Government policy, laws and regulation shaping digital assets and the future of money.
Sony’s financial division is making a major push into the U.S. crypto market. Sony Bank has submitted an application to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for a national banking license. This strategic move, carried out through its subsidiary Connectia Trust, would allow Sony Bank to: Issue its own U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin. … Read more
At Fintech Week in Washington D.C., U.S. SEC Chairman Paul Atkins outlined forthcoming regulatory initiatives designed to boost cryptocurrency and tokenization innovation, even amidst current government shutdown challenges. Atkins’ strategy, spearheaded by “Project Crypto,” aims to modernize the SEC’s framework to better support the digital finance sector. Key proposed changes include introducing innovation exemptions and … Read more
Europe has taken a significant step in its ambition to reduce the reliance on U.S. dollar-based stablecoins. The Franco-German banking group ODDO BHF has launched EUROD, a new euro-backed digital currency, under the region’s stringent Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulatory framework. A European Alternative ODDO BHF is acting as the direct issuer of EUROD, ensuring … Read more
Taiwanese stablecoin infrastructure company OwlTing is set to make its debut on the Nasdaq Global Market on Thursday, October 16, under the ticker symbol OWLS. This move marks it as one of the first Asian blockchain firms to list directly on a major U.S. exchange. OwlTing stated that the Nasdaq Global Market was chosen for … Read more
The path for crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) is being streamlined by two recent SEC decisions, but a U.S. government shutdown is currently preventing any new funds from launching. SEC Simplifies Approvals, Then Pauses The SEC has agreed to adopt Generic Listing Standards (GLS), replacing the slow, case-by-case approval process for ETFs. This change, along with … Read more
Kenya has taken a major step toward formalizing its cryptocurrency sector after its parliament passed the Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP) Bill last week. This legislation marks the country’s first comprehensive law for regulating cryptocurrencies and virtual assets, which is expected to boost investor confidence and attract global interest. The bill now awaits President William … Read more
The competition to launch the first spot XRP Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) has entered a critical phase, despite recent volatility in the broader crypto market. On October 10, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) received a fresh wave of S-1/A amendment filings for proposed XRP ETFs from major players including 21Shares, Bitwise, Franklin Templeton, WisdomTree, … Read more
Russia’s Central Bank is actively considering the use of tokenization solutions to enable foreign buyers to access shares in Russian companies, a move that domestic industry insiders deem “feasible and attractive to foreign investors.” Vladimir Chistyukhin, the First Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank, confirmed this during a recent financial forum, referring to it as … Read more
Grayscale Investments has taken a significant step toward integrating the AI-focused cryptocurrency Bittensor (TAO) into mainstream finance by filing a Form 10 registration statement with the U.S. SEC for its Bittensor Trust. Regulatory Significance This regulatory move is designed to reduce the private placement holding period for early investors from 12 months to six months, … Read more
The current legal framework in the European Union, specifically MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) and MiFID II (Markets in Financial Instruments Directive), has created a regulatory gap for digital assets that are inherently non-transferable, such as certain company shares or revenue-sharing agreements. The Regulatory Challenge and the Solution Since MiCA and MiFID II primarily target … Read more