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Study: Less Than 5% of South Africa-Based Crypto Asset Providers Generate Revenues Exceeding $8 Million
3.12.2023
Only five percent of surveyed South African crypto-asset financial service providers (FSPs) are generating revenue between $8 million and $10 million. The Financial Sector Conduct Authority study found that many of the crypto asset FSPs “earn their revenue from trading fees.” Only...
Report: Regulations Governing Tokenized Deposits and Crypto Assets in South Africa Set to Effect in January 2025
26.3.2023
Regulations governing tokenized deposits and crypto assets are likely to become effective on Jan. 1, 2025, a senior fintech analyst at the South African central bank has revealed. However, according to the analyst, regulators are still trying to understand or learn the risks that come with using...
South African Retailer Pick n Pay Now Accepting Payments via BTC at All Its Stores
3.2.2023
Pick n Pay, one of South Africa’s leading retailers, reportedly now accepts bitcoin as payment at all its stores across the country. Using the bitcoin lightning network, Pick n Pay’s customers can now buy items such as groceries, airtime and electricity tokens. Using BTC for Everyday...
South African Financial Sector Regulator Declares Crypto Assets a Financial Product
20.10.2022
According to a general notice published in a government gazette, crypto assets are now treated as financial products under South Africa’s Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services (FAIS) Act. Declaration of the crypto assets as financial products means crypto asset service providers...
Binance Resumes Offering Futures Trading Products to South African Users
27.9.2022
One of the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchanges by volumes traded, Binance, has said its futures products are now available to eligible South African users. In a message to its users, Binance suggested it has rectified issues with the regional regulator and that its activities in South...
South African Regulator Explains Why It Has Been Targeting Global Crypto Exchanges
8.3.2022
Brandon Topham, the head of enforcement at South Africa’s financial sector regulator, has insisted that his organization has not issued warnings to some global exchanges because they deal in crypto. Rather, the warnings have been made because the exchanges are not registered to offer...
South African Regulator Urges Public to Be More Cautious When Dealing With FTX, Bybit
3.2.2022
The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has warned the investing public to be cautious when trading on the cryptocurrency platforms FTX and Bybit. The FSCA alleges that neither entity has been licensed to trade in Contracts for Difference (CFD) or to provide financial advisory...
Regulator Claims South Africa Set to Unveil Cryptocurrency Regulatory Framework in Early 2022
11.12.2021
In early 2022, South Africa will have a new regulatory framework that covers cryptocurrencies, a commissioner with a regulatory body has said. Highly Risky Products South Africa’s financial sector regulator, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) is set to unveil a new regulatory...
South African Regulator ‘Welcomes’ Binance’s Decision to Terminate Certain Services in the Country
16.10.2021
A South African regulator, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), says it welcomes Binance’s decision to stop offering some of its services to South Africans. Productive Consultations In a statement, the FSCA suggested that the move by the cryptocurrency exchange came after it held...
After Warnings from South African Regulators Binance Rejects Accusations It Provides Financial Advice
5.9.2021
Beleaguered crypto exchange, Binance, has released a statement in which it denies accusations that provides financial advice or renders any intermediary services. In a statement released on Twitter less than 24 hours after the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA)’s warning, the crypto...
Two Masterminds in Last Ditch Effort to Stall Liquidation of MTI
4.8.2021
In a last-ditch attempt to stall the sale of Mirror Trading International (MTI) assets, two masterminds of the collapsed bitcoin Ponzi scheme have warned investors that liquidating the investment company will likely result in them being asked to return all withdrawn bitcoins. Opposition to Attempts...
South Africa Regulator Wants Mirror Trading International to Pay Millions as Penalty For Contravening Financial Sector Law
8.7.2021
A South African regulator, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), has informed key figures behind Mirror Trading International (MTI) that it intends to impose a fine of $7 million against the now-defunct crypto investment company. Contravention of Financial Sector Law According to a July...
Africrypt Ponzi Scheme Collapse: South Africa Regulator Says Its ‘Not in a Position to Take Any Regulatory Action’
25.6.2021
Following Africrypt’s collapse, South African regulator, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), released a statement asserting its lack of jurisdiction over cryptocurrencies. Although the regulator says it is “continuing to investigate complaints” against the crypto...
South African Regulator Apologizes to Crypto Firm After Issuing Then Withdrawing a Warning in Less Than 24 Hours
9.5.2021
South Africa’s Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has apologized to a Cape Town-based crypto start, Ovex, less than 24 hours after warning that the firm was operating outside the law. Ovex Does Not Require Licence From FSCA In its May 7 retraction, the financial watchdog said...
MTI CEO and Wife Issued With Provisional Sequestration Order by South African High Court
27.4.2021
A South African High Court recently served Mirror Trading International (MTI)’s Johann and Nerina Steynberg with a provisional sequestration order. The court’s decision follows a successful court application by the five joint provisional liquidators of the now-defunct online bitcoin...
A Forex Broker Transfers 1,200 BTC Belonging to the Mirror Trading International to a South African Liquidator
1.4.2021
Fresh reports from South Africa suggest that a total of 1,200 bitcoins belonging to the now-defunct Mirror Trading International (MTI) were recently transferred from FX Choice to an appointed liquidator. The reports add the transfer had been sanctioned by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority...
Mirror Trading International Named Biggest Crypto Scam of the Year After Raking in $589 Million
14.2.2021
Blockchain analysis firm, Chainalysis’ latest crime report has named Mirror Trading International (MTI) as the biggest cryptocurrency scam of 2020. Chainalysis arrived at this conclusion after an investigation found that MTI had taken in $589 million from more than 471,000 deposits. According...
South African Regulator Warns Crypto Investors to ‘Be Prepared to Lose All’ Following Collapse of Bitcoin Trading Company MTI
5.2.2021
The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has issued what it terms crypto health warning after receiving many complaints from South African victims of crypto scams. In the warning, the FSCA reminds prospective investors that crypto-related investments are currently not regulated. Therefore...
South African Court Grants Order to Liquidate Mirror Trading International After Investors Fail to Withdraw Their BTC
1.1.2021
A South African High Court recently granted a provisional liquidation order against Mirror Trading International (MTI) following an application for relief by two investors who failed to withdraw their bitcoin. According to a statement released by lawyers of one of the aggrieved investors, this...
CEO of MTI Bitcoin Ponzi Scheme Flees South Africa in Possible Exit Scam – Funds Blocked
24.12.2020
In an unexpected turn of events, the management team at Mirror Trading International (MTI) now suggest that their CEO Johann Steynberg may have exit scammed. The team alleges that Steynberg, now believed to be in Brazil, has locked out key management staff from accessing MTI’s account with...