDRO token. We announced charges against The Hydrogen Technology...
Read More »Crypto Fraudster Might Serve Seven Years in Prison for Allegedly Running a Shadow Bank
Damian Williams, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, has requested a seven-year sentence for Reginald Fowler, the alleged executive in a crypto shadow banking business that operated in 2018. According to an April 18 filing, Fowler’s court case has dragged on for five years, and he is scheduled to be sentenced on April 20. US Attorney Seeks Seven-Year Sentence for Defendant In a letter of request written to US District Judge Andrew Carter, Williams explained...
Read More »The NYDFS to Start Charging Crypto Firms Supervised by the Regulator
The New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) said it will start billing cryptocurrency entities registered in the state in exchange for annual examination and supervision. Superintendent Adrienne Harris explained the fees will be different for each organization, depending on their size and complexity. Bringing Crypto Closer to Banks The NYDFS stated the new rule will apply to those entities which have already obtained the so-called Bitlicense. The financial...
Read More »Texas House of Representatives Passes Bill Requiring Proof of Reserves for Crypto Exchanges
On April 21, the Texas House of Representatives approved a bill requiring cryptocurrency exchanges to maintain sufficient reserves to fulfill their clients’ payment obligations. According to the announcement by the Texas House of Representatives, the “HB 166” bill filed by State Rep. Giovanni Capriglione was passed by a majority of 150 members, aiming to “rebuild trust in the market by requiring Proof of Reserves for digital asset exchanges.” Texas Aims to Protect Citizens...
Read More »Gemini Strengthens its Presence in Asia With a New Office in India
The US-based cryptocurrency exchange – Gemini – announced plans to establish a new engineering hub in Gurgaon, India. This will be the company’s second Asian location, as previously it opened an office in Singapore. The expansion outside the US coincides with the regulatory uncertainty in the States. The CEO of Coinbase – Brian Armstrong – recently opined that many American crypto firms could relocate if the watchdogs continue their scrutiny over the industry. Setting Eyes on...
Read More »Californian Regulator Takes Action Against AI-Based Alleged Crypto Ponzi Schemes
The Californian Department of Financial Protection And Innovation (DFPI) issued cease and desist orders against five companies profiting from the hype around AI to attempt to dupe gullible investors. All Hype, Little Info According to the regulator, all five companies violate securities law by offering unregistered securities to the public. Scammers like to deceive investors by using phony CEOs, sham algorithms, & Ponzi schemes. Today, we’ve issued desist and refrain...
Read More »Securing US Alternatives: Coinbase Obtains a License in Bermuda
The US-based cryptocurrency exchange – Coinbase – received approval from the Bermuda Monetary Authority to operate on the island. It also intends to establish an offshore derivatives marketplace in the region as soon as next week. CEO Brian Armstong recently said his entity could relocate to other countries if the American watchdogs do not impose an appropriate regulatory framework on the digital asset sector. Next Stop: Bermuda? Coinbase announced in a blog post that it had...
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