Financial authorities in 25 U.S. states have reached a settlement with the cryptocurrency investment platform Abra and its CEO Bill Barhydt for operating without proper licensing. This settlement mandates significant changes in how Abra conducts its operations within these states. Abra Reaches Settlement Over Unlicensed Operations, Agrees to Major Concessions According to a report from…
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Federal authorities have spotlighted critical deficiencies in the crisis management strategies—known as “living wills”—of four major U.S. banks, signaling a push for stronger safeguards against financial turmoil. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Federal Reserve announced that plans from Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan Chase fell short of expectations, setting…
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The Federal Reserve and Arkansas State Bank Department have mandated sweeping reforms at Evolve Bank & Trust following significant compliance breaches. The order highlights issues in anti-money laundering efforts and consumer protection, especially in its dealings with fintech companies and prominent crypto players like FTX. Compliance Concerns Trigger Regulatory Action Against Evolve Bank Evolve Bank…
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The U.S. House of Representatives has passed H.J. Res. 109, a resolution aimed at overturning the Securities and Exchange Commission’s SAB 121 regulations on digital assets. The resolution seeks to reduce regulatory burdens and promote safer custodianship of digital assets by regulated banks. However, the White House has backed the SEC, issuing a veto threat,…
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The founders of the cryptocurrency mixing service Tornado Cash were charged Thursday with allegedly helping to launder more than $1 billion in digital currency, including funds taken by North Korean hackers. Department of Justice: ‘You Can’t Hide From Us Behind a Keyboard — Whether You’re a Hacker or Facilitator’ Roman Storm and Roman Semenov were…
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Lawyers for Sam Bankman-Fried claim the FTX founder, who has fallen from grace, based his business decisions on legal advice from company attorneys before the cryptocurrency exchange’s downfall. FTX Founder Bankman-Fried Claims Actions Were Based on Legal Advice, Denies Fraudulent Intent In a court document filed Wednesday, attorneys for Bankman-Fried from Cohen & Gresser LLP…
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In a joint statement, Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle, and Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, announced the dissolution of the Centre Consortium. Consequently, Circle will take exclusive charge of the issuance and governance of USDC. Additionally, Coinbase has acquired an equity stake in Circle while signaling a stronger commitment to stablecoins.
Circle, Coinbase Dissolve USDC’s…
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In recent communications to its U.K. clientele, Paypal has announced a temporary suspension of cryptocurrency purchases starting October 1, 2023, with plans to resume in early 2024. Notably, even amidst this hiatus, users can continue to hold their crypto within the Paypal ecosystem and are free to liquidate their digital holdings whenever they wish. Paypal…
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The world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, has selected Liquid as an identity verification partner for its Japanese platform. The services of the Tokyo-headquartered biometrics firm will allow Binance Japan to ensure its know-your-customer (KYC) procedures comply with Japan’s strict regulations. Liquid to Provide Binance Japan With AI-Based KYC Solution Binance, the largest crypto exchange in…
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The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Friday asked for additional public feedback on a proposal to list a spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF), likely delaying any decision on the high-profile applications. SEC Seeks Public Opinion on Spot Bitcoin ETF The SEC put out a 34-page request for comment on the Ark Invest and…
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