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Wirex Approved to Issue Mastercard-Backed Bitcoin Debit Cards
20.7.2020
Mastercard said Monday it had granted Wirex principal membership status, becoming the “first” native cryptocurrency outfit to do so. The membership allows Wirex, a London-based digital payments firm, to issue payment cards directly to consumers, making it easier for people to buy, hold...
Bank of Thailand Enters Third Phase of CBDC Development; Now “Using CBDC with Big Businesses”
17.7.2020
The Bank of Thailand (BOT) announced Wednesday that is has entered third-phase development of its central bank digital currency (CBDC). BOT is planning to expand the use of the CBDC among large businesses. The report by The Nation of Thailand quotes Vachira Arromdee, BOT assistant governor saying...
Crypto Facilities Gets FCA Nod to Set up Crypto Futures Venue
8.7.2020
Crypto Facilities, a subsidiary of Kraken cryptocurrency exchange, has obtained a Multilateral Trading Facility (MTF) license from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). An MTF is a European regulatory term for a self-regulated financial trading venue. MTFs are an alternative to...
Kraken-Owned Crypto Facilities Wins UK License to Offer Derivatives Trading
6.7.2020
The subsidiary of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken has obtained a U.K. license allowing it to operate its derivatives platform in the EU
A ‘Significant Increase’: UK Regulator Says 2.6 Million Residents Have Bought Cryptocurrencies
2.7.2020
The UK’s top financial regulator has conducted a survey and found a “significant increase” in the number of crypto owners and awareness of cryptocurrencies. The regulator estimates that 2.6 million people in the country have bought cryptocurrencies, most of which were from non-UK...
Wirecard: Crypto Card Users’ Funds Locked as UK Regulator Suspends Subsidiary
27.6.2020
UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on Friday suspended the license of Wirecard Card Solutions (WCS), a unit of troubled Wirecard AG, which is responsible for issuing Visa cryptocurrency debit cards. It means some users of cards such as Crypto.com’s Mco visa debit card and Tenx’s visa...
Singapore Begins Crackdown on Unlicensed Bitcoin Sellers
24.6.2020
Singapore authorities charged a 23-year-old woman with breaking the city-state’s months-old ban on unlicensed bitcoin sales
London’s ETC Group to List Centrally Cleared Bitcoin ETP on Deutsche Börse’s Xetra
10.6.2020
A UK-based financial services company will list a centrally cleared bitcoin exchange-traded product (ETP) on Deutsche Börse’s Xetra electronic trading market later this month. In a statement released on June 9, Etc Group said the contract, known as Bitcoin Exchange Traded Crypto (BTCE)...
Chinese Authority Freezes Thousands of Cryptocurrency Traders’ Bank Accounts
9.6.2020
Several thousands of bank accounts belonging to cryptocurrency traders have reportedly been frozen by Chinese police as a result of an extensive crackdown on illicit activities. Frozen accounts are not necessarily involved in wrongdoing and can be unfrozen if the authority finds no evidence...
Saudi Monetary Authority Pumped Some of $13B Bank Infusion Using Blockchain
9.6.2020
The central bank claims to have distributed 'part' of a recent $13 billion bank "liquidity enhancement" using blockchain tech
Malta’s ‘Blockchain Island’ Dream Deferred as 70% Entities Shun Licensing
25.4.2020
Malta’s futuristic design to be the “Blockchain Island” has suffered a setback as 70% of companies in the sector have not sought licensing. Six months after the deadline, only 26 companies have applied for licensing and none has been granted one. Malta initiated legislation...
Spain’s Tax Authority Sending Notices to 66,000 Cryptocurrency Owners
2.4.2020
The Spanish tax authority has reportedly started sending notices to about 66,000 cryptocurrency owners in the country. This number represents a massive increase from the 14,700 tax letters the agency sent to crypto owners last year. The letters will continue to be sent until the end of June despite...
Major Swedish Bank Fined $386 Million for Hiding Money-Laundering Evidence
2.4.2020
Sweden’s Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA), ’Finansinspektionen’, has fined Swedbank a record sum of 4 billion Swedish krona ($386m) for breaching anti-money laundering regulations on a large scale. Around USD 6 billion had been funneled between suspected accounts.
The post Major Swedish Bank...
Singapore Allows Crypto Companies to Operate Without a License for 6 Months
28.3.2020
The Monetary Authority of Singapore has granted an exemption from holding a license to a number of cryptocurrency companies operating in the country under the new Payment Services Act. Among the companies benefiting from this six-month grace period are Binance, Coinbase, Gemini, Bitstamp, Luno...
Canada’s Tax Authority Demands Personal Data on 115,000 QuadrigaCX Users
27.3.2020
The Canada Revenue Service has requested 750,000 documents spanning the personal information and transaction histories of Quadriga’s 115,000 users
Monetary Authority of Singapore Issues AML/CFT Guidelines
19.3.2020
To clarify a notice issued to digital payment token service providers in December, the MAS released a set of AML/CFT guidelines
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...
Bitcoin Is Financial Instrument, Clarifies Germany, Crypto Custodians Qualify as Financial Institutions
3.3.2020
The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority of Germany, Bafin, has issued guidance to clarify the status of cryptocurrencies and the regulations that apply to related business activities. The recommendations are based on the country’s current legislation, taking into account the latest...
Malta Regulator Clarifies Legal Status of Binance
28.2.2020
Malta is keen to preserve its reputation as a blockchain hub after clarifying that leading crypto exchange Binance is not regulated by the island country
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...