legislation
White House Budget Urges Legislation to Return Secret Service to Treasury Due to Crypto Crime Surge
Cryptocurrencies, and other technological advancements, projected as a threat to the international financial marketplace, the department believes has contributed to more groups of criminal organizations and more links between financial and electronic crimes combined.
Ukraine Parliament Passes Legislation by Legalizing Crypto
The Ukrainian Parliament has passed a bill draft in the second reading Wednesday concerning legalising and regulating cryptocurrency and other virtual assets, such as tokens.
US Congressman Proposes Safe Harbor for Digital Token Issuers in a New Bill
A new bill has just been sponsored by an American lawmaker from North Carolina, Patrick McHenry, seeking to grant a safe harbor for some token transactions
London Lawmaker Urges Government to Ban Crypto Ads on Public Transport System
A London Assembly member from the Green Party, Sian Berry, is pushing for a broad crackdown on advertisements featuring digital currencies on the London Transport System.
Coinbase warns of losing crypto industry leadership
The U.S. SEC has issued a Wells notice to Coinbase. As a result, Coinbase warns that the U.S. government’s regulatory approach to crypto has created an uncertain and unstable environment. Meanwhile, other countries, such as France, the U.K., and the European Union, are building friendlier crypto regulation ecosystems and becoming crypto hubs, causing the U.S. to lose its status as the leading hub of the crypto sector.
ElevenLabs Backs Congressional AI Safety and Innovation Bills
ElevenLabs supports US Congressional efforts to advance AI safety and innovation through two key legislative acts.
Exploring Onchain Democracy: The Future of Voting and Governance
As the U.S. elections approach, the potential for blockchain in democratic processes gains traction, with liquid democracy and onchain voting at the forefront.
South Korea Passes Comprehensive Law Officially Legalizing Cryptocurrency Trading And Holding
A day after India’s Supreme Court lifted the ban on cryptocurrencies, South Korea has followed in their footsteps as the nation’s National Assembly has amended the Act on Reporting and Use of Specific Financial Information. This move fully legalizes cryptocurrencies in South Korea.
Bank of Russia Delays CBDC Pilot Rollout
The Bank of Russia's CBDC pilot rollout has been delayed indefinitely due to legislation only passing through the first reading. The number of participating private banks has also changed to 13 from 15, with the pilot involving real operations and limited consumers.
ECB Advances Digital Euro Project into Preparation Phase
The ECB's progression into the preparation phase of the digital euro project marks a pivotal step towards modernizing Europe's financial infrastructure. The digital euro, envisioned as a secure, accessible, and private means of digital payment, holds the promise of fortifying the European monetary system in the digital age.
China to Strengthen Artificial Intelligence Development with New Legislation
China has included a draft AI law in its legislative agenda for the State Council in 2023, which will be reviewed by the National People's Congress.
Senator Warren Focuses on Crypto Scam Risks for Seniors, Advocates New Legislation
Senator Warren emphasized the Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Act, gaining bipartisan support to regulate crypto activities and protect vulnerable populations from financial fraud.
Spanish Lawmaker Tables a Proposal to be Bitcoin Mining Hub after Kazakhstan Internet Shutdown
Maria Munoz, a member of the Congress of Deputies, seeks to make Spain a Bitcoin mining hub following the turmoil that was continually rocking Kazakhstan.
Brazilian Senate Committee on Economic Affairs Approves Crypto Regulation Bill
Crypto regulation on Brazilian soil gained steam after the senate’s economic affairs committee approved a bill highlighting the ground rules and day-to-day usage of digital currency funds.
India Plans to Ban Private Cryptos like Bitcoin in Favor of National Cryptocurrency
India plans introducing a new bill to ban private cryptocurrencies as well as introduce a national digital currency.
Paraguay Senate Passes Bill to Regulate Crypto Mining and Trading
Paraguay is advancing its crypto bill. Though it appears taking clues from its counterpart, El Salvador.
