On March 9, President Biden signed an Executive Order (the Order) to establish the first comprehensive federal digital asset strategy for the U.S., which would promote digital asset innovation while balancing benefits and associated risks. The order directs the Justice Department, U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System,
On February 21, President Biden issued an executive order blocking property of certain persons, and prohibiting transactions regarding Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine. The following day, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued restrictions on activities with Russian individuals and entities. On February 25, these lists were updated to include political leaders
On February 4, the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) released the “Study of the Facilitation of Money Laundering and Terror Finance through the Trade in Works of Art” (Study). The Study assesses the various risks of the high-value art market based on its propensities for money laundering and illicit financing.
Specifically, the Study
In this Bitcoin Magazine article, Troutman Pepper attorneys Stephen Piepgrass, James Stevens, Chris Carlson, and Namrata Kang discuss how in the absence of clear federal policy around emerging cryptocurrency-related technologies, state attorneys general will continue to take coordinated actions to regulate the industry. Recent enforcement actions against BlockFi and Celsius demonstrate that state regulators view
In December, cryptocurrency executives testified before the House Financial Services Committee that they would like clearer guidance because the lack of a federal framework is causing uncertainty and inconsistent oversight at both the federal and state levels. These comments are not unique to cryptocurrency[1] executives, but mirror recent ones from cannabis[2] and data
On November 22, the New Jersey State Senate introduced Senate Bill No. 4163 (NJ S4163), titled “Virtual Currency and Blockchain Regulation Act.” The bill, sponsored by Senators Thomas Kean, Jr. (R) and Robert Singer (R), if enacted, would establish a regulatory framework for New Jersey virtual currency businesses, create provisions governing the use of blockchain
The proliferation of “neobanks” has recently drawn the attention of lawmakers and regulators. “Neobanks” are financial technology companies that offer bank-like services through a digital interface. These companies often advertise themselves as serving low- to moderate-income individuals who are underserved by traditional banks. Neobanks offer a variety of services, like deposit accounts and paycheck advance
On October 4, California passed a bill requiring a money transmitter to display a toll-free telephone number on its website through which a customer may contact the licensee for customer service issues and receive live customer assistance. The telephone number must be operative at least 10 hours per day, Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays.
Between July 20-22, 2021, state securities regulators in New Jersey, Texas, and Alabama took aim at BlockFi — a cryptocurrency-based platform that has raised $14.7 billion from investors — related to the company’s interest-bearing crypto accounts. This regulatory scrutiny, brought by a bipartisan group of state securities regulators, may prove significant given that state and