The outgoing United States House Representative Madison Cawthorn has been fined over $15,000 by the House Committee on Ethics for his promotion of a cryptocurrency in which he had an undisclosed investment. A report released by the Committee on Dec. 6 after a seven-month-long investigation found Cawthorn “improperly promoted a cryptocurrency in which he had a financial interest” violating conflict of interest rules. Cawthorn’s “direct and unambiguous” promotional commentary on social media followed an undisclosed purchase by the Representative of $150,000 worth of the token in December 2021. He promoted the Ethereum-based token Let’s Go Brandon (LETSGO) — named after …

Online payment network PayPal has reneged on a controversial policy that could’ve seen users fined $2,500 for spreading “misinformation,” with the payment platform claiming the policy update was published “in error.” The now retracted misinformation clause in PayPal’s Acceptable Use Policy was set to take effect on Nov. 3, which would have expanded on its list of prohibited activities to include “the sending, posting, or publication of any messages, content, or materials” that "promotes misinformation." But the screenshot of the policy says otherwise. PayPal caves after social media backlash. Read the full story below!https://t.co/5KX1d6O3RP pic.twitter.com/aWEdw86Xvd — thetechstartups (@thetechstartups) October 9, …

The crypto community reacted with a mix of disbelief and amusement after reality star Kim Kardashian was fined for promoting the cryptocurrency EthereumMax (EMAX). The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) fined Kardashian $1.26 million on Oct. 3, for “touting on social media” about the EMAX without disclosing she was paid $250,000 to post about it. Kardashian has neither admitted to nor denied the SEC’s allegations, but settled the charges and agreed to not promote any cryptocurrency assets until 2025. SEC chairman Gary Gensler tweeted the fine was a reminder that celebrity endorsement of investment opportunities doesn't “mean those …

Just two weeks after being fined by Iowa’s regulators for offering and selling unregistered securities, crypto lending platform BlockFi announced on Tuesday that it has received a Money Services License in the state. The Iowan license will allow the crypto lender to receive money and sell payment instruments in the state. BlockFi on Twitter stated it will begin by allowing Iowan residents to trade stablecoins. We're excited to announce that we’ve received our Money Services License in Iowa. Iowa residents can now trade stablecoins on our platform and instantly transfer funds via ACH. pic.twitter.com/sNEFIlCeWY — BlockFi (@BlockFi) June 28, 2022 …

Benjamin Delo, co-founder of cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX, has been sentenced to 30 months probation for violating the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), which is an Anti-Money Laundering (AML) law. The sentence, handed down at a federal court in New York on Wednesday, follows his guilty plea to charges in February of “willfully failing to establish, implement and maintain an Anti-Money Laundering (AML) program” in his role at BitMEX. Prosecutors had argued Delo should serve a year in prison or at least receive a two-year probation and six months of home detention, as was given to former CEO Arthur Hayes in May. …

On Feb. 14, the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, announced actions against crypto lending company BlockFi over its failure to register high-yield interest accounts that the agency deems to be securities. New Jersey-based BlockFi will pay $50 million in settlement to the SEC and another $50 million to 32 U.S. states that brought similar charges. This marks some of the heaviest penalties ever imposed by a U.S. federal regulator on a cryptocurrency service provider. The firm also agreed to stop onboarding new customers to the unregistered service, BlockFi Interest Accounts, and attempt to bring it into compliance with the …

The Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), which serves as Turkey’s financial intelligence unit under the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, found crypto exchange Binance’s Turkey operations guilty of violating laws that intend to prevent the laundering of money acquired through criminal means. According to local news media Anadolu Agency, MASAK carried out an audit of Law No. 5549 on Prevention of Laundering Proceeds of Crime, also known as the AML Law. The AML Law in Turkey requires companies to identify and verify the personal identification information of the customers on the platform, which includes details such as surname, date of …

While regulators have often targeted projects in and out of the crypto space, the fines levied against digital asset exchanges are a fraction of those against traditional financial institutions. According to data from Good Jobs First’s violation tracker, the platform analyzed 50 of the biggest fines regulators levied against major banks, investment firms and brokers over the last 20 years. Bank of America accrued roughly $82 billion covering 251 different fines, including securities violations, while JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup have also been some of the most-fined banks in the United States since 2000, with penalties totaling $35.9 billion and $25.5 …

The South Korean government announced today that crypto exchanges will face punishment if they have not voluntarily registered with the country’s authorities by September 24. This new set of regulations will reportedly affect both exchanges based in South Korea and foreign exchanges that operate in Korean markets. According to the release, that includes any exchange where the Korean language is supported, marketing is geared toward Koreans, or payments can be made using the Korean won. Under the Specific Financial Information Act, the punishment for exchanges that continue to operate without registration is up to five years in prison or a …

An interagency investigation into suspected crypto fraud and money laundering in South Korea has led to the discovery of 1.69 trillion won (about $1.48 billion) in illegal overseas cryptocurrency transactions. According to The Korea Times, 33 people have been implicated by the Seoul Central Customs for contravening the country’s ban on overseas crypto trading. Detailing the alleged crimes committed, Lee Dong-hyun of the Seoul Central Customs’ investigation unit revealed that the criminal acts fell into three categories. The first group involved people who engaged in foreign crypto exchange trading which is banned in South Korea. These persons allegedly contracted third-party …

South Korean crypto exchanges that don't take extensive data collection and identity verification measures could soon be subject to heavy fines. According to an official announcement Wednesday, South Korea’s Financial Services Commission has come up with a revised proposal for the regulation of virtual assets service providers, or VASPs. The proposal introduces new VASP penalty standards as well as simplifying and integrating existing penalty rules for the industry. As part of the revised proposal, the FSC will be able to fine VASPs for failure to report and record suspicious transactions. Fines will vary depending on the severity and character of …

Russia’s Ministry of Finance is continuing to push regulations for the cryptocurrency industry by proposing new tax requirements. The ministry now reportedly wants to introduce criminal liability for failure to declare taxes on crypto, including prison terms of up to three years. According to a Sept. 24 report by Kommersant, the ministry proposes that individuals who fail to report an amount of over 1 million Russian rubles ($13,000) in annual crypto operations should serve a three-year prison term or hard labor. The ministry also proposed major fines for smaller unreported amounts. As such, any physical or legal entity in Russia …