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☆ HSBC to launch storage services for tokenized securities as more big banks warm to blockchain
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

HSBC on Wednesday announced it will offer custody services for tokenized securities, making the British bank the latest major institution to embrace digital assets. HSBC is using technology from Swiss crypto custody firm Metaco, which was recently acquired by blockchain startup Ripple, to store bonds and other securities. HSBC is the latest institution to embrace digital asset custody, after U.S. banking giant BNY Mellon announced a similar move in 2021. Tokenized securities are effectively regulated assets, like bonds and equities, in the form of tokens issued on a blockchain. It marks another step from HSBC toward embracing digital assets.

Persons: BNY Mellon, bitcoin, Banks, Zhu Kuang Lee, Adrien Treccani Organizations: HSBC, Wednesday, HSBC Orion, BNY, CNBC, Hong Locations: Europe, British, Swiss, Hong Kong

☆ Spanish regulator opens first cryptoasset advertising case
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMADRID, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Spain's stock market supervisor said on Wednesday it had opened its first case relating to a possible infringement of recent rules governing mass advertising campaigns of cryptoassets. The CNMV said on Wednesday that it had opened disciplinary proceedings against Spanish technology provider Miolos S.L. over two mass campaigns advertising cryptoassets. Advertisers and companies that market cryptoassets must inform the CNMV at least 10 days beforehand about the content of campaigns targeting more than 100,000 people. Spain's rules also apply to cryptoasset service providers when advertising their activities and to any person advertising on their own or on behalf of third parties.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Madrid, CNMV, Miolos, Rodrigo Buenaventura, Buenaventura, Jesús Aguado, Emma Pinedo, Inti Landauro, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Spanish, Miolos, Thomson Locations: Rights MADRID, cryptoassets

☆ SEC Chair Gensler says rebooted FTX run by ex-NYSE chief is possible if done 'within the law'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — A revived FTX could work if new leadership does so with a clear understanding of the law, SEC chair Gary Gensler told CNBC on the sidelines of DC Fintech Week. "If Tom or anybody else wanted to be in this field, I would say, 'Do it within the law,'" Gensler said on Wednesday. Alameda was a market maker for the FTX exchange, and was given privileges, such as a $65 billion line of credit requiring no collateral. "We would never let the New York Stock Exchange also operate a hedge fund and trade against their members or trade against customers in the market," said Gensler. "FTX and Alameda had an extremely problematic relationship," Castle Island Venture's Nic Carter told CNBC.

Persons: Gary Gensler, Emanuel Cleaver, WASHINGTON —, Gensler, Tom Farley, Farley, FTX, Sam Bankman, Fried, Nic Carter Organizations: Financial, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, CNBC, DC, New York Stock Exchange, Alameda Research Locations: Rayburn, Alameda, FTX

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - HSBC (HSBA.L) plans to launch in 2024 a custody service for storing blockchain-based assets excluding cryptocurrency, the bank said on Wednesday. The service, which is a partnership with Swiss digital asset firm Metaco, will allow institutional clients to store blockchain-based tokens representing traditional financial assets, as opposed to crypto or stablecoins, HSBC said. The bank last year launched a digital asset platform, HSBC Orion, which allows financial institutions to issue blockchain-based versions of financial assets, also known as tokenised securities. HSBC did not give a figure for the size of the market for blockchain-based assets excluding cryptocurrencies. In 2019, HSBC announced a platform called Digital Vault, which allows investors to access digital records of securities bought on private markets.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Zhu Kuang Lee, Banks, Elizabeth Howcroft, Sinead Cruise, Mark Potter Organizations: HSBC Bank, REUTERS, HSBC, cryptocurrency, Swiss, HSBC Orion, Blockchain, blockchain, Thomson Locations: London

☆ Opinion: Israel-Hamas war’s endgame
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. Last week, as Israel continued its military response to the October 7 Hamas terror attack, its political goals — and potential endgame — remained a source of huge controversy. Join us on Twitter and Facebook“Take, for example, the Israel Defense Forces strike on Gaza’s Jabalya refugee camp on Tuesday. “Following the horrific massacre in Israel by Hamas terrorists on October 7, I felt an intense, relentless grief. Though Perry wanted to escape Chandler, he kept him around, because heaven forbid anyone saw what he was hiding.”

