Regulation

Grayscale, a significant player in digital asset management, has expressed enthusiasm about the potential transformation of its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) into a Bitcoin ETF. This move could eliminate the current 8.09% discount of approximately $1.89 billion, aligning GBTC’s price more closely with the actual value of Bitcoin, offering significant benefits for investors. The company’s

Top Stories This Week Bitcoin ETF race gets 13th entrant, BlackRock revises ETF model Asset manager Pando Asset has become an unexpected late entrant into the spot Bitcoin ETF race in the United States. On Nov. 29, Pando submitted a Form S-1 — used to register securities with the agency — to the U.S. Securities

Lawyers representing the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and Terraform Labs and co-founder Do Kwon sparred in court over information provided by a whistleblower in the securities lawsuit. According to a transcript of court events provided by Inner City Press on Nov. 30, the SEC reiterated its claims that Terra and Kwon “committed fraud”

United States District Judge Robert Shelby has cautioned the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) lawyers, hinting at possible sanctions due to purportedly deceptive statements in a legal action against Digital Licensing Inc., also recognized as DEBT Box, a crypto company. Lodged in the federal court of Utah, the SEC’s legal action alleged that DEBT Box

The legal duel between the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Kraken, a leading cryptocurrency exchange, looks like another misguided attempt by the SEC to exert control over an industry that fundamentally challenges an outdated regulatory playbook. The agency’s lawsuit, filed in November, accuses Kraken of operating as an unregistered securities exchange. The

Following his conviction on federal fraud charges on Nov. 2, former FTX CEO Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried will not pursue any post-trial motions. In a Dec. 1 letter to Judge Lewis Kaplan in United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, lawyers representing Bankman-Fried said they had “decided not to file any post-trial

Australia’s controversial new guidelines for cryptocurrency taxation should be ignored for being unclear and should probably be seen as “toilet paper,” according to an Australian law firm. On Nov. 9, the Australian Tax Office (ATO) released guidance that could impact how investors and traders involved in decentralized finance report their taxes. In a Nov. 27

Crypto exchange Coinbase says it had recorded a 6% rise in requests from law enforcement and government agencies compared to 2022, with the number of jurisdictions issuing requests jumping by 19, according to the exchange’s annual Transparency Report. Four countries — the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Spain — made up nearly three-quarters

Kristin Johnson of the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said there are many ways of handling cryptocurrencies in the country, but legislating through courts could provide a solid, if slow, path. Speaking at the Blockchain Association’s Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 30, Johnson said the “best outcome” for corporate governance of

Binance’s $4.3 billion settlement with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is being hailed as a positive move for the company and the wider cryptocurrency industry, according to Galaxy Digital’s Mike Novogratz. In an interview with Bloomberg on Nov. 29, the CEO of the cryptocurrency investment firm expressed his belief that the high-profile settlement should assuage

Brazilians may soon be required to pay up to 15% tax on income derived from cryptocurrencies held on exchanges outside the country, after new income tax rules were approved by the Brazil Senate on Nov. 29. The bill has already passed in the Chamber of Deputies and is expected to be approved by President Luiz

Wally Adeyemo, Deputy Secretary of the United States Treasury, said his department is looking into new sanctions tools to pursue bad actors in the crypto space, citing a recent settlement with Binance. In prepared remarks for the Blockchain Association’s Policy Summit on Nov. 29, Adeyemo said the U.S. Treasury had called on Congress to allow

A stakeholder in the blockchain and fintech ecosystem has called on the federal government of Nigeria to implement regulations that will foster the widespread integration of the approved blockchain policy in the country. Nigeria’s National Blockchain Policy aims to deliver economic growth, job creation and more financial inclusion.  Obinna Iwuno, the president of the Stakeholders

Bitcoin (BTC) spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the United States now have a “clear runway” to potential simultaneous approvals after an advanced decision to delay the bids of Franklin Templeton and Hashdex ETFs, according to ETF analysts. In a Nov. 28 X (Twitter) post, Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart said the Securities and Exchange Commission

Multi-party computation (MPC) wallet provider Fireblocks has released a new trading system for institutions that use centralized exchanges, according to a Nov. 28 announcement. Called “Off Exchange,” the new system allows institutional traders to swap tokens without first depositing them on the exchange. Fireblocks claimed this system would help to eliminate counterparty risk on centralized

Spanish residents holding any crypto assets on non-Spanish platforms will have to declare them by March 31, 2024, under new laws governing the taxation of virtual assets.  The Spanish Tax Administration Agency, commonly known as Agencia Tributaria, has published form 721, a tax declaration form for virtual assets abroad, which was first announced in the Boletín