Blockchain

Secretary Mnuchin Indicates New Cryptocurrency Regulations are Coming

In his testimony before the Senate Finance Committee, on February 12, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin stated that the Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) will soon release new regulations related to cryptocurrency. FinCEN is responsible for issuing and implementing anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) regulations applicable to certain US financial… Continue Reading

Published

1 year ago

March 10, 2020

Republished by Plato

We’re spending a lot of time on the issue of cryptocurrencies and digital payment systems …. on pure cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, and there are others, we want to make sure that these are not used as the equivalent of secret bank accounts. So, we are working with FinCEN, and we will be rolling out new regulations to be very clear on greater transparency so that law enforcement can see where the money is going and that this isn’t used for money laundering.

FinCEN previously issued guidance on virtual currency in 2013 and 2019, which clarify how FinCEN’s existing rules for money services businesses, or MSBs, apply to “administrators,” “exchangers,” and “users” of what the agency calls “convertible virtual currency.” The MSB rules apply to certain persons dealing in fiat currency, convertible virtual currency, and other “value that substitutes for currency,” but does not treat MSBs dealing in convertible virtual currency differently than other types of MSBs. Therefore, if FinCEN were to issue new regulations specifically addressing cryptocurrencies or digital assets more broadly, such regulations would be a first of its kind.

Secretary Mnuchin did not offer any additional details with respect to the timing or scope for any new regulations. Assuming FinCEN used the formal notice and comment process to issue any new regulations, this would be the first opportunity for digital asset companies to formally weigh in on FinCEN’s approach to the industry. The outcome of such a process could have a significant impact on the digital asset industry in the United States. (However, it is possible the agency issues an interim final rule or utilizes another process whereby industry would not be granted the same opportunity to comment).

Secretary Mnuchin also addressed stablecoins and central bank issued cryptocurrencies, telling lawmakers, “There is another component of the market which people refer to as stablecoins, where we do think technology can be used to reduce payment processing quite considerably, particularly for small dollar payments cross-border. And then there’s a third component that people are looking at, which is central bank digital issued currency. That is something that Chairman Powell and I do not think the US needs to consider now, but could consider again down the road.”

Although not clear, his comments with respect to stablecoins suggest there is a possibility that FinCEN might take a different approach toward stablecoins than other types of digital assets in any new regulations. While most regulators in the US have treated varying types of digital assets similarly with respect to AML laws and regulations, there has been some movement toward treating stablecoins differently, as noted in our prior blog post on guidance from the Texas Department of Banking.

Source: https://www.steptoeblockchainblog.com/2020/03/secretary-mnuchin-indicates-new-cryptocurrency-regulations-are-coming/

Blockchain

MicroStrategy Acquires More Bitcoin, Holds More Than 105,000 BTC

MicroStrategy Bitcoin

Rate this post Business analytics firm MicroStrategy has added more Bitcoin to its balance sheet, taking the company’s collective holdings to a whopping 105,085 BTC. According to an announcement from the firm’s CEO Michael J. Saylor, MicroStrategy spent $489 million to add another 13,005 BTC to its treasury. Michael Saylor Announces New Bitcoin Purchase For MicroStrategy Saylor and his company have maintained their belief in Bitcoin’s potential despite the primary crypto’s ongoing price struggles in a volatile market. The company has been pumping the digital asset since last August following the pandemic-induced inflation, which forced investors to seek non-traditional options that safeguard their assets. In its most recent accumulation effort, MicroStrategy snagged 13,005 BTC for an average price of $37, 617 per token. However, the digital asset has declined sharply in the last few days, and one coin is currently trading for $32,500. As part of its announcement, the firm revealed that its recently formed subsidiary MacroStrategy LLC holds 92,079 BTC of its total balance. Altogether, the new investment takes MicroStrategy’s combined Bitcoin holdings to a staggering 105,085 coins. At the current spot price, this holding is worth $2.74 billion, with each token amounting to slightly more than $26,000. MicroStrategy Raised $500M to Procure Its Current BTC Investment Earlier this month it was reported that MicroStrategy was offering senior secured notes due in 2028 to raise half a billion dollars in debt. These notes bore an annual interest rate of 6.125%. The company had originally capped the sale at $400 million, but shortly thereafter it boosted its offer by another $100 million. Following the sale of its debt offering, the company revealed that it had amassed nearly $489 million, which would be invested in Bitcoin. At the same time, MicroStrategy also announced that it was planning to sell up to $1 billion in stocks and that part of those proceeds would be directed to buying more Bitcoin. Even before its recent purchase, MicroStrategy owned the largest reserve of the flagship crypto among all publicly traded companies.

