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Germany’s Bitcoin Group Welcomes Licensing for Crypto Custodians, Expects Competition From Banks
13.3.2020
Bitcoin Group SE, a prominent member of the European crypto industry, has been preparing to apply for permission to conduct crypto custody activities in its home country, Germany. The providers of such services in the Federal Republic are now recognized as financial institutions. Bitcoin Group...
South Korea Passes Bill to Regulate Cryptocurrency in Line With FATF Standards
7.3.2020
South Korea’s National Assembly finally passed a bill that provides a framework for the regulation of cryptocurrencies and exchanges. Crypto service providers will be required to use the real-name verification system and comply with reporting requirements in line with the global...
German Crypto Regulator BaFin Shuts Down Unauthorized Bitcoin ATMs
7.3.2020
Germany’s Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) has shut down unauthorized bitcoin ATMs in the country. Now that cryptocurrency is regulated under the German Banking Act, bitcoin ATM operators need to be authorized by BaFin. The regulator recently clarified what crypto service...
Record Breaking Interest – Observing the Predictive Power of Bitcoin Futures Over BTC Spot Prices
29.2.2020
Bitcoin futures providers have been seeing a lot of action during the last two weeks as cryptocurrency markets have been extremely volatile. Data shows there’s been significant open interest on both retail and institutional bitcoin derivatives exchanges and Skew research noted bitcoin options...
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...
Next Step Mobile Surveillance: How You Walk, Your Heartbeat – Why Bitcoin Matters to Combat Government Privacy Invasion
26.2.2020
It may sound like something from a dystopian cyberpunk movie, but payment providers could soon be validating transactions by the way users walk, their heartbeat, veins, and more. Mastercard has recently revealed they “have been testing heartbeat, vein technology, and the way people walk...
China Adopts Security Standards for Blockchain Applications in the Financial Sector
25.2.2020
Keeping the focus on blockchain development, banking authorities in China have issued a set of rules pertaining to the secure application of crypto-related technologies in the financial sphere. The new standards, the first of this kind, are to guide the work of developers and service providers...
Boerse Stuttgart: New German Crypto Regulation Poised to Attract Institutional Investors
20.2.2020
Since the new German crypto regulation went into effect, financial institutions in Germany have been preparing to offer crypto custody services. Among them is Boerse Stuttgart, the country’s second-largest stock exchange. Having obtained a provisional license from BaFin, the regulator...
Digital Remittances Reach Record High of $96 Billion, Fees Charged by Traditional Providers Open Door for Cryptocurrencies
14.2.2020
In a globalized world where labor follows capital, the remittance industry has been growing constantly in both volume and users. Traditional providers like banks and money transfer companies have been charging high fees for their services which creates opportunities for alternative digital...
Singapore Introduces Licensing for Crypto Platforms, New Payment Services Now Act in Force
29.1.2020
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has announced the commencement of the city-state’s new Payment Services Act. The law mandates the implementation of a licensing regime that applies to payment providers, exchanges and other platforms dealing with cryptocurrencies. Their operators...
Popular Crypto Wallet Imtoken Adds Bitcoin Cash Support
21.1.2020
Consistently among the top digital assets in the world by market cap, Bitcoin Cash is accepted by most crypto service providers and the list just keeps growing. The latest platform to add BCH support is the popular crypto wallet with over 10 million downloads, Imtoken. Also Read: Bitcoin.com...
FATF Holds Global Forum to Discuss Crypto Supervision
18.1.2020
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and over 50 delegations involved in crypto supervision recently gathered to discuss how to regulate crypto assets and related service providers. While examining three key areas, they stressed the importance of international cooperation, citing that...
EU Countries Commence Crypto Regulations as Mandated by New Directive
11.1.2020
The European Union’s 5th Anti-Money Laundering Directive mandates that member states start regulating crypto assets by Jan. 10. Crypto exchanges and custodial wallet providers are now covered by the same regulatory requirements as banks and other financial institutions. Also read: Regs...
Philippine ‘Crypto Valley of Asia’ to Get Own Airport
10.1.2020
The Philippines has a “Crypto Valley of Asia,” an initiative of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority, the government agency responsible for managing the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport. An airport is now being planned for inside this economic zone to address the needs of...
Sweden’s Financial Authority Approves Swiss Crypto ETP Provider Amun
11.12.2019
On December 10, Switzerland-based firm Amun AG announced the company’s base prospectus has been approved by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (SFSA). The ETP provider said it has extensive plans to expand its digital asset ETPs throughout Europe, while Sweden shows “strong...
This is How Crypto Market Data Providers "Deflate" Fake Trading Volumes
8.12.2019
Several research studies have suggested that fake trading volumes are rampant in the crypto markets. Trading volume inflation is reportedly a much more common occurrence than previously believed, which has made it challenging for market data providers to deliver accurate data.
In this article,...
South Korean Committee Passes Bill Enforcing FATF Crypto Rules
27.11.2019
South Korea’s national policy committee has passed an amendment establishing a legal framework for cryptocurrencies. It requires crypto exchanges and service providers to register with the country’s financial regulator and comply with the recommendations set by the Financial Action Task...
Finland Approves First 5 Crypto Service Providers
5.11.2019
Finland’s crypto regulation is now in full effect. The first five crypto service providers have been approved to legally operate in the country, the Finnish financial regulator confirmed to news.Bitcoin.com. The grace period for operating without registration has expired. Also read: Finland...
Indian Crypto Trading Volumes Accelerate on Positive Sentiments
28.10.2019
Cryptocurrency trading volumes in India have accelerated despite regulatory uncertainty and banking restrictions imposed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Global trading platforms and service providers have also been expanding their operations to serve Indian users. Also read: Mistakes Crypto...
Latin American Payment App Mercado Pago Can Be Topped-Up With Crypto
26.9.2019
The Atlanta-based blockchain payment provider Bitpay has announced the firm has partnered with Mercado Livre, one of the largest ecommerce providers in Latin America. The collaboration provides people with the ability to purchase Mercado Livre gift cards with cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin cash...