Gate US, the United States arm of the fourth largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, Gate.io says it has received operating licenses in “several” states, bringing it closer to launching serviin the country. Founder and president of Gate.io and its U.S. entity, Dr. Lin Han, announced in a Dec. 19 statement that Gate US is now registered as a money services business with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) — the country’s money laundering and financial crimes watchdog. He added the exchange “obtained some money transmission licenses or similar to operate, and is currently working to obtain more." Gate US …

The New York state Department of Financial Services (DFS) released guidance on Dec. 15 for regulated banks seeking to engage in activities with virtual currency. The guidance, which took effect immediately, describes the application process and “summarizes the types of information the Department considers relevant” for obtaining the agency’s approval. The 11-page document consisted largely of bullet points as it described the informational requirements for several categories, such as “Business Plan” and “Consumer Protection,” in detail, followed by a series of formal checklists. Approval is required 90 days before engaging in activities, the document reminded. Approval for prior activities “does …

The New York State Department of Financial Services, or NYDFS, has proposed a regulation which would allow the government department to assess supervisory costs from licensed crypto firms operating in the state. In a Dec. 1 announcement, NYDFS Superintendent Adrienne Harris opened the proposed budget measure for public comment. The regulation, if approved, would grant the department the authority to assess costs for the supervision and examination of firms operating in the state with a BitLicense — a requirement for crypto companies since 2015. “This assessment authority will allow the Department to continue building the team that is leading the …

Crypto exchange FTX US has applied for a trust charter with the New York Department of Financial Services, or NYDFS, to operate in the state. In a Wednesday announcement, FTX US said it had applied to form a limited purpose trust company with New York's financial services regulator in an effort to offer its products and services to local users. Pending regulatory review and approval, the licensed trust will be run by Fidelity Investments veteran Marissa MacDonald, who will assume the role of chief compliance officer. .@FTX_Official is excited to announce that Marissa MacDonald is joining us as CCO of …

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has hit out at his state’s BitLicensing regime, claiming that it stifles innovation and economic growth. In a closing keynote interview at the Crypto and Digital Assets Summit in London on Wednesday, Adams suggested his state legislature counterparts in Albany “listen to those who are in the industry” adding: “It’s about thinking not only outside the box, but on this one, we may have to destroy the box.” Adams is a crypto advocate who ran for mayor, planning to turn New York City into the “center of the cryptocurrency industry,” and took his first …

The cost of running a crypto business in New York is about to rise with the state government gearing up to require companies holding a BitLicense to pay assessment fees to ensure they’re complying with regulations. The rule was included in New York State’s FY2023 budget signed into law on April 9 by Governor Kathy Hochul, giving the state’s Department Of Financial Services (DFS) a “new authority to collect supervisory costs from licensed virtual currency businesses,” according to a statement by the DFS. DFS superintendent Adrienne Harris said the fees would bring digital currency businesses in line with those already …

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman has called upon New York City mayor to look into the crypto regulatory clampdowns associated with BitLicense. A New Yorker shared his aghast on Twitter about the flawed crypto policies of the city and how it could force him to leave it. The user lashed out at the Bitlicense policy of the city and claimed he could not open an account with any major United States exchange for his venture capital firm because of it. Bitlicense was introduced in 2015 that governed various aspects related to crypto issuance and exchange. Any virtual currency business operating in …

Bakkt has become the latest crypto firm to get a BitLicense. On Thursday, the New York Department of Financial Services announced that Bakkt had become the 29th BitLicensee. First granted to Paxos in 2015, the BitLicense is New York's program for regulating digital currency firms. With it, Bakkt will have new access to offer crypto trading in the financial center of the U.S. The NYDFS also took the opportunity to plug its other crypto initiatives, including a tech sprint that aims to find new ways of getting data from firms to regulators in real time. While New York's regulation has …

Andrew Yang, the Democratic Party front-runner in the race to be New York’s next mayor said he would transform New York City into “a hub for BTC and other cryptocurrencies” noting the city to be “the world’s financial capital.” The former presidential candidate made the comment in a tweet earlier today which drew a flurry of mixed reactions, with some proclaiming it to be a campaign-selling maneuver and others equating it to political suicide. The most unifying reaction, however, was the demand that Yang use his powers, if elected, to end the BitLicense, enacted by the New York Department of …

Stablecoin creator and crypto services provider Paxos filed an application to open a national bank on Wednesday. If approved, the pioneering Paxos General Trust will be headquartered in New York, licensed to hold cryptocurrencies and execute the duties of a regular trust bank. According to a blog post on the Paxos website, being granted a national trust bank charter from the U.S. government would broaden both the range of services offered by the company and the geographic area to which it can offer services: “Our mission is to modernize financial market infrastructure and enable the movement of any asset, any …

The New Jersey Senate is set to consider a new bill that proposes the creation of a new, mandatory licensing framework for all cryptocurrency firms operating in the state. Introduced on Nov. 5, the new Senate bill, or "Digital Asset and Blockchain Technology Act," has been sponsored by the Democratic Party senator for New Jersey's 35th Legislative District, Nellie Pou. S3132 is now pending a referral to the Senate Commerce Committee. The Senate bill follows the introduction of the same legislation (to New Jersey's General Assembly earlier this year, and the latter's subsequent referral to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The …

Earlier today, PayPal confirmed that it would be adding crypto payments to its global platform over the coming months. The rollout will begin in the United States, where PayPal also became the first recipient of the New York Department of Financial Services', or NYDFS, conditional Bitlicense, a program that the regulator announced this past summer. The devil in the details While the news is huge for crypto, PayPal will be under intense scrutiny. The nature of the conditional Bitlicense is that conditional licensees have to pair off with firms that have full Bitlicenses (in this case, Paxos) that will act …