Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) has written a set of suggested standards for the crypto industry “while waiting for full federal regulatory regimes,” which were posted on the FTX Policy blog Oct. 19. The post covers many of the questions facing regulators and operators, with specific reference to the United States at points. In particular, SBF outlined a plan for treating assets in the U.S. as regards their status as securities or commodities. FTX will implement his plan, SBF wrote. In the United States, SBF wrote, the FTX legal team will analyze assets using the Howey Test, case law and guidance to …

Perhaps one of the most captivating signs of the industry’s maturity is the increasing amount of court cases in which crypto companies fight back against perceived regulatory abuses. Last week saw some major advancements in that direction. Digital asset manager Grayscale has filed its opening brief against the United States Securities Exchange Commission to challenge its decision denying Grayscale’s application to convert the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) to a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF). According to Grayscale, the SEC must submit its brief by Nov. 9. A U.S.-based crypto policy advocacy group, Coin Center has followed through with its intention …

XRP XRP has made considerable gains over the past month as traders continue to shower confidence on Ripple's legal win against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). For instance, XRP price has gained 25% thirty days after Ripple and the SEC filed for an immediate ruling on whether or not XRP sales violated U.S. securities laws. In comparison, Bitcoin BTC and Ether ETH are down 4% and 11% over the same period, respectively. Now, a flurry of indicators, ranging from on-chain to technical, hints XRP can continue its uptrend going into 2023. XRP price "bull pennant" Bull pennants are …

Considerable anxiety exists in the world of Web3 related to regulation and the legal status of cryptocurrency projects. It’s particularly apparent in the United States, where the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) fueled concerns in September with an announcement that it was imposing a $250,000 fine on a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), Ooki DAO, and its investors. The fine was particularly ominous, considering DAOs are intended to be “regulation proof.” The CFTC said in its statement on the issue that Ooki DAO’s bZeroX protocol offered illegal off-exchange trading of digital assets. The agency took issue with the fact that the …

U.S. investors have been waiting for a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) approval since May 2014 when the Winklevoss Bitcoin Trust filed an amendment request at the Securities and Exchange (SEC). Over the years, the SEC has rejected every applicant and the latest denial was issued to WisdomTree’s application for a spot Bitcoin ETF on Oct. 11. The SEC concluded that the offer did not have the ability “to obtain information necessary to detect, investigate, and deter fraud and market manipulation, as well as violations of exchange rules and applicable federal securities laws and rules.” Bitcoin investment trust vehicles have existed …

In less than a week, Terraform Labs founder Do Kwon’s passport will expire. Interpol issued a red notice for Kwon last month, and this month, his assets were reportedly frozen by the South Korean government. Kwon has been tweeting freely in response — and almost always denies the reports. “I don’t know whose funds they’ve frozen, but good for them, hope they use it for good,” he wrote in one message. Playing a game of cat and mouse with both the authorities and the public, Kwon seems to be living a life of freedom while enjoying his internet access. Meanwhile, …

John Hickenlooper, a United States Senator representing Colorado, has penned a letter to Gary Gensler urging the Securities and Exchange Commission chair to establish “clear rules” for the crypto market. In an Oct. 13 letter, Hickenlooper called on the SEC to take action on regulatory issues including identifying which cryptocurrencies were considered securities, establishing registration guidelines for trading platforms, and “determining what disclosures are necessary for investors to be properly informed.” According to the senator, the lack of a coordinated regulatory framework from the government has led to uneven enforcement, while the SEC is the agency “well positioned to offer …

The charges incited a public debate — is the requirement to disclose the amount paid to promote an investment opportunity important? What’s new? Celebrities and social media influencers have long enjoyed a lucrative revenue stream in promoting and endorsing services and products ranging from clothing to beauty products, and even supplements and medications. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulates endorsements by requiring various acts and disclosures, including whether a financial relationship exists between the endorser and the company, whether a post was paid for and even by requiring an endorser to personally try a product before endorsing it. Still, the …

Digital asset manager Grayscale has filed its opening brief against the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) to challenge its decision denying Grayscale’s application to convert the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) to a spot Bitcoin ETF. The world’s largest digital asset management firm filed its opening legal brief on Oct. 11 in the U.S. Court of Appeals in the District of Columbia Circuit, in which it claimed the SEC’s knockback to be “arbitrary, capricious and discriminatory.” Grayscale argued that the SEC treats spot Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Products (ETPs) with “special harshness” and is doing so “in excess of its statutory authority.” Attorneys …

Sources say that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) probe into Yuga Labs is actually part of a wider investigation into the nonfungible token (NFT) market, which already came to light in March. On Oct. 11, a report from Bloomberg citing a source “familiar with the matter” said the SEC is investigating Yuga Labs over whether certain NFTs are “more akin to stocks” and whether the sales of certain digital assets violate federal laws. However, Cointelegraph understands that the investigation is part of the ongoing SEC probe into the wider NFT market, which is looking at whether certain NFTs …

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, has disapproved of a rule change which would allow exchange-traded fund provider WisdomTree to list and trade shares of a Bitcoin ETF. According to an Oct. 11 filing, the SEC rejected a proposed rule change which would have allowed WisdomTree to list and trade shares of its Bitcoin BTC Trust on the Cboe BZX Exchange after several delays due to extensions and comment periods. WisdomTree first filed the spot Bitcoin ETF application on Jan. 25 with publication in the federal register on Feb. 14. The SEC said any rule change in …

Last week, the European Union appeared to be rather busy with making decisions that could define the future of the crypto industry. First of all, 566 out of 705 members of the European Parliament voted in favor of a resolution originally drafted by member of the European Parliament (MEP) Lídia Pereira. The resolution recommends authorities in the 27 member states consider a “simplified tax treatment” for crypto users involved in occasional or small transactions and have national tax administrations use blockchain technology “to facilitate efficient tax collection.” It also calls on the European Commission to assess whether converting crypto to …