Ryan Selkis, the CEO of crypto market analysis software firm, Messari, and long-time cryptocurrency commentator, has reportedly been shadow-banned on Twitter for his coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Both twitter pages belonging to Messari and Ryan Selkis went offline for a number of hours. As of 2AM EST service to the pages seems to have been restored. Messari runs a tracking service that provides updates on the number of coronavirus cases globally, including state/provincial data for several countries. Ryan Selkis and Messari appear to stoke Twitter’s ire Selkis posted to Messari’s website on March 20 announcing that both his personal …

A filing submitted in the lower house of India’s parliament — the Lok Sabha — has revealed an investigation into fraudulent practices by so-called “bit coin companies” operating in the country. An official question was submitted by center-left parliamentarian Mohammed Faizal and was answered by Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur on March 16. Indian politician requests investigation into regulatory status of crypto companies Faizal asked the Minister of Corporate Affairs three questions relating to cryptocurrency companies in India. Firstly, he asked if the government is aware of an increasing number of reports alleging “cheating and …

As time progresses, the revolution of peer-to-peer digital currencies picks up speed. Now, countries like India and Iran, which previously had a harsh legal stance on cryptocurrencies, are warming up to the idea of adopting them. In India, for instance, the Supreme Court has struck down a blanket ban that was placed on banks dealing with crypto-related businesses back in April 2018. In Iran — while the country’s central bank had issued a blanket ban on cryptocurrencies in a misguided move to prevent capital flight due to fears of sanctions by the United States — the central bank is now …

The Indian Crypto Bulls Roadshow describes itself as a not-for-profit initiative that seeks to educate Indian citizens as to the emerging blockchain and cryptocurrency sectors. The roadshow was originally scheduled to visit eight major Indian cities over 20 days — New Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Surat, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, and Bangalore. However, following India’s Supreme Court ruling that the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) ban on banks providing services to companies operating with crypto was unconstitutional, the roadshow has scheduled seven additional cities to host the event — Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Patna, and Kanpur. To plan for the additional locations, …

A pending bill may still inhibit cryptocurrencies from flourishing in India, with India’s parliament yet to rule on the "Banning of Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill" from 2019, Business Insider reported on March 7. If passed, the bill will introduce unique regulatory frameworks for virtual currencies, utility tokens, and commodity-backed tokens — likely creating a complex exclusionary legislative apparatus for blockchain businesses to navigate. Supreme Court repeals Reserve Bank of India’s crypto ban On March 4, India’s crypto community rejoiced as India’s Supreme Court ruled that the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) ban was “disproportionate and unconstitutional. …

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi awarded young entrepreneur Harshita Arora, the developer of a cryptocurrency price tracking application, amid an ongoing battle in her home country over the status of cryptocurrency. In a tweet on Jan. 24, Modi said that Arora’s “passion towards science, technology and human welfare are clearly visible.” She received the Bal Shakti Puraskar 2020: an award recognizing youth’s contributions in the fields of social service, innovation, bravery, sports, art and culture and scholastics. Arora was born on Oct. 2, 2001, and “created an app to safeguard investors from scammers,” according to Modi’s tweet. Her app, Crypto …

The Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority (QFCRA) announced that virtual asset services may not be conducted in or from the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC). The regulator announced the new measures in a tweet published on Dec. 26, stating that authorized firms are not permitted to provide or facilitate the provision or exchange of crypto assets and related services until further notice. The QFCRA warns: “The Regulatory Authority shall impose penalties in accordance with its rights and obligations [...] in case of any violation of undertaking [...] activities that are not permitted in the QFC.” The QFC is a business and …

While China has waged war on domestic cryptocurrency trading activities since 2017, this year saw it tighten the screws as hype around crypto’s underlying blockchain technology renewed interest in digital assets. Below is a summary of China’s difficult relationship with crypto and how it has evolved in 2019. China does not like crypto trading As Cointelegraph reported in September 2017, Chinese regulators placed a ban on local cryptocurrency exchanges, forcing them to close. Shortly after the ban, news broke that the government sought to crack down on all domestic cryptocurrency trading, not just commercial exchanges. At the beginning of 2018, …

China’s securities regulators has urged Beijing authorities to carry out relevant actions aimed at preventing the usage of cryptocurrencies by the public. In a Dec. 27 announcement on the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) website pointed out the risks of the resurgence of digital currencies, such as the escalation of crypto trading activities, digital currency mortgage provision and introduction of zero-interest loans, as well as serious violations of the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) provisions. Signatory to the announcement were four Beijing-local regulators. To address risks, the regulators issued a warning and called local authorities to combat cryptocurrency-related illegal activities …

The government of Uzbekistan has reportedly barred its citizens from purchasing cryptocurrencies. According to local news outlet Novosti Uzbekistana on Dec. 25, the National Project Management Agency has banned citizens from purchasing crypto, even on established exchanges. The decision comes as a surprise to many, as the country has previously displayed a relatively lenient stance toward digital currencies. In September 2018, the country’s government signed a memorandum of understanding to regulate and establish licensing for crypto exchanges, mining operations and initial coin offerings. That same month, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev ordered the establishment of a state blockchain development fund called …

At the end of November, news surfaced that Russian cryptocurrency users, who have been operating in a regulatory gray zone, could soon be at risk as the nation’s financial authorities reportedly join forces to outlaw the use of digital assets as a payment instrument. Shortly after, the country’s interior ministry confirmed rumors that it was on track to developing a legal framework for confiscating digital assets, which could come into effect as soon as 2021. Finally, the head of Russia’s main financial intelligence agency, the Federal Financial Monitoring Service, has also spoken unfavorably before parliament about the prospects of legalizing …

A Danish court has ruled that Scandinavian financial services giant Nordea can bar its employees from owning Bitcoin (BTC) and other digital currencies. As BNN Bloomberg reported on Dec. 3, the court justified the restriction by citing the purported risks associated with cryptocurrencies. However, the ruling did not apply to financial instruments associated with digital currencies Nordea had sold to customers, as well as to any cryptocurrency that employees might have invested in before the restriction. Denmark’s union for financial industry employees had filed suit against Nordea, claiming that the ban interfered with employees’ personal lives. Kent Petersen, the union’s …