SEC Probes First Republic Bank Executives for Insider Trading; Lawmakers Dump Bank’s Shares Before Collapse

After the second largest bank failure in history, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is reportedly investigating First Republic Bank executives for allegedly engaging in insider trading. Two sources have claimed that the securities regulator is scrutinizing the bank’s executives…

Core Inflation on Upward Trend, Further Rate Hikes Expected, ECB Execs Say

Amid underlying inflationary pressures, further interest rate increases may still be needed, members of the European Central Bank’s Governing Council have admitted. At the same time, the cycle with the highest hikes may soon be over, the officials indicated. End of…

China Ready to Talk Asian Monetary Fund to Cut Dollar Dependence, Malaysia Says

An idea to establish an Asian Monetary Fund has caught the attention of the Chinese leadership, the head of the Malaysian government revealed. The prime minister believes there is no reason for his country, which is hurting from a strong U.S….

Nasdaq Aims to Launch Crypto Custody Services in Second Quarter

Nasdaq intends to launch its custody services for digital assets like bitcoin by the end of this year’s second quarter. The exchange operator is among those traditional financial firms that want to play a role as intermediaries in the crypto sector…

Report: Silicon Valley Bank Under FDIC Auction as Calls for Bailout Grow

The U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) began an auction process for Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) late Saturday night, according to reports. Final bids are due by Sunday afternoon. Unnamed sources indicate that the FDIC is seeking to close the deal…

Crypto Exchanges Allow Russians to Circumvent Sanctions, Report Alleges

Major crypto exchanges have failed to prevent sanctioned Russian banks and traders from transacting, according to a blockchain forensics report. At least two established coin trading platforms continue to allow Russians to use their bank cards in peer-to-peer deals, the analysis…

Matrixport Joins Growing List of Crypto and Blockchain Companies Letting Employees Go

The crypto firm Matrixport, led by former Bitmain CEO Jihan Wu, is laying off 10% of the company’s staff, according to reports published on Friday. Matrixport’s COO, Cynthia Wu, cited a “shift in the regulatory climate” and “industry-wide capitulations” as reasons…

Former FTX Director of Engineering Under Scrutiny by US Law Enforcement, Alleged Proffer Sessions Held With Prosecutors in New York

U.S. law enforcement officials are reportedly scrutinizing Nishad Singh, the former director of engineering at FTX, according to a report citing people familiar with the matter. Another report, published on Jan. 10, 2023, details that Singh met with federal prosecutors at…

Report: Federal Prosecutors in New York Probe Digital Currency Group and Subsidiary Genesis

Following accusations from Gemini co-founder Cameron Winklevoss in an open letter to Digital Currency Group CEO Barry Silbert, a report citing “people familiar with the matter” states that federal prosecutors from New York are scrutinizing transfers between Digital Currency Group and…

Report: Alameda’s Caroline Ellison Retains SEC’s Former Enforcement Division Chief

After more attention has been cast on the former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison, a report details that Ellison has hired Wilmerhale partner Stephanie Avakian, an attorney that worked for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The news follows leaked…