The long-awaited Responsible Financial Innovation Act to create a regulatory framework for digital assets was introduced in the United States Senate on Tuesday. The official text of the 69-page document was also released. The bipartisan bill, sponsored by Senators Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, “addresses CFTC and SEC jurisdiction, stablecoin regulation, banking, tax treatment of digital assets, and interagency coordination,” according to a statement. The statement continues, “Understanding that most digital assets are much more similar to commodities than securities, the bill gives the CFTC clear authority over applicable digital asset spot markets.” The senators …

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating whether Binance Holdings broke securities rules when it launched its BNB token in an initial coin offering (ICO) five years ago, Bloomberg reported on Monday. Binance is the world’s largest crypto exchange, and BNB is the fifth-largest cryptocurrency. The BNB ICO took place in July 2017 on several platforms during the height of the so-called ICO boom, and the Binance exchange opened just days afterward. According to Bloomberg, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter, at least one U.S. resident claimed to have taken part in the ICO, which could be …

Former United States Securities and Exchange Commission lawyer Alma Angotti says this week’s news about an OpenSea employee being charged with insider trading could open the doors to nonfungible tokens (NFTs) being labeled as securities. On Wednesday, in a first for the industry, prosecutors in Manhattan charged former OpenSea product manager Nathaniel Chastain with insider trading. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said the exact charges were “wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a scheme to commit insider trading.” Until now, the phrase “insider trading” has not been used in regard to cryptocurrency …

Crypto volatility is nerve-wracking, and it may not be over yet. The turmoil may make crypto investors and crypto-related businesses less enthusiastic than when prices seemed ever to be climbing. With the market falling off a cliff, there will be big losses to claim on your taxes, right? Not necessarily. As your United States dollars shake out in the digital world, it is worth asking whether there is any lemonade you can make by claiming losses on your taxes. First, ask what happened from a tax viewpoint. If you’ve been trading and triggering big taxable gains, but then the floor …

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) maintained its perfect record for rejecting Bitcoin (BTC) spot exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications Friday when it disapproved a rule change to allow cryptocurrency-focused hedge fund One River Digital to offer the One River Carbon Neutral Bitcoin Trust on the New York Stock Exchange Arca. The decision comes somewhat ahead of schedule, as the agency had extended the original deadline to June 2 to allow more time for consideration. The commission wrote that, when considering One River's proposed rule change, it applied "the same standard used in its orders considering previous proposals to …

ARK Investment Management, an investment firm founded by veteran investor Cathie Wood, is taking another try to launch a spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the United States. ARK Invest submitted on May 13 yet another application for its physical Bitcoin ETF, the ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The application includes a proposed rule change from the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) BZX Exchange. According to Bloomberg ETF analyst Henry Jim, the latest deadline for approval or disapproval of the ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF is January 24, 2023. …

American graphics card manufacturer Nvidia’s stock price tumbled in after-hours trading on Thursday because the revenue outlook for Q2 has fallen short of expectations. Quarterly growth from Q4 2021 to Q1 2022 was strong, with an 8% increase in revenue to $8.98 billion and a 3% increase in earnings per share to $1.36. It also stated it would continue a $15 billion share buyback program through the end of 2023, according to the filing to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). However, the Q2 outlook is much less promising and projects revenue will be $8.1 billion, which is …

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is unable to confirm or deny if a video predominately featuring Bill Hinman actually features Bill Hinman. Bill Hinman, also known as William Hinman, is the former director of the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance, and he has become a key factor in the long-running legal dispute between SEC vs Ripple Labs over alleged unregistered securities offerings via Ripple (XRP) tokens. Speaking at the 2018 Fintech Week Conference — while serving at the SEC — Hinman stated that the sale of Ether (ETH) did not constitute “securities transactions.” But, it seems as …

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has created a “crypto native think tank” in an attempt to help shape the global conversation around policies for digital assets. The newly formed Coinbase Institute will also publish research on crypto and Web3. Coinbase tapped its director of policy Hermine Wong to head the institute. She previously served in the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis at the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and before that worked at the Department of State. The related Coinbase Institute Advisory Board has also been formed and will feature academics across law and finance from top universities such …

Gary Gensler, Chair of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, has cited concerns about cryptocurrency enforcement in its budget request for the next fiscal year. In written testimony for a Wednesday hearing of the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations, Gensler said he supported President Joe Biden’s request to budget more than $2.1 billion for the SEC in FY2023, allowing the regulatory body to increase its enforcement division by 50 people. The SEC chair cited concerns about the crypto space, referring to markets as “highly volatile and speculative,” as well as the need for “new tools and expertise” …

This week will be remembered as the one when the stablecoins showed an unexpected ability to depeg. Terra’s TerraUSD (UST) dropped to a shocking $0.29 following the general meltdown of both crypto and financial markets, but it was also the headliner of stablecoins’ niche, while Tether (USDT) lost the balance and slid to $0.96 for a short time. The United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen felt it necessary to assure everyone that, given the stablecoins’ market size, depegging didn’t present a threat to America’s financial stability. At the same time, she called on lawmakers to develop a “consistent federal framework” …

Celsius Mining, the mining subsidiary of crypto lending platform Celsius Network, has filed paperwork with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, suggesting plans for an initial public offering (IPO). In a Monday announcement, Celsius said its mining subsidiary had filed a Form S-1 draft registration statement with the SEC, suggesting the firm may be planning an initial public offering. The SEC requires companies in the United States to file an S-1 registration for shares to be listed on a national exchange, like the Nasdaq or New York Stock Exchange. https://t.co/RhNOsQPBqA — Celsius (@CelsiusNetwork) May 16, 2022 Reports …