A prosecutor from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) has indicated a shift in focus away from pursuing cryptocurrency-related criminal cases. During the Practicing Law Institute’s 56th Annual Institute on Securities Regulation on Nov. 15, Scott Hartman, co-chief of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force at SDNY, suggested...
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler, potentially weeks away from being removed by President-elect Donald Trump, has reiterated his stance on crypto policy and enforcement. In prepared remarks for a November 14 speech at the Practicing Law Institute’s 56th Annual Institute on Securities Regulation, Gensler emphasized the importance of registration and...
The Coinbase-backed crypto advocacy group Stand With Crypto has expanded its reach to Australia, aiming to push for regulatory clarity and a crypto-friendly policy environment in the country. Tom Duff Gordon, vice president of international policy at Coinbase, stated that the primary objective of the new Australian branch of Stand With Crypto is to bring...
While on the campaign trail, Donald Trump made a variety of promises to the crypto community. He pledged to fire Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler “on day one,” promote Bitcoin (BTC) mining in the U.S., create a strategic Bitcoin reserve, prevent a central bank digital currency (CBDC) from being created, and commute...
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX), a publicly traded global exchange group, has announced the launch of a new digital asset index series aimed at providing accurate real-time data on digital assets in the Asia-Pacific region. The HKEX Virtual Asset Index Series will go live on November 15, offering benchmarks for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether...
Central bankers are claiming that Bitcoin is unfair. By doing so, they are laying the foundation for imposing high taxes on Bitcoin—from mining to capital gains—and possibly even for an outright ban. However, much of the economic evidence, including that found in papers they themselves publish, suggests that central bankers are the true cause of...
Japanese authorities have arrested a gang of 18 alleged scammers by analyzing Monero transactions—marking the first time in crypto history that Monero has been used to track criminals. Authorities reported that they examined about 900 Monero (XMR) transactions conducted by the group, totaling approximately 100 million yen ($670,000). The arrests represent a significant breakthrough for...
Ireland is gearing up to draft urgent cryptocurrency regulations ahead of the European Union’s new Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) standards, which are set to take effect on Dec. 30. Finance Minister Jack Chambers informed the cabinet of the need to update crypto regulations to align with these upcoming EU...
Global stablecoin regulation is set to take a significant step forward with the European Union’s upcoming Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), according to Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. The MiCA bill, which represents the first comprehensive regulatory framework for the crypto industry, could serve as a model for lawmakers worldwide seeking to legitimize the...
The Italian government is considering raising the capital gains tax on Bitcoin investments from 26% to 42%, according to Deputy Economy Minister Maurizio Leo. Speaking at a news conference at Palazzo Chigi on Oct. 16, Leo discussed the new budget bill approved by the Council of Ministers, which includes the proposed increase in the withholding...
