In this issue: • CBDC Initiatives Announced, Blockchain Trade Finance Platform Launches • Baseball, Art, Politics, Commerce: NFT Market Continues to Expand • Gaming Token Shifts Away from Ethereum, MetaMask Announces 10M Users • BitConnect Charged in $2B Crypto Fraud, BitConnect Promoter Pleads Guilty • Seychelles Investigates Crypto Fraud, Singapore Issues Warning for Exchange • DeFi Hacked, Exchange Hack Traced, Report Addresses Crypto Crime by Region CBDC Initiatives Announced, Blockchain Trade Finance Platform Launches By…

The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) recently issued a request for information and public comment on the use of new and emerging technologies by investment advisers and broker-dealers that suggests potential regulatory action to come.[1] According to its release, the SEC is seeking to understand how registrants — whether online brokerages, robo-advisers, internet investment advisers, or more traditionally-operated firms — use various digital engagement practices, interactive websites and mobile applications, or artificial intelligence to…

In this issue: •Crypto Market Develops in DeFi, Payments, Compliance and Consumer Adoption • Market Navigation, Fashion Metaverse, Online Tutorials: NFT Adoption Continues • Crypto Compliance Addressed by CFTC, Thai SEC, South Korea and UK FCA • SEC, DOJ and Ontario Securities Commission Bring Crypto Enforcement Actions • Reports Released on Crypto Scams and Malware, Poly Hacker Returns Funds • 2021 Global Blockchain Survey Focuses on Views of Financial Services Leaders Crypto Market Develops…

In this issue: • Crypto Adoption Index Published, Regulators Address Crypto Across Globe •Design, Data and Digital Platforms: NFT Market Domination Continues • Blockchain Cobalt Tracing Pilot Launches, Ethereum-Based Networks to Merge • Bitcoin “Tumbler” Operator Pleads Guilty, Crypto AML Report Published • Cryptocurrency Exchange and DeFi Market Hacked, Crypto Malware Reported Crypto Adoption Index Published, Regulators Address Crypto Across Globe By Joanna F. Wasick The 2021 Chainalysis Global Crypto Adoption Index was published…

In this issue: • Crypto Firms Pursue Bank Charters, Traditional Financial Firms Integrate Crypto • CBDC and Blockchain Remittance Initiatives Launch Across Foreign Markets • Blockchain Supply Chain Initiatives Launch Across Various Industries • SEC Charges DeFi Company and Digital Asset Exchange Platform • FinCEN Settles Enforcement Action Against Major Cryptocurrency Exchange • Senate Passes Bill Expanding Crypto Tax Reporting Without Amendments • Senator and SEC Chair Discuss Crypto Concerns as DeFi Is Hacked for …

In a speech before the Aspen Security Forum on August 3, 2021, Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC” or “Commission”) Chair Gary Gensler urged lawmakers to provide him with the power to police cryptocurrency trading, referring to it as the “Wild West.”[1] While he noted that the views he was sharing were his own and not those of the SEC, Chair Gensler made clear his concerns that the markets are “rife with fraud, scams, and…

In this issue: • New Crypto Products Launch in Payment Cards, Gold and Sandwiches • More NFTs Launch in Sports, Fashion, Gaming and Charity Auctions • SEC Chairman, Kentucky and UK Address Various Aspects of Crypto Industry • Proposed Legislation Expands Crypto Tax Reporting, Senators Seek Amendment New Crypto Products Launch in Payment Cards, Gold and Sandwiches By Joanna F. Wasick Coinjar, an Australian cryptocurrency exchange, recently announced its launch of a payment card backed…