Schlagwort: crypto regulation

• Transak secures its first Money Transmitter License (MTL) in Alabama.
• The license boosts security, speed, and compliance for US cryptocurrency services.
• Transak targets further state licenses as it enhances its Web3 payments infrastructure.

On October 3, 2024, Transak USA LLC achieved a significant milestone by securing its first Money Transmitter License (MTL) from the Alabama Securities Commission.

This regulatory approval positions Transak as a fully licensed financial institution in the state, a key step in its mission to provide secure and accessible cryptocurrency services across the United States.

Transak expanding its foothold in the US

The Alabama MTL solidifies Transak’s commitment to regulatory compliance, underscoring the company’s efforts to build a secure and transparent infrastructure for crypto transactions in the US.

With cryptocurrency purchases already enabled in 46 states, the company is actively working to secure additional licenses across the country. This proactive approach highlights Transak’s determination to make cryptocurrency widely accessible and compliant with stringent financial regulations.

As a registered Money Service Business with FinCEN, Transak’s new license is a significant trust signal for its users. It allows the company to provide enhanced security, faster transactions, and a more seamless user experience for crypto purchases in Alabama. The move also benefits decentralized platforms integrated with Transak’s services, enabling them to offer their users a smoother and more compliant crypto purchasing experience.

Bryan Keane, the Compliance Officer at Transak, remarked, “Obtaining the Money Transmitter License in Alabama showcases our commitment to compliance and our mission to make cryptocurrency accessible and secure for everyone.”

In the same breath, Sami Start, the CEO of Transak, emphasized the importance of the US market, stating, “Securing state licenses like this one is essential to delivering the best possible services here.”

With over 5.7 million users across 160 countries, Transak continues to expand its presence as the largest Web3 payments infrastructure provider. Headquartered in Miami, with additional offices and tech hubs globally, Transak remains focused on obtaining more state licenses in the US, ensuring its users enjoy an increasingly reliable and legally compliant crypto experience.

The Alabama MTL marks a major step forward for Transak as it strengthens its foothold in one of the world’s most regulated and lucrative markets.

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• CFTC’s subcommittee recommends using DLT-based collateral in trading.
• Approval could broaden access to digital assets for smaller market participants.
• Strong ETF inflows signal growing institutional interest in digital assets.

In a significant development for the digital assets market, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is reportedly considering a proposal that would enable the use of digital ledger technology (DLT)-based collateral in commodities and derivatives trading.

According to Bloomberg, a subcommittee of the CFTC’s Global Markets Advisory Committee recently voted to recommend this proposal, which, if approved, could streamline transactions and promote broader adoption of digital assets in traditional finance.

A step toward mainstream adoption

If the proposal receives final approval from the main committee, it could lead to a paradigm shift in how trading collateral is managed.

The adoption of DLT-based collateral would allow traders to settle transactions using digital assets with the same speed and efficiency that digital ledger and blockchain technology offers.

This change would enable brokers to accept tokenized assets, such as BlackRock’s USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) token, through market-embedded systems.

While the use of blockchain-based assets as collateral is already gaining traction among major financial institutions like BlackRock and JP Morgan, the CFTC’s potential approval would catalyze broader adoption across the industry.

As it stands, only large firms have been able to utilize these innovative financial instruments, but this move could open the doors for smaller market participants to access similar benefits.

Uncertainty ahead

Despite the positive momentum surrounding the proposal, several steps remain before it can be formally submitted for CFTC approval. The main committee must first review and endorse the subcommittee’s recommendation, and there are no guarantees that the CFTC will approve the proposal in its current form.

Regulatory concerns may arise regarding which institutions and blockchains are permitted to participate, which could introduce potential restrictions that may limit the scope of the initiative.

Furthermore, the broader context of digital assets in traditional finance cannot be ignored. Recent trends, such as strong inflows into spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), indicate a growing acceptance and interest in digital assets among institutional investors.

For instance, BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF has recently outperformed its peers, witnessing the highest daily inflow of any fund on September 25, marking a five-day streak of inflows across all spot Bitcoin ETFs in the United States.

This surge in interest may influence the CFTC’s decision-making process as they consider the implications of allowing digital assets as collateral.

As this unfolds, stakeholders will be watching closely as the regulatory landscape continues to evolve, potentially paving the way for a more integrated future for digital assets in commodities and derivatives trading.

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• Gemini exits Canadian market, citing strict regulations and compliance costs.
• Users must withdraw funds by Dec. 31 as all accounts will close by that date.
• Canada’s new crypto rules, set for 2026, further restrict decentralized markets.

Crypto exchange Gemini has become the latest platform to withdraw from the Canadian market, following in the footsteps of major players like Binance, OKX, dYdX, and Bybit.

Gemini’s departure highlights the challenges that crypto companies face in navigating Canada’s increasingly stringent regulatory landscape.

The exchange’s decision marks a significant shift, as Gemini had previously described Canada as a critical part of its international expansion strategy.

Why are crypto platforms exiting Canada?

Gemini’s move follows a broader trend of crypto platforms exiting Canada due to rising compliance costs and complex regulatory hurdles.

