Korean Crypto Exchanges Upbit, Bithumb Raided Over Lawmaker’s Crypto Dealings

South Korean prosecutors have raided two of the country’s largest coin trading platforms within an investigation into the crypto investments of a politician. They seized materials from Upbit and Bithumb amid suspicions of wrongdoing related to the lawmaker’s cryptocurrency holdings. South…

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…

Report: Korean Central Bank to Gain Right to Probe Virtual Asset Entities After Financial Regulator Drops Opposition

The South Korean central bank is set to be granted the right to investigate virtual assets after the Financial Services Commission (FSC) dropped its opposition to the move. According to a report, the FSC dropped its opposition to the central bank’s…

Ether’s Security Status Remains Unclear as SEC Chair Gensler Fails to Answer Lawmaker’s Question

The chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Gary Gensler, would not answer a direct question in a congressional hearing about whether ether is a security. While the SEC chair insisted that the law is clear on crypto, Congressman…

Latam Insights – Inflation Skyrockets in Argentina, El Salvador Processes Digital Assets Licenses, Venezuelan Crypto Corruption Probe Continues

Welcome to Latam Insights, a compendium of the most relevant crypto and economic development news from Latin America during the last week. In this issue: Inflation in Argentina goes over 100%, El Salvador issues its first digital assets licenses, and the…

US Federal Trade Commission Investigates Marketing Schemes of Crypto Firm Voyager

According to a court document filed recently in the Voyager Digital bankruptcy case, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating the marketing of the crypto firm. Like the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the FTC has objected to Binance…

House Republicans Demand Answers From SEC Over FTX Co-Founder’s Arrest

On Feb. 10, 2023, Republicans Patrick McHenry of North Carolina and Bill Huizenga of Michigan, both members of the U.S. House of Representatives, sent a letter to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chairman Gary Gensler seeking answers about the arrest of…

Crypto Association in Turkey Vows to Block Exchanges That ‘Victimize Traders’

A new organization has been established in Turkey with the aim to monitor and help develop the country’s crypto sector, local media reported. Its first task will be to address recent problems with some cryptocurrency exchanges and boost confidence in the…

Philippine Authorities Rescue Alleged Victims of ‘Crypto Trafficking Ring’

Philippine authorities say that they have rescued alleged victims of a “crypto trafficking ring” who were recruited to work in a call center in Cambodia and scam people out of their cryptocurrencies. The authorities are also investigating government employees who may…

Digital Currency Group Suspends Dividends Amid Regulatory Trouble With Subsidiary Genesis

According to a shareholders’ letter from Digital Currency Group (DCG) viewed by finance and crypto publication Coindesk, the company has suspended dividends until further notice. This news follows the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charging a subsidiary firm of DCG,…