The post MicroStrategy Acquires More Bitcoin, Holds More Than 105,000 BTC appeared first on Cryptoknowmics-Crypto News and Media Platform.

Published

1 hour ago

June 22, 2021

Republished by Plato

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Business analytics firm MicroStrategy has added more Bitcoin to its balance sheet, taking the company’s collective holdings to a whopping 105,085 BTC. According to an announcement from the firm’s CEO Michael J. Saylor, MicroStrategy spent $489 million to add another 13,005 BTC to its treasury.

Michael Saylor Announces New Bitcoin Purchase For MicroStrategy

Saylor and his company have maintained their belief in Bitcoin’s potential despite the primary crypto’s ongoing price struggles in a volatile market. The company has been pumping the digital asset since last August following the pandemic-induced inflation, which forced investors to seek non-traditional options that safeguard their assets.

In its most recent accumulation effort, MicroStrategy snagged 13,005 BTC for an average price of $37, 617 per token. However, the digital asset has declined sharply in the last few days, and one coin is currently trading for $32,500.

MicroStrategy has purchased an additional 13,005 bitcoins for ~$489 million in cash at an average price of ~$37,617 per bitcoin. As of 6/21/21 we #hodl ~105,085 bitcoins acquired for ~$2.741 billion at an average price of ~$26,080 per bitcoin. $MSTR https://t.co/gLfnOxZEZc

— Michael Saylor (@michael_saylor) June 21, 2021

As part of its announcement, the firm revealed that its recently formed subsidiary MacroStrategy LLC holds 92,079 BTC of its total balance.

Altogether, the new investment takes MicroStrategy’s combined Bitcoin holdings to a staggering 105,085 coins. At the current spot price, this holding is worth $2.74 billion, with each token amounting to slightly more than $26,000.

MicroStrategy Raised $500M to Procure Its Current BTC Investment

Earlier this month it was reported that MicroStrategy was offering senior secured notes due in 2028 to raise half a billion dollars in debt. These notes bore an annual interest rate of 6.125%. The company had originally capped the sale at $400 million, but shortly thereafter it boosted its offer by another $100 million.

Following the sale of its debt offering, the company revealed that it had amassed nearly $489 million, which would be invested in Bitcoin. At the same time, MicroStrategy also announced that it was planning to sell up to $1 billion in stocks and that part of those proceeds would be directed to buying more Bitcoin.

Even before its recent purchase, MicroStrategy owned the largest reserve of the flagship crypto among all publicly traded companies.

READ MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin Stack Up: Brilliant Moves or Risk?

#Bitcoin #CEO Michael Saylor #MicroStrategy #MicroStrategy BTC Investment

Source: https://www.cryptoknowmics.com/news/microstrategy-acquires-more-bitcoin-holds-more-than-105000-btc/

News

Thailand SEC Bans Meme Coins, Fan Tokens, NFTs

Published

2 hours ago

June 22, 2021

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Local exchanges in Thailand had been given a deadline until July 11 to submit their new rules for listing tokens that complies with the new guidelines from the Thailand Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

“The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Board has approved the new rules that prohibit digital asset exchanges from providing services in relation to utility tokens and certain types of cryptocurrencies. The rules also specify that the exchanges set a requirement to be imposed in the event that digital tokens issued by their own exchange or related persons are listed on the exchange. In this regard, the token issuer who fails to comply with the white paper and relevant rules in substance could risk having such tokens delisted from the exchange. This new regulatory guideline aims to enhance protection of digital asset traders’ interest.”

The Thai SEC also added that listing rules prohibits local exchanges from providing services that have these following characteristics:

(1) Meme Token – having or no clear objective or substance or underlying, and whose price runs on social media trends.