Australia Surpasses Asia in Crypto ATM Installations
Australia has surpassed Asia in the total number of crypto ATMs installed, with 364 machines as of January 2023. The country has consistently added Bitcoin ATMs over the last eight months and is on a crypto ATM installation spree. Internal documents from Australia’s Department of the Treasury suggest that crypto legislation is on the horizon.
California Spearheads AI Ethics and Safety with Senate Bills 892 and 893
California takes a pioneering role in AI regulation with Senate Bills 892 and 893, aiming to ensure AI safety, ethics, and public benefits.
Craig S. Wright Explores 'Code is Law' Paradigm in Digital Governance Debate
Dr. Craig Wright's blog post on "Open-Source Development" rekindles debate on "Code is Law" principle, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach balancing code precision with legal considerations.
Montana Passes Crypto Miner Rights Bill
Montana’s House of Representatives passed Bill number 178, which seeks to enshrine the rights of crypto miners and prohibit local authorities from obstructing crypto mining operations. The bill now awaits Governor Greg Gianforte’s signature to become law. The legislation establishes a “digital asset mining right,” forbids discriminatory electricity rates charged to crypto miners, and removes the authority of local governments to use zoning laws to impede crypto mining activities.
Legislation Introduced to Remove SEC Chair Gensler from His Role
United States Representative Warren Davidson has announced plans to introduce legislation that would remove SEC Chair Gary Gensler from his role and replace it with an Executive Director that reports to the Board. The move follows the SEC's proposed rule amendments that could bring certain brokers under additional regulatory scrutiny and redefine an "exchange." While Gensler has said the proposed changes could benefit investors and markets, SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce has criticized the move, accusing the regulator of stifling new technology and entrepreneurship. The SEC has faced criticism for using enforcement actions to develop the law on a case-by-case basis, rather than creating clear regulations.
US States Challenge CBDC as Legal Tender
Four U.S. states - Utah, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Tennessee - have filed bills to exclude Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) from their legal definitions of money, reflecting rising state-level resistance and concerns over privacy and federal overreach.
UK Advancing Towards a Digital Pound: Exploring CBDC Feasibility
The UK's Bank of England (BoE) and HM Treasury are advancing into the second phase of exploring the feasibility of a digital pound, also known as "Britcoin." A final decision is yet to be made, with a focus on user privacy and coexistence with cash.
Paraguayan Congressmen Propose New Bitcoin Bill
Paraguayan lawmaker Carlitos Rejala and his companions have drafted and ready to propose the new bitcoin bill to congress, according to local media report.
US House Committee to Discuss Stablecoins Regulation
The US House Committee on Financial Services will conduct a hearing on April 19 to evaluate stablecoins’ position as a means of payment and whether the payment ecosystem needs supporting legislation. Circle's chief strategy officer and head of global policy, Dante Disparte, will testify at the hearing, which will focus on various stablecoins and their use in the payments landscape. A draft bill providing a framework for stablecoins in the United States was recently published in the House of Representatives document repository.
Ukraine Legalizes Bitcoin amid Intensified Tension with Russia
The Ukrainian parliament unanimously voted to legalize Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies by passaging a Virtual Assets law on Thursday, amid the intensified tension with the potential military conflicts with Russia.
New York State Introduces Bill Allowing State Agencies to Accept Crypto
The crypto sector has attacked New York's "BitLicense" and crypto mining restrictions.
FCA Unveils Guidance on Cryptoasset Promotions Compliance
The UK's Financial Conduct Authority has issued a finalised non-handbook guidance on Cryptoasset Financial Promotions, aiming to clarify compliance with new laws and balance consumer protection with innovation for long-term economic growth.
US House Committee Chair Criticizes SEC on Digital Assets
US House Financial Services Committee Chair Patrick McHenry criticized the SEC’s approach to digital assets at an oversight hearing, demanding clear rules for crypto through legislation and pressing SEC Chair Gary Gensler for a definitive answer on whether Ether qualified as a security or a commodity.
