Tag: financial regulation

Atkins Takes Helm at SEC, Prioritizes Crypto Clarity and Modernized Custody Rules

Atkins Takes Helm at SEC, Prioritizes Crypto Clarity and Modernized Custody Rules

• Regulation

Earlier this week, Paul Atkins was sworn in as SEC Chair. This begins the third official term he’s served with the agency. Shortly after the Senate confirmed Atkins, he got right to work defining his priorities. To his credit, he seems intent on laying out unambiguous regulatory guardrails for the...

Stablecoins Take Center Stage in Washington's New Digital Asset Strategy

Stablecoins Take Center Stage in Washington's New Digital Asset Strategy

• Regulation

Stablecoins, cryptocurrencies pegged to the U.S. dollar, have emerged as a focal point in Washington's evolving approach to digital assets. These are central bank digital currencies, which feature the speed and accessibility of crypto. They remove the price instability that comes with assets such as Bitcoin, which makes them suited...

El Salvador & SEC: A Crypto Regulatory Sandbox in the Making?

El Salvador & SEC: A Crypto Regulatory Sandbox in the Making?

• Facts

El Salvador's bold embrace of Bitcoin has positioned it as a fascinating, if controversial, player in the global crypto landscape. Now, the nation is exploring new avenues to deepen its involvement, and its recent discussions with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) signal a potentially groundbreaking development: a crypto...

SEC's El Salvador Trip: A Regulatory Wake-Up Call or Just a Photo Op?

SEC's El Salvador Trip: A Regulatory Wake-Up Call or Just a Photo Op?

• Commentary

The SEC just recently traveled to El Salvador to further discuss the creation of a cross-border crypto regulatory sandbox. This latest trip though opens up a litany of bigger questions. Was this an honest attempt to comprehend a country moving toward adoption of digital assets? Or was this simply a...

Nasdaq Unveils Proposal for Clear Crypto Asset Classification to SEC

Nasdaq Unveils Proposal for Clear Crypto Asset Classification to SEC

• Regulation

To cut through the current market confusion Nasdaq has proposed a new framework for categorizing digital assets that would help provide much-needed clarity to the regulatory landscape. The detailed proposal was recently sent to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) new crypto task force. To help with this, it proposes...

El Salvador's Crypto Experiment: A Win for Artists, a Wake-Up Call for SEC

El Salvador's Crypto Experiment: A Win for Artists, a Wake-Up Call for SEC

• Commentary

Imagine this: a young artist in rural Cambodia, struggling to make ends meet, finally able to sell her intricate silk paintings directly to collectors in New York, bypassing gallery commissions and predatory middlemen. That’s the promise El Salvador’s crypto experiment has opened up. It’s not just about Bitcoin, but to...

Nigeria's $811M Crypto Disaster: Was the SEC Asleep at the Wheel?

Nigeria's $811M Crypto Disaster: Was the SEC Asleep at the Wheel?

• Commentary

$811 million. Let that number sink in. That’s over 130 times the amount Nigerians lost in the CBEX “crypto” scam. This massive amount hangs the financial wellbeing of hundreds of thousands in the balance. Yet it would set Nigeria’s booming Web3 aspirations a staggering blow backwards. And it begs the...

SEC's El Salvador Visit: Genuine Collaboration or a Regulatory Power Play?

SEC's El Salvador Visit: Genuine Collaboration or a Regulatory Power Play?

• Commentary

Just this month, the SEC made a trip to El Salvador to help establish a “cross-border regulatory sandbox.” This beautiful collaborative effort is just the tip of the iceberg. If so, are these examples of true collaboration? Or, are we really trying to prevent the U.S. from imposing its will...

SEC Eyes El Salvador's Bitcoin Strategy

SEC Eyes El Salvador's Bitcoin Strategy

• Regulation

President Nayib Bukele’s administration has positioned El Salvador as a global leader in the regulation of digital assets. This transition has drawn a lot of international interest. The nation took a brave stance in adopting Bitcoin as legal tender. Its ambitious plans for a “Bitcoin City” really made it unique....

David Tutor's SEC Experience Offers Unique Insights at WilmerHale

David Tutor's SEC Experience Offers Unique Insights at WilmerHale

• Regulation

David Tutor, special counsel at WilmerHale’s New York office, representing the firm. He does bring a wealth of experience from his previous role as chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). His deep experience gives him a distinct perspective on the changing regulatory framework for crypto assets and other...

Japan's "New Capitalism 2025" Plan Signals Regulatory Embrace of Bitcoin and Web3

Japan is strategically positioning itself as a global leader in digital innovation with its updated "New Capitalism 2025" plan, released on April 13. Taken together, this plan represents a major regulatory turning point event toward welcoming Bitcoin and Web3 technologies. The initiative aims to leverage digital assets to solve social...

Japan's Bitcoin Revolution: A Boon for Artists and Web3 Creators?

Is Japan on the verge of accidentally unleashing a tsunami of creative destruction and financial liberation onto the rest of the emerging markets? I know this seems like a tall order, but hear me out. Japan’s regulatory change to officially recognize Bitcoin as a financial product. This step is a...

5 Ways This Crypto Bill Empowers Southeast Asian Artists, Not Wall Street

Let’s be honest, when you hear about crypto regulation, your first thought probably isn't Southeast Asian artists finding new avenues for creative expression. Surely visions of Wall Street honchos and inscrutable derivatives dance in your head. Well, what if I told you that the Senate’s Banking Committee just released their...

Senate Republicans Forge Ahead on Crypto Market Structure Framework

Republican senators working on a new framework for digital assets legislation, riding the positive bipartisan wave in the Senate as of late. This announcement follows the Senate’s passage of a bill to regulate stablecoins last week. It was passing with overwhelming bipartisan support.Senators Tim Scott, Cynthia Lummis, Thom Tillis, and...

Crypto's 'Light-Touch' Regulation Gamble Will It Protect You?

The Senate Committee’s proposed “light-touch” regulatory framework for crypto is a long high-stakes poker game. Are we all truly holding a winning hand, or are we collectively bluffing our way into a future financial crisis? It’s a question every investor, every innovator, and frankly, every citizen should want to know....

Trump Jr. at KBW2025: Web3's Mainstream Moment?

Donald Trump Jr.’s scheduled keynote address at KBW2025 is raising eyebrows and inspiring intense discussion across the Web3 ecosystem. He’s just a high-profile guy shaking things up in the crypto world. His presence further exemplifies the increasing importance of blockchain technology and its potential to revolutionize the traditional economy. Does...

Trump Jr. at KBW2025: Web3's Punk Rock Moment or Sellout?

Or I think about Nandar, a wonderful Burmese artist that I met in Yangon, sharing with me her latest NFT collection. Each work exploded with vivid imagery, bravely fighting back against the junta’s repressive hold. She began selling them directly to supporters around the world, allowing her to cleverly sidestep...

KBW2025: Is Trump Jr. Web3's Trojan Horse or its Savior?

Donald Trump Jr. at Korea Blockchain Week? It's a head-scratcher, isn't it? About as easy as locating a MAGA hat at a Burning Man soirée. Before we put this down as just another short-lived publicity stunt, let’s take a closer look at what this could IoTally Web3 means. Cynical ploy...