Chairman of the United States Senate Banking Committee Sherrod Brown and three other Democratic committee members sent letters Nov. 21 to federal officials and to Anthony Noto, president of SoFi Technology. They expressed concern about the online bank’s efforts to conform to Federal Reserve Board requirements and nonbank digital asset trading activities conducted through SoFi Digital Assets. In the letter to Noto, Sherrod, along with Sens. Jack Reed, Chris Van Hollen and Tina Smith, notes that the Federal Reserve had said that SoFi “is currently engaged in crypto-asset related activities that the Board has not found to be permissible” for …

FTX — the three letters on everyone’s lips in recent days. For those active in the crypto space, it has been a shattering blow as a tumultuous year for crypto nears an end. The repercussions are severe, with over a million people and businesses owed money following the collapse of the crypto exchange, according to bankruptcy filings. With investigations into the collapse ongoing, it will certainly push forward regulatory changes, either via lawmakers or through federal agencies. While regulators may feel relieved that the scandal didn’t occur under their supervision, it highlights that there simply hasn’t been enough action taken …

The cryptocurrency sector is the Wild Wild West in comparison to traditional finance, yet a number of banks are showing interest in digital assets and decentralized finance (DeFi). This year in particular has been notable for banks exploring digital assets. Most recently, JPMorgan demonstrated how DeFi can be used to improve cross-border transactions. This came shortly after BNY Mellon — America’s oldest bank — announced the launch of its Digital Asset Custody Platform, which allows select institutional clients to hold and transfer Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH). The Clearing House, a United States banking association and payments company, stated on …

In 2018, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) wrote to the heads of the country’s biggest high street banks to emphasize the importance of due diligence when dealing with crypto businesses. That seems to have led to widespread high-risk ratings and bans on crypto-related banking, impacting both crypto businesses hoping to operate in the U.K. and investors alike. Banks are, understandably and responsibly, concerned with scams, but the current situation creates uncertainty. Crypto investors need to be able to move their money around as they like, and crypto businesses need access to payment rails for a variety of other …

The $9 billion-valuated German fintech N26 launched crypto trading on its mobile app. Starting from Austria and rolling out to other countries in the upcoming months, N26 Crypto will let its customers buy and sell 200 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH). The Berlin-based fintech announced on Oct. 20 that the launch in Austria addresses “strong local demand,” with 40% of N26 users either actively trading or have expressed interest in investing in cryptocurrencies. N26 plans to roll out its crypto trading service to other key markets in the next 6 months. N26 customers with a verified identity can …

German crypto bank Nuri has told its 500,000 users to withdraw funds from their accounts as the firm prepares to shut down and liquidate the business, marking it as another victim of the 2022 bear market. Nuri first reported liquidity issues in August, after announcing that it had filed for insolvency amid the economic strains of Crypto Winter. It said at the time that business would continue as usual, as it worked on a restructuring plan and securing a buyout, however an acquisition has failed to materialize. In an Oct. 18 blog post, Nuri CEO Kristina Mayer noted that despite …

On Tuesday, Silvergate Capital, a crypto-fiat gateway network designed for financial institutions, announced its financial results for Q3 2022. The bank, known for services such as processing consumer fiat deposits to cryptocurrency exchanges, saw transfer volume on the Silvergate Exchange Network plummet close to $50 billion compared to Q3 2021. Silvergate handled $112.6 billion of such transfers in Q3 2022. It appears that investors were less than satisfied with the results. Silvergate's share price listed on the U.S. NASDAQ exchange fell by close to 22% at the time of publication after the results were announced. In addition, Alan Lane, Silvergate's …

United States Acting Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) Michael Hsu has expressed concerns that regulators are spending “too much time on crypto," rather than more pressing issues, such as technology and banking. The crypto skeptic OCC head made the comments during an interview with Reuters on Oct. 13, as he outlined a worry that crypto is “occupying a lot of brain space for an awful lot of people” in the regulatory community. Hsu has been at the helm of the OCC since May 2021 and serves as the administrator for the federal banking system and chief economic officer of the …

In the ongoing quest for mainstream adoption, a big challenge surrounds making crypto easy to use. Transacting in digital assets can be clunky at times — putting off consumers and businesses alike. Here, we speak to Oliver Marco La Rosa — the founder and CEO of Globiance — to find out what his company is doing to tear down the barriers to entry. 1. Hello! Tell us about Globiance. We started Globiance to address a major issue: Crypto and legacy banking systems fail to operate synergistically. Right now, investors have no choice but to log into different platforms to manage …

The comments period has ended for the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) “Second Consultation on the Prudential Treatment of Cryptoasset Exposures,” a document published in June 2022. International financial associations had a lot to say in response to it. Several did so at once in a joint 84-page comment letter released Oct. 4. In addition, there were a few lone voices, although they did not differ significantly in content from the conclusions made by the joint associations. All the commenters had the same basic message. Institute of International Finance (IIF) director of regulatory affairs Richard Gray, speaking on behalf …

Crypto-focused finance company Delio has partnered with Blockdaemon to launch retail-focused staking services, giving customers a more seamless way to earn rewards on their digital asset holdings. Delio’s staking services expand its existing crypto-bank offerings, which include lending, deposits and deposit accounts, the company announced Thursday. The new service offering is powered by blockchain infrastructure provider Blockdaemon, which provides a suite of institutional staking products. While Delio didn’t specify which crypto assets will be included in the new staking services, Blockdaemon currently supports integration with over 60 blockchains. Delio representative James Jung also clarified that the firm also plans “to …

Nomura, one of the largest investment banks in Japan, has established a venture capital arm aimed at investing in companies focusing on crypto and blockchain. In a Wednesday announcement, Nomura said the business, named Laser Digital, will “provide new value in the area of digital assets” for clients under the Switzerland-based holding company Laser Digital Holdings AG. The investment bank said it chose Switzerland based on its “robust regulatory regime for digital assets and blockchain projects” in addition to potentially recruiting talent. “Staying at the forefront of digital innovation is a key priority for Nomura,” said president and group CEO …