Coinbase Legal Chief Urges Swift US Crypto Legislation Amid Israel-Hamas Tensions
Coinbase's Chief Legal Officer, Paul Grewal, emphasized the importance of preventing cryptocurrency misuse and advocated for sensible crypto legislation in the US amidst geopolitical unrest involving Israel and Hamas. Grewal highlighted Coinbase's proactive measures like KYC checks and law enforcement partnerships to curb illicit activities on its platform. The discourse also spurred reactions from the crypto community regarding asset seizures and the role of other crypto exchanges like Binance.
As Criticism Of Binance grows, It Joins Lobbying Organization
Binance joined the Chamber of Digital Commerce, a U.S. crypto sector lobbying organization. The worldwide trading platform is accused of being uncontrolled. Critics say Binance brought down FTX. Binance's VP of public relations expects the agreement would result in clear US crypto legislation.
Switzerland Parliament Blockchain Act Reform Validates Crypto and Digital Assets
The Swiss parliament has revamped and clarified legislation on blockchain technology and digital currencies activity in the country
Russia Finally Showing Signs of Embracing Digital Assets in New Bill
After successfully undergoing test period, tokenization is set to take centre stage with reforms as newly proposed cryptocurrency legislation in Russia received the green lights.
Wyoming State Says Cryptocurrency Represents Property, Allows Insurers to Include Digital Assets in Investment Portfolios
The US. state of Wyoming has enacted new legislation to allow insurance firms to invest in digital assets like cryptocurrencies. The new law intends to come into effect on 1st July.
Senior Worker at Bithumb Triggered Hacking Vulnerability
A senior worker at Bithumb, a leading South Korean crypto exchange, is in a tight spot after a Korean court discovered that he is liable for web safety legislation breaches. As a result, his misdeeds made the crypto exchange vulnerable to a 2017 hack that led to the loss of cryptocurrency holdings worth $6 million USD.
What are the New Amendments in Japan’s Crypto Laws to be Enforced Next Month?
Japan will be enforcing new cryptocurrency-related regulations in May, as two of the pieces of legislation were passed by the Japanese House of Representatives last year. The Payment Services Act (PSA) and the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (FIEA) were originally scheduled to come into effect in April, however, there has been a delay and the final enforcement date has been officially pushed to May.
Chinese Government to Consider Cross-Border East-Asian Stablecoin for Hong Kong Amid Implementing Controversial National Security Law
Chinese officials to consider a cross-border stablecoin in Hong Kong, to facilitate a cross-border payment network between three Asian countries, and four currencies China, Japan, and South Korea. The world’s second-largest economy is aiming to build Hong Kong into an international financial center in the digital economy era. At China’s annual “Two Sessions,” also known as the National People’s Congress, China’s most important annual political event in Beijing, officials set the decision to impose new national security legislation on Hong Kong.
The Old World. What is going on with Digital Assets in Europe?
Europe is an enormous market of more than half a billion people. As small amounts up to 8 million euros may be raised without registration of the offering, it is a very attractive market for international projects looking to reach new investors for their security token offering.
The Federal Council of Switzerland Opts For Better and Fair Blockchain Regulations
The Federal Council of Switzerland has opted for better and fair regulations for blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT) in the country, which is believed will minimize risk, increase legal certainty and abort blockages, which will prevent the possible applications of blockchain/distributed ledger technology.
Japan’s Finance Minister Says No Plans to Lower Taxes for Cryptocurrencies Amid Call for Tax Rate Cut
Japan’s finance minister stated that there is no need to lower crypto tax rates.
40 German Banks Are Seeking Regulatory Approval to Offer Bitcoin Custody
Many German banks have filed a request to introduce a digital asset custody business. Germany’s Federal Financial Supervisory Authority, popularly identified as BaFin, has received over 40 applications from German banks interested in offering crypto custody services.
Ex-Cambridge Analytica Employee Confident that Blockchain Can Help Protect Personal Data
Brittany Kaiser, the Cambridge Analytica scandal whistleblower discussed in an interview at the World Economic Forum that blockchain technology could be an important tool to address data protection issues.