Persons: Gideon Rose, ”, ” Rose, —, Joe Biden, Robert A . Pape, “, ” DJ Rosenthal, Obama, ’ inhumanity, Jordan, Antony Blinken, ” Shai Davidai, Nadia AbuShaban, Hashem, David Shulkin, Peter Bergen, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Karl Rove, “ Mike Pence, Geoff Duncan, Nikki Haley, Duncan, Ron DeSantis, ” Haley, DeSantis, Lisa Benson, GoComics.com, Michael Ramirez, Trump, Norman Eisen, Joshua Kolb, Donald Trump’s, ” Eisen, Kolb, Leah Abucayan, CNN Maggie Jackson, ” She’s, Gabriel Levin, Frida Ghitis, ‘ Allahu akbar, ’, Ghitis, Wen, Julian Zelizer, Johnson’s, Mike Johnson’s, Biden, ” Paul Krugman, Johnson, Mike Johnson, ’ ”, John Avlon, “ Merriam, It’s, Benjamin Franklin, ’ ” Drew Sheneman, Nicole Hemmer, SBF Clay Jones, Sam Bankman, Howard Fischer, ” Fischer, Sophie Compton, Reuben Hamlyn, “ Chillingly, Taylor, Compton, Hamlyn, Walt Handelsman, Laura Tillman, ” Don’t, Jill Filipovic, Celia Wexler, Pope Francis, Elena Sheppard, ‘, Matthew Perry, Chandler Bing Reisig, Dean Obeidallah, Perry, Chandler Bing, Chandler, ” “ Chandler, I’m Chandler, ‘ I’m, ” Perry, ” Holly Thomas, “ Perry, Roger Organizations: CNN, University of Chicago, ”, Hamas, US National Security Council, Twitter, Facebook, Israel Defense Forces, Israel, Columbia Business School, “, New York Times, Street Journal, GOP, Republican, Trump, UN, Florida Gov, Wednesday’s GOP, Supreme, White, Cornell University, The Cornell Daily Sun, Cornell, Progressives, Internal Revenue Service, Congressional, Office, Electoral College, America, Agency, FBI, NBCU, Bank, Getty Locations: States, Iraq, Israel, Southern Lebanon, Lebanon, Palestinian, “ Israel, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Tel Aviv, Gaza, ”, Florida, Wednesday’s, Rhode, Rhode Island, Dagestan, Russian, Lewiston , Maine

☆ After a year in FTX’s shadow, the crypto industry is deligting in Bankman-Fried’s conviction
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Manav Tanneeru | Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —It took just under a year for Sam Bankman-Fried to go from crypto wunderkind to convicted felon. When Bankman-Fried’s crypto empire collapsed last November, it sent the fledgling industry back years. For the crypto faithful who are still standing and striving, the trial couldn’t be over soon enough. “A lot of folks in the crypto industry are delighted,” said Yesha Yadav, a law professor and associate dean at Vanderbilt University. “There’s definitely an element of ‘ding-dong the witch is dead,’” said Eric Soufer, a political adviser to major crypto companies, referring to Bankman-Fried’s conviction.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, ”, Bobby Zagotta, “ SBF, Yesha Yadav, “, FTX, they’ll, Bernie Madoff, Elizabeth Holmes, Gary Gensler, “ There’s, ’ ”, Eric Soufer Organizations: New, New York CNN, Vanderbilt University, BlackRock, Fidelity, Justice Department, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC Locations: New York, European

☆ A timeline of Sam Bankman-Fried trial: Key moments leading up to FTX founder's conviction
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Indicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried leaves the United States Courthouse in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. MAY 2019Bankman-Fried and former Google employee Gary Wang found FTX as a new platform to trade crypto tokens and derivatives. Bankman-Fried debuts on the Forbes billionaires list, which estimates his net worth at $22.5 billion. Alameda gives crypto lender Voyager Digital a $200 million credit facility, and FTX gives lender BlockFi a $250 million loan. In a post-arrest blog post, Bankman-Fried denies stealing funds and blames FTX's collapse on a broader downturn in crypto markets.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Amr Alfiky, Gary Wang, Larry David, CoinDesk, Binance, FTX, Changpeng Zhao, David, Tom Brady, Wang, Caroline Ellison, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Nishad Singh, Kaplan revokes, Luc Cohen, Noeleen Walder, Daniel Wallis Organizations: United, REUTERS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Jane Street Capital, Alameda Research, Google, Forbes, Alameda, NFL, DEC, U.S, District, New York Times, Metropolitan Detention Center, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Alameda, Bahamas, Manhattan, United States, Palo Alto , California, New York

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhat's next after Sam Bankman-Fried's conviction in fraud trial: CNBC Crypto WorldCNBC Crypto World features the latest news and daily trading updates from the digital currency markets and provides viewers with a look at what's ahead with high-profile interviews, explainers, and unique stories from the ever-changing crypto industry. On today's show, Paul Tuchmann of Wiggin and Dana provides legal insight into the swift verdict in the trial of Sam Bankman-Fried. Crypto World also spoke with trial attorney and crypto trader James Koutoulas about the implications of the guilty verdict on the digital asset industry.

Persons: What's, Sam Bankman, explainers, Paul Tuchmann, Wiggin, Dana, James Koutoulas Organizations: CNBC Crypto, CNBC

☆ Breakingviews: SBF’s guilty verdict will help crypto break free
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Anita Ramaswamy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 2 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Just over a year ago, Sam Bankman-Fried might have been counting his large stash of virtual coins. A Manhattan jury on Thursday convicted the FTX founder of seven counts related to crimes he committed at the helm of the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange. With some $8 billion in customer funds stolen, his misdeeds will go down as one of the biggest financial frauds on record. To be sure, the speculative bubble in crypto would probably have deflated even without Bankman-Fried. The bankrupt exchange is also negotiating with three bidders to help it relaunch trading services, Bloomberg reported last month.

