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US Federal Prosecutors Investigate Block Inc. for Compliance Violations
US federal prosecutors are conducting an investigation into Block Inc., the fintech company founded by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey. The investigation follows allegations of compliance violations at Block's payment arms, Square and Cash App. A whistleblower has provided documents showing that Block processed transactions for users in countries subject to economic sanctions and facilitated crypto transactions for terrorist groups. The company is accused of failing to address these breaches despite being alerted to them.
SEC Commissioner Expresses Dissent on LBRY Case Outcome
SEC Commissioner Hester M. Peirce criticizes the commission's enforcement action against blockchain firm LBRY, Inc., highlighting the case as an example of regulatory overreach that stifles innovation and fails to adequately protect investors. Amidst ongoing legal actions against crypto enterprises, Peirce's dissent underscores the need for a balanced regulatory approach to foster innovation and investor protection in the blockchain and crypto sectors.
dYdX Initiates Token Migration Following Layer-1 Blockchain Inception
Antonio Juliano, dYdX founder, has flagged an upcoming large-scale migration of locked $DYDX tokens to the dYdX Chain following its recent launch. This migration, strictly abiding by legal agreements, marks a significant phase in dYdX's transition to a layer-1 blockchain, amplifying the utility of DYDX tokens for staking and governance purposes.
NBG Georgia Shortlists Ripple Among Tech Firms for CBDC Pilot
The National Bank of Georgia progresses with its Digital GEL Pilot Project, focusing on the exploration of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) technology. Nine technology firms, including Ripple Labs, Inc., have been shortlisted for potential collaboration. The initiative mirrors global trends in modernizing financial infrastructures to meet the digital economy's evolving demands.
Texas Securities Board Issues Emergency Cease and Desist Order to Abra and CEO, William Barhydt
The Texas State Securities Board has taken decisive action against Abra by issuing an Emergency Cease and Desist Order. The order, also directed at Abra's CEO, William (Bill) Barhydt, alleges securities fraud and misleading statements in connection with Abra's digital asset depository accounts.
SEC Seeks to Freeze Binance.US Assets in Bid to Protect Customers
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has lodged an emergency action application against Binance Holdings Limited, BAM Trading Services Inc., BAM Management US Holdings, Inc., and their founder, Changpeng Zhao.
KKR Tokenizing Part of its Private Equity Fund on Avalanche Blockchain
KKR plans to tokenize part of its second Health Care Strategic Growth Fund to expand individual investors’ access to private investment vehicles.
Payments Firm Bolt Scraps $1.5B Proposed Acquisition of Crypto Firm Wyre
Bolt said that it has pulled out of a $1.5 billion deal to buy crypto firm Wyre amid market downturn.
Top Brazilian Investment Broker to Roll Out Crypto Trading Services in August
XP Inc., a leading Brazilian investment brokerage firm, plans to establish a crypto trading platform by mid-August, offering Bitcoin and Ethereum trading at the early stage.
Blockchain Security Firm Files Patent for Ransomware Solution EB Drive
Blockchain networking company Everything Blockchain, Inc. applies for a patent for its Blockchain drive (EB Drive).