Recently, Rep. Maxine Waters has put forth the nomination of Ms. Kristin Johnson, a current Commissioner of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), for the position of Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions at the US Department of Treasury. This nomination has sparked discussions within the financial and crypto communities. Qualifications and Expertise Rep. Waters
Regulation
The Fintech giant Block is currently facing scrutiny from federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York due to allegations of significant compliance failures involving its main business units, Square and Cash App. These allegations emerged after a former employee disclosed multiple lapses in the company’s transaction monitoring systems. The former employee provided internal
The recent accusations made by House Financial Services Committee Chairman Patrick McHenry against SEC Chair Gary Gensler have raised serious concerns about transparency and consistency within the agency. McHenry’s statement, released on April 30, suggests that Gensler intentionally evaded questions from Congress regarding the classification of Ethereum as a security during his testimony in April
The recent action taken by the SEC against Uniswap has sent shockwaves through the decentralized finance (DeFi) industry. The SEC alleges that certain tokens traded on Uniswap constitute securities, raising concerns about the platform’s compliance with federal securities laws. This move by the SEC highlights a broader regulatory trend targeting decentralized platforms and raises questions
US Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bill Cassidy have recently called for stringent measures to combat the use of cryptocurrency in the illegal trade of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). In a bipartisan letter addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, the senators highlighted the pseudonymity of cryptocurrencies as a
The recent approval of new Anti-Money Laundering Regulations by the European Parliament has significant implications for Crypto Asset Service Providers (CASP) operating in Europe. These regulations mandate the implementation of stringent Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures to combat money laundering within the crypto industry. CASPs, including banks, asset managers, and real estate agents, are now
Recent reports reveal that Nigerian authorities are ramping up their efforts to crack down on crypto trading in the country, specifically targeting peer-to-peer (P2P) platforms such as OKX, Binance, KuCoin, and Bybit. A circulating document on social media platforms has highlighted the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) directive to financial institutions to identify individuals or
In a bold move, the Blockchain Association and the Crypto Freedom Alliance of Texas have decided to take legal action against the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Their argument revolves around the SEC sanctioning a rule that redefines the parameters for what constitutes a “dealer” of securities. According to these groups, the SEC’s actions
In a recent statement to CryptoSlate, stablecoin issuer Tether declared its commitment to freezing any addresses associated with sanctioned entities. This decision comes after reports surfaced suggesting that certain state actors were using Tether’s USDT tokens to bypass US sanctions. A spokesperson for the firm emphasized, “Tether respects the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)
The recent resignation of two SEC lawyers, Michael Welsh and Joseph Watkins, comes as no surprise given the controversies surrounding their handling of the legal case against crypto firm DEBT Box. According to reports, the two attorneys resigned in April after facing pressure from the regulator. It is concerning that neither lawyer responded to requests
