The Treasury admits there’s not much crypto-aided sanctions evasion going on, stablecoins attract regulatory attention, and a fourth futures-based BTC ETF secures approval.
Kirill Bryanov
Kirill holds a Ph.D. in political communication. His day job is in academic research, where he explores the effects of emerging technology on society and politics. Kirill is curious about the transformative potential of fintech and blockchain, and enjoys observing how incumbent institutions regulate and co-opt disruptive financial technology.
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Law Decoded: Crypto risks, imaginary and real, and creative ways of addressing them, April 4–11 - Newsletter
Law Decoded: ‘Unhosted’ wallets are just ‘wallets,’ March 28–April 4 Yet another regulatory attack on self-hosted wallets, a digital dollar with privacy protections, and more of the same for spot BTC ETFs.
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Law Decoded: Crypto taxes and taxes on crypto, March 21–28 Some jurisdictions are introducing digital assets as tax payment options while others levy hefty taxes on crypto gains.
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Law Decoded: Arab States of the Gulf open up to digital asset services, March 14–21 Crypto comes to the Persian Gulf, U.S. Congress moves sideways, Australia is looking at regulating DAOs.
- Newsletter
Law Decoded: Joe Biden’s executive order is finally upon us, and it doesn’t look too dreadful, March 7–14. The long-anticipated presidential directive drops, EU votes on PoW ban and South Korea gets a pro-crypto president.
- Breaking news
Biden to sign executive order on crypto, authorize all-government effort to consolidate regulation The document does not announce any restrictive measures, but it will undoubtedly lay the groundwork for a more focused federal oversight.
- Newsletter
Law Decoded: Crypto in times of war, Feb. 28–Mar. 7 The catastrophe unfolding in Ukraine will have long-lasting consequences for the crypto space, too.
- Analysis
Seizure of Bitfinex funds is a reminder that crypto is no good for money launderers Law enforcement’s robust capacity to follow the money on the blockchain is good news for the crypto industry.
- News
Survey: US consumers’ dissatisfied with Web2, limited knowledge of Web3 While Web3 narratives haven’t yet permeated public consciousness, there seems to be a strong foundation for future acceptance of the idea.
- Newsletter
Law Decoded: Bitcoin’s censorship resistance capacity enters the spotlight, Feb. 14–21 Recent events in Canada sparked a global conversation about financial censorship and crypto's potential to guard against it.
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Russia’s Finance Ministry introduces digital currency bill, brushes off central bank’s objections As the public standoff between the two agencies approaches fever pitch, the Ministry of Finance makes a formal move.
- Analysis
SEC v. Ripple: Here’s how two 2012 memos can turn the tide in the milestone crypto case We will soon know if Ripple’s executives were warned of the possibility of an SEC lawsuit ahead of XRP’s launch.
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Law Decoded: States’ crypto rights and the influx of digital money into analog politics, Feb. 7–14. As U.S. Congress continues its crypto education at a measured pace, states race to explore the benefits of financial innovation.
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SEC hits BlockFi with a $100 million penalty, gives 60 days to comply with a 1940 law The penalty comes after months of heightened regulatory attention to crypto lending platforms.
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India’s finance minister waiting for consultations to decide whether to ban or regulate crypto The country's finance minister admitted to not having enough information to make a fateful call.
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US Federal Reserve bank at the helm of CBDC research effort appoints new president Susan M. Collins is set to become the first Black woman to head a Federal Reserve Bank.
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Law Decoded: Tangible wins, new menaces and the global crypto taxation drive, Feb. 1–7 Crypto advocates celebrate wins, the Treasury and SEC seek to introduce crypto-unfriendly rules, and governments rush to levy digital asset taxes.
- News
US federal deposit insurer lists “crypto-asset risks” among its top priorities for the year FDIC's acting chairman stated that the work on crypto-related guidance for U.S. banks is underway.
- Analysis
Stealth rulemaking: Is proposed SEC rule with no mention of crypto a threat to DeFi? A 600-page document proposes changes to the definition of an exchange that could extend to include DeFi protocols.
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PoS validator turns down IRS tax refund offer, pushes for clear policy on staking taxation The Tezos validator who took the IRS to court argues that staking rewards should be treated as created property rather than income.
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Law Decoded: Russia flounders, America competes, IMF keeps fuming, Jan. 24–31 Uncertainty about crypto regulation can engender internal disagreement even within seemingly monolithic governments.
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Averted a year ago, controversial transaction monitoring rule is back on Treasury’s radar The Treasury will consider imposing KYC regulations on transactions involving self-custodied wallets.
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US Congressman wants to scrub bill provision that crypto advocates say is a potential disaster Representative Ted Budd stated that the provision would let the Treasury unilaterally prohibit certain financial transactions without public input.
- Analysis
Clampdown on crypto ads: A one-off or a new phase of global regulation? Intensified scrutiny of digital asset ads is a growing trend, but it's not clear if it is inextricable from crypto regulation’s evolution.
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US congressman calls for ‘broad, bipartisan consensus’ on important issues of digital asset policy Representative McHenry is convinced that Congress should take crypto regulation away from executive agencies and courts.
- Newsletter
Law Decoded: When central banks seek public discussion, Jan. 17–24 As the Federal reserve releases its position paper on CBDCs, the Russian Central Bank instigates yet another crypto ban scare.
- News
Reuters: Binance was withholding information from regulators, repeatedly shunned own compliance department According to the investigation, the world's largest crypto exchange pursued growth while dodging regulatory scrutiny.
- Follow up
Lawmakers explore Bitcoin mining efficiency, broader crypto policy issues during Congress hearing While we are unlikely to see immediate policy effects of the exchange, legislators got educated on a wide array of blockchain-related concepts and issues.
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BIS general manager: Central banks generate trust, not big techs or ‘anonymous ledgers’ According to the boss of the international institution owned by central banks, it is central banks that are best positioned to shape the future of money.
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Former pro-crypto CoC Brian Brooks to testify in a House hearing on the energy impacts of mining Crypto allies dominate the list of witnesses slated to appear before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.