(2) Fan token: tokenized by the fame of influencers.

(3) Non-Fungible Token (NFT): a digital creation to declare ownership or grant of right in an object or specific right. It is unique and not interchangeable with digital tokens of the same category and type at the equal amount.

(4) Digital tokens which are utilized in blockchain transactions and issued by digital asset exchanges or related persons.

Along with this move is their previous announcement of regulating Decentralize Finance (DeFi) projects in the country, including the issuance of digital tokens.

In the previous announcement, liquidity provider tokens, governance tokens, or tokens issued to those transacting in DeFi projects “must be licensed and must abide by the specified rules”.

The new regulation stipulates crypto exchanges, digital-asset brokerages, digital asset-dealers, private fund managers and investment advisors must be licensed by the Ministry of Finance.

Thai SEC states that, “For traders, it is best to study the DeFi project before getting involved in both technical and security aspects.” They also added that traders “should check whether the service provider is a digital-asset business that is licensed and regulated by the SEC or other regulatory agencies under law.”

This article is published on BitPinas: Thailand SEC Bans Meme Coins, Fan Tokens, NFTs

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Source: https://bitpinas.com/regulation/thailand-sec-ban-meme-tokens/

News

After Bitcoin U-Turn, Nigeria Plans To Launch Central Bank Currency This Year

Published

2 hours ago

June 22, 2021

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According to Reuters, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) plans to launch a digital currency pilot as soon as the end of this year.

Last month, the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, made a U-turn on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies by saying he will “allow” them. Previously, the CBN had sought to restrict the cryptocurrency sector by imposing regulatory sanctions on monetary businesses that serviced cryptocurrency exchanges.

In a turn of fortunes, it now looks as though Nigerian officials are embracing blockchain technology. All the same, in what may well turn into a showdown between private and public cryptocurrencies in the future, arguments against central bank offerings remain as pertinent as ever.

The Nigerian Central Bank Digital Currency Has Been Years In The Making

Despite Nigeria’s purported aversion to fintech, it’s emerged that the central bank has been working on a digital currency for the past two years.

The CBN Director of Information Technology, Rakiya Mohammed, echoed what many other countries have mentioned in the past. That is, Nigeria will not be left behind in the technological revolution.

“We’re all aware that about 80% of central banks in the world exploring the possibility of issuing central bank digital currency, and Nigeria cannot be left behind.”

One of the reasons given for the CBN’s previous anti-Bitcoin position was a need to protect its citizens. In 2018, the CBN said that there is no legal redress if things go wrong in an unregulated market. There was also the usual spiel of links to illicit activity such as money laundering and terrorist financing.

Mohammed sells the idea of a central bank digital currency on it bringing financial inclusion and having the backing of the Nigerian government.

“If you have a central bank digital currency that is backed by the government, then people can make transactions online without fear of any default.”

Is This The End For Privacy?

As previously mentioned by billionaire investor Ray Dalio, governments will do all they can to maintain monopoly control of their money, even if that means outlawing the competition.

“every country treasures its monopoly on controlling the supply and demand. They don’t want other monies to be operating or competing, because things can get out of control.”

Anthony Pompliano rubbished this idea saying governments cannot ban Bitcoin. But he concedes that a scenario of coordinated global action could make life difficult for Bitcoin users.

And as cryptocurrencies continue to make their mark in the world of finance, regulators and policymakers may soon be forced to show their hand on the matter.

Unlike private cryptocurrencies, which operate on decentralized networks, central bank digital currencies would be issued and controlled by a central bank. This enables them, and by extension national governments, to track every transaction in their economies.

Liberal commentators view this situation as a significant blow to privacy. What’s more, as noted with several U.K banks refusing crypto transactions recently, central digital currencies have the potential to bring about a dystopian future in which transactions deemed “against the state” also get refused.

Source: https://bitcoinist.com/after-bitcoin-u-turn-nigeria-plans-to-launch-central-bank-currency-this-year/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=after-bitcoin-u-turn-nigeria-plans-to-launch-central-bank-currency-this-year