Coinbase Secures Regulatory Approval to Operate as a Virtual Asset Service Provider in Ireland

Coinbase has announced it has secured regulatory approval as a virtual asset service provider (VASP) in Ireland, according to a company blog post published on Dec. 21. According to the company, Coinbase has been approved by Ireland’s central bank which means…

SEC Chairman Says Important to Regulate Crypto Issuers and Intermediaries

The chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Gary Gensler, has stressed the importance of bringing “intermediaries and issuers of crypto securities” into compliance. In addition, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) has recommended that regulatory…

Research Shows Centralized Exchanges Saw the Most Visits This Year From Americans, Koreans, Russians

Residents of the United States, South Korea and the Russian Federation have been the most frequent users of centralized exchanges this year, according to a new study. The finding comes after the spectacular crash of FTX, one of the largest such…

Full Ban on Crypto in Russia Would Be Counterproductive, Rosfinmonitoring Says

Russian citizens and businesses already own cryptocurrencies, which is why a complete crypto ban would be counterproductive, according to a top executive of Rosfinmonitoring, Russia’s financial intelligence agency. At the same time, the regulator supports prohibiting payments with digital coins and…

European Union to Put a 10,000-Euro Limit on Cash Payments; Transactions Over €1,000 in Crypto Will Be Scrutinized

The states of the European Union have convened to establish a new limit on cash purchases and to strengthen the controls on cryptocurrency transactions. On Nov. 6 the bloc agreed to put a limit of €10,000 ($10,557) on cash payments and…

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Warns About Crypto Exchange Website Using Its Name

The Warren Buffett-led Berkshire Hathaway has issued a statement warning that a cryptocurrency exchange website is using its name. The company stressed that the crypto firm has no affiliation with Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or its chairman and CEO, Warren E. Buffett….

Bahamas Regulator Appoints ‘Big Four’ Auditor PWC as Joint Provisional FTX Liquidator

On Nov. 14, 2022, the Securities Commission of the Bahamas (SCB) published a press release that explains the ‘Big Four’ accounting firm PWC (Pricewaterhousecoopers) has been designated as provisional liquidator in the FTX investigation. The SCB detailed that “given the magnitude”…

Fintech Bill Approved and Ready to Be Sanctioned in Chile

A fintech bill, which seeks to regulate fintech and cryptocurrency-related activities in Chile, has been approved by the deputy chamber of the congress, leaving it ready to be sanctioned by the president of Chile, Gabriel Boric. According to individuals in the…

Mastercard Focusing on 5 Key Areas to Turn Crypto Into ‘an Everyday Way to Pay’

Mastercard has outlined five key crypto areas it is working on in order to “turn cryptocurrencies into an everyday way to pay.” A Mastercard executive opined: “Someday soon, the ability to own and spend a digital currency could be as seamless…

Dapper Labs Suspends NFT Operations for Russian Users Amid New EU Sanctions

Canadian company Dapper Labs has blocked operations with non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for Russian accounts. The move follows a new round of sanctions recently imposed by the EU which prohibit the provision of crypto-related services to Russian residents and entities. NFT Platform…