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German BaFin official calls for 'innovative' EU-wide DeFi regulation
18.5.2022
Highlighting Germany’s crypto license as an example of attractive regulation, Birgit Rodolphe writes that similar frameworks should be the same throughout the EU to “prevent a fragmented market.”
Apartment Sold for Bitcoin in Portugal After New Regulation Allows Property Deals in Crypto
8.5.2022
An apartment in Portugal has changed hands, with the buyer paying directly in cryptocurrency in a reported first for the country. The home was purchased for 3 bitcoins without conversion to euros, under a new regulation permitting real estate deals with digital currencies. Buyer Pays With Bitcoin...
Spanish Securities Regulator Orders Binance to Stop Offering Cryptocurrency Derivatives
6.5.2022
The Spanish securities regulator, the CNMV, has ordered Binance to stop offering cryptocurrency derivative products to customers in the country. According to local media, the crypto exchange giant has followed the orders of the regulator, withdrawing these products from its customers in Spain....
Belgium Introduces Registration for Crypto Exchange and Wallet Service Providers
3.5.2022
Authorities in Belgium have obliged providers of some crypto exchange and wallet services to register with the country’s financial watchdog. Targeted platforms that fail to comply with the new regulations will face fines, among other penalties, including prohibition to carry out their...
Eurosystem Seeks Providers of Prototype Payment Solutions for Digital Euro
1.5.2022
Eurozone’s monetary authority, the Eurosystem, is looking to enlist financial companies willing to develop front-end solutions for the digital euro. The plan is to carry out a “prototyping exercise” this year to test transactions to the back-end developed by the regulator....
Singapore’s Central Bank: We Want to Be a Responsible Global Crypto Hub
29.4.2022
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the country’s central bank and the regulator of the crypto sector, says that its licensing process for digital asset service providers needs to be stringent. “It needs to be because we want to be a responsible global crypto hub with...
Bank of Russia to Pilot Digital Ruble Settlements in 2023
25.4.2022
Russia’s monetary authority intends to conduct the first settlements with the digital ruble next year, its governor announced this week. Speaking to Russian lawmakers, the official highlighted the important role the new currency is going to play for Russia under sanctions. Russia to Trial...
Report Says Binance Shared Client Data With Russia, Crypto Exchange Denies Allegations
23.4.2022
Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has been accused in a media report of agreeing to provide user data to Russia’s financial watchdog. The trading platform has refuted the allegations. It also insists it’s complying with Western sanctions imposed over Moscow’s invasion...
FCA Extends Deadline for Crypto Firms to Meet Regulatory Requirements in UK — 33 Firms Licensed so Far
31.3.2022
The U.K. financial regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has extended its April 1 registration deadline for a number of crypto firms to meet its regulatory requirements. The British regulator has registered 33 crypto firms so far and 12 firms are holding temporary registration....
Binance Informs Canadian Regulator It’s ‘Committed’ to Ceasing Crypto Trading Services in Ontario
21.3.2022
Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has informed the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) that it is committed to ceasing opening new accounts for Ontario residents and winding down certain services to comply with regulations. Binance Promises to Increase Efforts to Comply With Regulation Cryptocurrency...
Facebook Owner Meta Sued for Publishing Scam Crypto Ads by Australian Regulator
20.3.2022
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has filed a lawsuit against Meta, formerly Facebook, for “publishing scam advertisements featuring prominent Australian public figures.” The regulator said, “The essence of our case is that Meta is responsible for these...
Kazakhstan Shuts Down Over 100 Crypto Mining Farms
16.3.2022
More than 100 crypto farms in Kazakhstan have terminated operations as a result of ongoing inspections of the mining sector. Authorities have revealed that some of the facilities are linked to prominent businessmen and former government officials. Financial Watchdog Goes After Crypto Miners Across...
EU Members Want to Task New AML Watchdog With Crypto Oversight, Report Unveils
24.2.2022
A group of EU nations have reportedly been lobbying to entrust oversight of the crypto space to a new anti-money laundering (AML) agency. Behind the move are concerns that companies dealing with digital assets can be engaged in the processing of illicit funds. Germany Leads Push to Place Crypto...
Crypto Exchange Binance Halts Activities in Israel After Regulator Raises Licensing Issue
19.2.2022
Binance has reportedly halted services in Israel after the cryptocurrency exchange was approached by the country’s financial regulator inquiring about its activities and the licenses under which it operates. A growing number of regulators have been scrutinizing Binance for operating without...
Spanish Securities Regulator Warns of Impersonators Selling Bitcoin on Its Behalf
15.2.2022
The CNMV, the Spanish securities regulator, has issued a warning about the existence of an unknown party asking for information and offering to sell bitcoin on its behalf. The fraudsters are said to perform the scam attempt via phone calls, where they ask for personal information and offer...
Putin Urges Government, Central Bank to Reach Consensus on Crypto, Highlights Russia’s Mining Potential
27.1.2022
President Vladimir Putin has joined the debate on the future of cryptocurrencies in Russia, calling on the government and central bank to work out a common position on their regulation. The Russian leader also emphasized Russia’s strengths as a crypto mining destination. Putin Asks Ministers...
Russian Banks Begin Testing Digital Ruble Payments
22.1.2022
Banks in Russia are preparing to dive into the pilot phase of the digital ruble project and some are already testing transactions with the currency. Trials have started with customer-to-customer (C2C) payments and Bank of Russia plans to expand the types of operations in the future. Digital Ruble...
Regulator Reiterates Call for EU Ban on Proof-of-Work Mining
20.1.2022
The EU should prohibit proof-of-work crypto mining, an executive at the European securities watchdog has insisted. Coins relying on the energy-intensive method of minting pose a risk to efforts aimed at meeting climate change goals such as those set in the Paris Agreement, the regulator says....
Crypto Exchange Bitfinex Stops Servicing Ontario Customers, Asks Users to Withdraw Funds
16.1.2022
Cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex has asked its Ontario users to withdraw their funds since they will no longer have access to any services offered by Bitfinex in March. Bitfinex Stops Providing Services to Ontario Customers Crypto exchange Bitfinex announced Friday that it is making changes to...
Europe’s Securities Watchdog Seeks Feedback on Regulations Ahead of DLT Pilot
6.1.2022
ESMA, the European Securities and Markets Authority, has set out to establish if EU authorities need to amend existing regulations in order to facilitate the trading and settlement of tokenized securities. The regulator is now seeking opinions on the matter ahead of launching a pilot regime...