Blockchain payments firm Ripple has announced a $200 million Series C share buyback, a decision that will take the San Francisco-based tech firm to a record-high valuation of $15 billion. Back in December 2019, Ripple raised $200 million in a Series C funding round with Tetragon Financial Group, a United Kingdom-based investment firm, acting as the lead investor alongside other participants SBI Holdings and Route 66 Ventures. However, in December 2020, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a $1.3 billion-dollar financial lawsuit against Ripple Labs, as well as co-founder Chris Larsen and CEO Brad Garlinghouse; accusing the …

In a letter to the leadership of the United States House Financial Services Committee, ranking member Patrick McHenry took a jab at “inconsistent treatment and jurisdictional uncertainty” inherent in U.S. crypto regulation and called for the Committee to take on its critical issues. McHenry, a Republican representing North Carolina, opened by mentioning that the Committee’s Democrat Chairwoman Maxine Waters is looking to schedule additional hearings addressing matters pertinent to the digital asset industry. He further stressed the need for identifying and prioritizing the key issues and achieving a “broad, bipartisan consensus” on the matters affecting the industry that holds immense …

The Bank of Thailand (BOT), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Ministry of Finance (MOF) have come together to review and issue guidelines on the use of digital; assets as a payment tool. In a joint press release on Tuesday, Thailand’s top regulatory bodies said that it has become necessary to review and regulate digital assets as a means of payment for goods and services. After careful consideration and assessing all the pros and cons, the joint committee said that the use of digital assets as a widespread payment tool could pose a risk to the financial-economic stability. …

Business intelligence firm MicroStrategy reportedly acted contrary to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s accounting practices for its crypto purchases. According to a Bloomberg report, a comment letter from the SEC released Thursday showed the regulatory body objected to MicroStrategy reporting information related to its Bitcoin (BTC) purchases based on non-GAAP, or Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. The business intelligence firm has been reporting it used these methods of calculating figures for its BTC buys excluding the “impact of share-based compensation expense and impairment losses and gains on sale from intangible assets” — essentially, negating some of the effects of the volatility …

Bitcoin (BTC) investors seem uncomfortable with adding positions after the most recent 40% correction from the $69,000 all-time high made on Nov. 10. In addition to the prolonged downtrend, remarks from the United States Federal Reserve on Dec. 15 about rising interest rates are also weighing on risk-on assets. The Fed signaled that it could raise its benchmark rate three times this year and there are plans to increase the pace of its asset purchasing taper. Consequently, traders are worried that these plans will negatively impact traditional and crypto markets because liquidity will no longer be "easily" available. Cryptoasset regulation …

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, has officially disapproved the application for First Trust SkyBridge’s spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund after several deferments. In a Thursday filing, the SEC rejected a proposed rule change from the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, Arca to list and trade shares of the First Trust SkyBridge Bitcoin ETF Trust. The SEC said any rule change in favor of approving the ETF would not be “‘designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices” nor “protect investors and the public interest.” The decision follows SkyBridge first applying to list a Bitcoin ETF …

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued a total of approximately $2.35 billion in penalties against participants in the digital asset marketplace since 2013 according to a Jan 19 report by Cornerstone Research. The report, SEC Cryptocurrency Enforcement: 2021 Update, found that the SEC brought a total of 97 enforcement actions worth $2.35 billion between 2013 and the end of 2021. Fifty eight of the total of 97 were actions litigations and the remaining 39 were administrative proceedings. Of the total $2.35 billion raised by the litigations, $1.71 billion was charged in litigation and $640 million in administrative proceedings. …

Associate law professor and member of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Investor Advisory Committee J.W. Verret is calling for the government agency to open for public comment in regards to digital asset regulation. In a petition addressed to SEC Secretary Vanessa Countryman, Verret said opening the floor to comments on digital assets could function as a Genesis Block for the SEC to reform its regulations on digital assets. Verret said he was a holder of Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), and “a number of layer 1 and layer 2 tokens readily available on top tier exchanges,” and was concerned how the …

Bitcoin bull and founder of Edelman Financial Engines Ric Edelman has made some promising predictions about the future of the seminal cryptocurrency. In an interview on CNBC program ETF Edge on Jan. 10, Edelman said: “We’re already at a quarter of that number with 24% of Americans owning Bitcoin. It won’t be that much of a stretch for it to get to one-third. Bitcoin is becoming more and more mainstream. People are hearing about it everywhere–it isn’t going away.” While 2022 got off to a rocky start, In his view, governments corporations, foundations, pension funds are investing in BTC: “there …

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a suit against Australian Craig Derel Sproule for the allegedly “fraudulent and unregistered” sale “of digital asset securities” in an Initial Coin Offering his company conducted in 2018. The SEC alleges in a Jan. 6 complaint that Sproule’s company, Metavine, Inc. which operated the ICO for Crowd Machine (CMCT) from Jan. to April 2018, sold unregistered securities, never made the project operational and “materially misrepresented how it intended to use ICO proceeds.” In total, the SEC says Sproule raised at least $33 million dollars, but that he now lacks “sufficient …

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has postponed its decision to approve NYDIG's spot exchange-traded fund (ETF) for Bitcoin (BTC), delaying until March 16. In a notice published yesterday, the SEC found it “appropriate to designate a longer period within which to issue an order approving or disapproving” the ETF. Upon the news, the BTC price didn't flinch, remaining in its tightly coiled range under $47,000. In a promising turn of events, an SEC bigwig has been vocal in support of a spot ETF. While crypto enthusiasts are used to rejections and delays in BTC spot ETFs, Commissioner …

As 2022 is kicking off, America nears the first anniversary of Joe Biden’s presidency. Following the tenure’s ambitious start, the last few months witnessed some serious tumult around the overall health of the United States economy, the administration’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the tense debate around Biden’s opus magnum — the $1.7 trillion Build Back Better infrastructure legislation plan. But even as the Democrats’ ability to maintain undivided power after the 2022 midterm elections can raise doubts, the party’s prevailing view of crypto has become more consolidated than ever. The incumbent president’s party will be setting the tone …