Crypto Regulation

The Nigerian central bank remains hostile to anything crypto besides a CBDC. Still, one high-level minister is defending the industry. Clem Agba, minister of state for budget and national planning, is calling for more precise and more welcoming regulation of the space. Like the United States, Nigeria struggles to classify crypto assets using existing financial terms correctly. Fighting For Crypto In Nigeria Minister Agba spoke about regulating the industry at a conference this Thursday, as reported by Bloomberg. He said…

The Biden administration recently released its long-awaited stablecoin report – and one government official isn’t entirely on board. Pat Toomey – Republican Senator and ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee –disagrees with treating stablecoins issuers as banks. Amid a booming crypto market and allegations against Tether, he adds fuels the fire surrounding crypto regulations. Toomey: Stablecoin Issuers Aren’t Banks Pat Toomey shared his thoughts on the report in an interview with Yahoo Finance earlier today. The Senator acknowledged that…

New York State has ramped up its crackdown against the cryptocurrency space. Attorney General Letitia James recently ordered two crypto lending platforms to close their operations within the state. New York Combats Unregistered Securities It confirmed Attorney General James’s motion in a press release from her government website earlier today. Her actions are part of an effort to protect New Yorkers from so-called “virtual currency schemes.” The AG sent a letter to two unnamed cryptocurrency lending platforms, demanding they cease…

Coinbase, a highly popular cryptocurrency exchange, is taking steps to advance the regulatory conversation in the United States. The company just released a 30-page policy proposal with suggestions on how policymakers should address the industry. Experts, opinion leaders, and government officials across the country have contributed to its development. ‘Safeguarding America’s Financial Leadership’ The proposal, ‘Safeguarding America’s Financial Leadership,’ was revealed in a Coinbase blog post on Thursday. Though the entire proposal is reasonably dense, the blog post offers a…

Jon Cunliffe, Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, recently argued why he thinks cryptocurrencies could cause a financial crisis. He compares it to the dot-com bubble and especially to the 2008 market collapse. Crypto Weaves Itself into Financial Markets As reported by Bloomberg, Cunliffe's primary concern is that cryptocurrency has been interwoven into the financial system. As he points out, central banks are now offering crypto custody services to their clients. Furthermore, hundreds of specialist crypto hedge funds are…

The Biden administration is considering appointing a White House cryptocurrency czar in a new executive order. The official would coordinate with several other regulatory agencies to investigate the emerging asset class. The agencies would help provide regulatory recommendations and further information about the space. White House Prioritizes Crypto Oversight As Bloomberg reported, the appointment would be part of a government-wide effort to organize crypto regulation. Accordingly, the plan is to give organizations that pay little attention to crypto a responsibility. According…

Patrick McHenry– Republican House representative and ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee– continues fighting for the cryptocurrency industry. He recently presented a safe harbor bill designed to protect crypto-related startups from securities regulators.  The Clarity for Digital Tokens Act of 2021 McHenry’s bill was unveiled on Tuesday, before a committee hearing with SEC chairman Gary Genser. The proposed legislation seeks to “provide a safe harbor for transactions in certain tokens and other purposes.” It has been titled “The…

Brazil's Chamber of Deputies imposed new rules on crimes involving cryptocurrencies. The new guidelines include harsher penalties which increase from one to two-thirds. By introducing this law, Brazil could fight against laundering activities using digital currencies. The bill awaits review from the Plenary of the Chamber before passing it into law. A New Age of Regulation in Brazil? As of now, laundering suspects face a jail term of three to ten years. The culprits also attract heavy fines for engaging…

Elon Musk says that the United States should do "nothing" to regulate the cryptocurrency sector– unlike China. He also suggests that crypto's advancement can merely be slowed but not "stopped" by governments. Elon Musk On China and Crypto Regulation The "Technoking" aired his thoughts in a recent interview at CodeCon 2021, an annual technology convention. The interviewer started by questioning Musk about China's recent re-ban on cryptocurrency in the country. He speculates that part of China's concern with Bitcoin could…