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Crypto Long & Short: A U.K. Ban on Crypto Derivatives Will Hurt, Not Protect Investors
11.10.2020
The FCA’s retail investor crypto derivatives ban is a misuse of regulatory authority, argues Noelle Acheson. What’s more, its main justification is one of crypto assets’ strongest features
97% of People Consulted by UK Financial Regulator Opposed Crypto Derivatives Ban
8.10.2020
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ban on crypto derivatives sales to retail investors has set tongues wagging. It is no mystery. After a consultation process that closed Oct. 3, 2019, with 97% of participants opposed to the prohibition, the U.K. financial regulator still proceeded to issue...
UK Bans Sale of Crypto Derivatives to Retail Investors, Says Move to Save $69 Million in Losses
7.10.2020
The U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has banned the sale of cryptocurrency derivatives products to retail investors in a move that it says will save the targeted customers £53 million ($68.9 million) in losses each year. The ban comes into effect on January 6, 2021. In...
Crypto Exchange Coinbase Hands Over Customer Data to UK Tax Authority
3.10.2020
Coinbase is handing over customer data to the British tax authority, Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC). The measure affects customers with a U.K. address who received more than £5,000 ($6,450) worth of cryptocurrency during the 2019/20 tax year. On Oct. 2, Coinbase sent...
SLP Trading Platform Cryptophyl Plans to Change Into a Noncustodial Defi Exchange
12.9.2020
The U.K.-based Simple Ledger Protocol (SLP) exchange Cryptophyl is closing its doors in order to restructure into a decentralized finance (defi) platform. Cryptophyl has revealed the trading platform will officially go offline on September 21 and is asking customers to withdraw before that period....
UK Digital Bank Ziglu Launches P2P Payments for Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash
7.9.2020
London-based challenger bank Ziglu said Monday that it has been licensed as an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) by the U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority. After receiving the permit, the fintech start-up immediately launched peer-to-peer (P2P) payments for both crypto and fiat currencies....
Personal Data of 250,000 People From 20 Countries Leaked by Bitcoin Scam
5.7.2020
A global bitcoin scam has reportedly leaked personal data of about 250,000 people from more than 20 countries. The majority of the compromised data were of people in the U.K., Australia, South Africa, and the U.S. This bitcoin scam operates under several different names. Investors’ Personal...
UK Trade Negotiators Eye Blockchain Provisions in Coming US Trade Talks
11.3.2020
The U.K.'s trade negotiators want to set the pace for global blockchain regulation in its upcoming free trade talks with the United States
UK’s FCA Suspends Epayments Service – Over £100M Frozen and Alleged Onecoin Connection
27.2.2020
Epayments, one of the largest payment providers in the U.K., has halted operations after the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) suspended the company for “weaknesses” related to its anti-money-laundering (AML) process. Since Epayments shut down on February 11, customers have been...
Brave Challenges Google’s Advertising Power Before the UK Competition Watchdog
22.2.2020
The company behind the privacy-oriented browser Brave has set out to convince regulators in the U.K. to end Google’s advertising monopoly in the digital space. In a filing with the country’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Brave puts forward recommendations on how...
UK Crypto Startups to Pay Discounted £2,000 Fee for Registration, FCA Revises Application Charges
5.2.2020
Young and small cryptocurrency businesses will pay lower registration fees than big companies, the United Kingdom’s financial watchdog has decided after consultations with members of the industry. The revised fee scheme takes into account the firms’ income to determine the amount...
Regulatory Roundup: EU-Wide Crypto Regulations, New Rules in Europe, US, Asia
14.1.2020
In this roundup, we cover EU-wide crypto regulations and individual countries’ new digital asset rules including Austria and the U.K. We also cover numerous crypto regulatory developments in the U.S., China, Japan, South Korea, India, and the Philippines. Also read: Regs Roundup: SEC Actions...
Utorg Exchange Grants Access to Traders With Limited Verification
24.12.2019
Utorg.io is a digital asset exchange based in the U.K. that allows users in Europe and around the world to trade cryptocurrencies with stablecoins and fiat money. What sets the new platform apart from many incumbents is the simplified verification procedure for traders who don’t exceed...
European AML Directive Pushes Crypto Startup Bottle Pay Out of Business
15.12.2019
Bottle Pay, a cryptocurrency payments provider from the U.K., has announced its decision to cease operations by the end of the year. Despite attracting some serious funding and expanding its user base significantly in the past few months, the company has found it unacceptable to continue to work...
Crypto ATMs Proliferate – 6,000 Installed and Counting
26.11.2019
The number of cryptocurrency ATMs installed worldwide has surpassed 6,000, nearly a 50% growth since the beginning of the year. The U.S. leads other countries with over 4,000 crypto ATMs, followed by Canada and the U.K. Several producers offer a range of machines for anyone wanting to get started...
Crypto Tax Guidelines Leave More Questions Than Answers
8.11.2019
Cryptocurrency holders have long wrestled with their tax obligations. These fiduciary duties have been complicated by tax agencies, which are several steps behind technology and now playing crypto catch-up. Updated guidelines from the U.S. and U.K.’s tax agencies were finally released this...
Bad Loans at Big British Banks Jump Over 50% in a Year
4.11.2019
Shaken by the never-ending saga around Brexit and the global slowdown, the British economy is now showing signs that point to an upcoming crisis. The U.K.’s biggest banks have been dealing with a growing number of loans companies are struggling to pay off. At the same time, low interest rates...
UK Regulator Ramps up Crypto Investigations and Considers KYC for Wallets
8.10.2019
The U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has been relentlessly scrutinizing cryptocurrency startups and investigations are up 74% from last year. Meanwhile, proponents of decentralized software development models and open collaboration are upset about the FCA aiming to extend KYC/AML...
Global Law Enforcement Has Auctioned Massive Amounts of Bitcoin
3.10.2019
Last month, the U.K. police auctioned off roughly $300,000 worth of cryptocurrencies after they were confiscated by the country’s Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU). Since 2014, law enforcement agencies worldwide have been auctioning large sums of bitcoin seized during...
You Can Buy a Dream Car With Bitcoin Cash at Autocoincars.com
8.9.2019
Buying a new car is always a thrill. Purchasing a luxury vehicle, a roadster or a classic even more so. But such an enjoyable acquisition is usually accompanied by time consuming formalities. When all you want is to sit behind the wheel as soon as possible, these additional steps can be a nuisance...