Politics - The Chain Bulletin

Politics

The current governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, announced he is joining the race for the 47th president of the U.S. during a Twitter Spaces event on Wednesday.
During his speech DeSantis declared his support for Bitcoin and the wider crypto space, noting that if Joe Biden is re-elected “they’ll probably end up killing it”.

May 25, 2023, 8:21 AM

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaking at Lynchburg, Virginia, 14 April, 2023.The Old Major/Shutterstock

The Economic and Financial Affairs Council of the EU, which is comprised of finance ministers of all 27 member states, unanimously approved the MiCA crypto regulation.
The EU’s finance ministers also also gave their consent to new measures that will allow tax authorities to collect data on individuals’ cryptocurrency holdings.

May 16, 2023, 12:20 PM

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The U.S. SEC claimed in its response that it was under no obligation to issue new regulations for crypto, and that rules for crypto were already published and were sufficient.
The agency also tried to distance itself from any public comments made by its chair Gary Gensler, particularly regarding his statement that most cryptocurrencies are securities.

May 16, 2023, 7:28 AM

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission building in Washington DC, October 12, 2018. Andriy Blokhin/Shutterstock

Coinbase is taking the U.S. securities regulator to court in order to receive a yes or no response to a rulemaking petition it filed back in July 2022.
In its petition, the exchange asked for clearer regulatory guidelines for the crypto industry, and answer to 50 specific questions regarding digital assets.

April 25, 2023, 10:04 AM

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Apr 20, 2023

Lawmakers in the European Parliament voted 517-38 in favor of the MiCA legislation, which aims to establish harmonized rules for crypto in the EU.
The crypto regulatory package still needs the approval of the European Council, but it is expected to come into force in 2024.

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Apr 19, 2023

The decision has placed Hong Kong in line with other common law jurisdictions that had previously ruled crypto had the same attributes as property.
This will give liquidators in Hong Kong greater clarity on how to handle crypto held by companies that are winding down.

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Apr 18, 2023

All virtual asset service providers (VASPs) in the UAE are now required to submit a licensing application with the Securities and Commodities Authority.
Firms that have already acquired a license in the UAE’s financial free zones will be exempted from the requirement, but those in Dubai will still need to apply with the SCA.

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Mar 31, 2023

The 2023-2026 Economic Crime Plan’s goal is to make the U.K. an an “attractive destination for cryptoassets and cryptoasset innovation in the world”.
The main focus of the plan will be to reduce the use of crypto in fraud, money laundering, sanctions evasion, and to make it easier to recover criminal assets.

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Feb 20, 2023

Hong Kong’s SFC has called for public feedback on its newly proposed licensing regime for cryptocurrency exchanges, which is set to take effect in June 2023.
A key point of the public consultation is whether to allow licensed crypto exchanges to offers services to retail investors, and what protection measures should be put in place.

Hong Kong national flag. Neerav Bhatt/Flickr

Feb 17, 2023

Planned for 1 April, the CBDC trial will involve real consumers and real transactions, though they will be limited to a certain number of customers and transfers.
The pilot, however, will not be opened to the general public in its first phase, and will only be opened to customers chosen by the 13 participating local banks.

Central Bank of Russia building in Moscow. Mistervlad/Shutterstock