Canadian authorities have been tightening their grip on the crypto market since February 2023, when the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) required all crypto exchanges operating in the country to sign legally binding pre-registration agreements. These agreements came on top of existing restrictions, such as the prohibition of margin trading for Canadian users and limitations on offering stablecoins, which many exchanges found challenging to adhere to.

Though Gemini initially complied with the new regulations by submitting a pre-registration undertaking in April 2023, the evolving regulatory climate has proven too burdensome. The exchange’s exit echoes that of Binance and OKX, which similarly cited the high cost and complexity of complying with Canada’s increasingly restrictive rules.

Looking ahead, the regulatory environment for crypto in Canada is set to become even more stringent. In April 2024, the Canadian government introduced the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework, which will come into effect in 2026.

This framework will require crypto service providers to report detailed transaction data annually, including sensitive client information such as residential addresses and taxpayer identification numbers.

Gemini Canadian users have 90 days to withdraw funds

Gemini issued a formal notice to its Canadian users on September 30, urging them to withdraw their assets by December 31, 2024.

The Winklevoss-founded exchange has provided customers with a 90-day window to move both their cryptocurrency holdings and fiat balances before all Canadian accounts are closed.

As Gemini bows out, Canadian users are left with fewer options to access decentralized markets, while global exchanges like Coinbase, Kraken, and Crypto.com continue to operate within the country’s borders.

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• Kasikornbank is set to launch orbix Custodian, Thailand’s first licensed digital asset custodian.
• Operations for orbix Custodian are set to begin in early 2025 after licensing.
• KBank also focuses on AI development through its partnership on Project SEALD.

Thailand’s second-largest bank by assets, Kasikornbank (KBank), is set to launch orbix Custodian, the country’s inaugural licensed digital asset custodian, which will be supervised by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Notably, the announcement comes two weeks after the license was issued on September 13, with operations expected to commence in early 2025. The license was issued by the Ministry of Finance.

KBank’s President, Pipit Aneaknithi, in a statement issued by the bank emphasized that the introduction of the custody service marks a pivotal moment for the digital financial infrastructure in Thailand. “This will lay a strong foundation for further development of digital financial infrastructure, promoting Thailand as a digital economy hub and advancing the country’s digital industry, in response to government policy to accommodate future changes in the financial sector,” he stated.

The launch of orbix Custodian follows a series of strategic moves by KBank to enhance its presence in the digital asset sector. The custodian is owned through its digital-focused subsidiary, Unita Capital, which also encompasses orbix Invest and orbix Technology.

Notably, orbix Trade, a cryptocurrency exchange previously known as Satang, was acquired by Unita Capital in October 2023.

In early September, orbix Technology introduced the Q-Bond project, issuing bonds worth 500 million baht ($15.4 million) on the Quarix blockchain. These bonds come with a one-year maturity and a fixed interest rate of 2.38%, in partnership with the state-owned oil and gas company PTT.

In addition to its digital asset initiatives, KBank is making strides in artificial intelligence. Its subsidiary, Kasikorn Business Technology Group (KBTC), has partnered with AI Singapore and Google Research on Project SEALD (Southeast Asian Languages in One Network Data).

Launched in March, this project aims to develop large language models (LLMs) in several Southeast Asian languages, including Thai, Indonesian, Tamil, Filipino, and Burmese, further highlighting KBank’s commitment to technological advancement in the region.

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• SEC filed charges against TrueCoin and TrustToken over fraud and offering of unregistered investment contracts.
• TrueCoin issued the TrueUSD (TUSD) stablecoin, while TrustToken operated the TrueFi lending protocol.
• The regulator alleges stablecoin TUSD had 99% of its reserves invested in an offshore fund as of September 2024.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged crypto companies TrueCoin and TrustToken for defrauding their investors in a stablecoin related investment program.

In a press release on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, the SEC said it charged the two companies for fraud and the offering of unregistered investment contracts on the stablecoin TrueUSD (TUSD). Many exchanges had integrated TUSD.

99% of TUSD reserves invested in speculative fund

Per the SEC, the TUSD issuer TrueCoin and lending protocol TrueFi operator TrustToken engaged in the offer of unregistered investment contracts on TUSD between Nov. 2020 and April 2023. The crypto companies offered what the regulator says were sales of TUSD packaged as “profit-making opportunities.”

These offers were falsely marketed as safe, with the TUSD issuer claiming that the stablecoin was 100% backed by US dollars.

However, as the charges filed at the US District Court for the Northern District of California allege, most of the assets backing the token were put into a speculative offshore investment fund. Instead, TrueCoin and TrustToken used these investments to earn returns for themselves.

“TrueCoin and TrustToken sought profits for themselves by exposing investors to substantial, undisclosed risks through misrepresentations about the safety of the investment,” Jorge G. Tenreiro, acting chief of the SEC’s crypto assets & cyber unit, said.

SEC claims that by September 2024, the defendants had 99% of the alleged TUSD reserves in the speculative fund.

Both TrueCoin and TrustToken have reportedly agreed settlement with the SEC. This includes civil penalties amounting to $163,766 each. TUSD issuer TrueCoin will also pay $340,930 in disgorgement and $31,538 as prejudgment interest.

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