Persons: Lewis Kaplan, Sam Bankman, Fried, Jane Rosenberg, FTX, John J, Ray III, Nicolas Roos, Peter Thal Larsen, Thomas Shum Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Galaxy Digital, Three, BlackRock, Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Manhattan

☆ Who is former crypto king Sam Bankman-Fried?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Samantha Delouya | Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

New York (CNN) — Sam Bankman-Fried, once known as a cryptocurrency whiz kid, was found guilty on Thursday for his role in the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX. His entrepreneurial drive didn’t stop there: In 2019, Bankman-Fried co-founded cryptocurrency exchange FTX and became its CEO. In December 2022, Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas after US prosecutors filed criminal charges against him. Jane Rosenberg/ReutersBankman-Fried was found guilty of stealing billions of dollars from accounts belonging to customers of his once-high-flying crypto exchange FTX. Immediately following FTX’s crash, crypto exchange Gemini, which was founded by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, froze customer redemptions in its lending unit, citing market turmoil.

Persons: — Sam Bankman, FTX, Jane Street, ”, Fried, “, …, ” Sam Bankman, Erika P, Rodriguez, Jane, Caroline Ellison, Binance, Sam Bankman, Danielle Sassoon, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Jane Rosenberg, Joe Bankman, Barbara Fried, Bankman, Allan Joseph Bankman, Yuki Iwamura, Samuel Bankman, Saul Loeb, ingratiated, Tom Brady, Stephen Curry, Naomi Osaka, Larry David, Cameron, Tyler Winklevoss Organizations: CNN, Jane, Capital, MIT, Alameda Research, Chicago Tribune, Tribune, Service, SoftBank, U.S, District, Reuters, Bloomberg, Royal Bahamas Police Force, Billionaire, Stanford, FTX, Getty, Democratic Party, Federal, Commission, Republican, Agriculture, Nutrition, Forestry, Miami Heat, ”, New Locations: York, Alameda, North Berkeley , California, Nassau, Bahamas, BlackRock, Bankman, Hong Kong, United States, FTT, New York City, U.S, FTX, New York, Washington ,

☆ Jurors in Sam Bankman-Fried criminal trial begin deliberations
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Indicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried arrives at the U.S. Twelve jurors in a lower Manhattan courtroom have begun to deliberate the fate of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried following a month of testimony from nearly 20 witnesses. The case was handed to the jury around 3:15 p.m. on Thursday, after U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan finished reading aloud 60 pages worth of instructions. A verdict could come as early as Thursday afternoon, and Judge Kaplan previously ordered the jury to stay until 8:15 p.m, offering free pizza and Uber rides home. Judge Kaplan has encouraged the expedited timeline, holding jurors until 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday in order to finish closing arguments.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Judge Kaplan, he's, — Organizations: U.S, District, Alameda Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford Locations: New York City, Manhattan

☆ Unlocking the future of the web
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Insider Studios With Pwc | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Web3 technologies, like extended reality and crypto, allow Chipotle to offer more rewarding and innovative loyalty programs. The current bear market in crypto and web3 has been a good thing for customer experiences. Once the goal is clear, this will guide which web3 technologies and strategies can form the right solution. It's a promising new technology that has the potential to revolutionize the way businesses interact with customers. Crucially, web3 isn't a "nice-to-have": It's something all businesses need to adopt to thrive in the future.

Persons: web3, John Rolston, Web3, Rolston, Chipotle, We're, Matthew Blumenfeld, " Blumenfeld, Katie Forrest, Forrest, It's Organizations: Gen, Insider Studios Locations: cryptocurrency, web3

After Kaplan left the courtroom, Cohen put his arm around Bankman-Fried as they spoke at the defense table. He testified that while he made mistakes running FTX, such as not formulating a risk-management team, he did not steal customer funds. "We thought that we might be able to build the best product on the market," Bankman-Fried testified. The defense argued the three, who have not yet been sentenced, falsely implicated Bankman-Fried in a bid to win leniency at sentencing. Bankman-Fried has been jailed since August after Kaplan revoked his bail, having concluded he likely tampered with witnesses.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Bankman, FTX, Damian Williams, Williams, Bernie Madoff, Jordan Belfort, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Mark Cohen, Kaplan, Cohen, nodded, Joseph Bankman, Barbara Fried, Fried's, Danielle Sassoon, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Luc Cohen, Jody Godoy, Will Dunham, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S . Justice, U.S, District, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Marshals, Stanford Law, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, Former Alameda, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, Bankman, New York City, U.S, FTX, Alameda, New York, Lincoln

☆ Verdict reached in Sam Bankman-Fried fraud trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Sam Bankman-Fried was found guilty on Thursday for his role in the collapse of crypto exchange FTX. Bankman-Fried looked sunken as the verdict was read out. Bankman-Fried was found guilty of stealing billions of dollars from accounts belonging to customers of his once-high-flying crypto exchange FTX. During his trial, Bankman-Fried said he learned in 2020 that FTX customer funds were held by Alameda but he did not take action to safeguard them. But, unlike bank customers, FTX depositors had no federal insurance fund to compensate them when the cash dried up.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Joe Bankman, Barbara Fried, Bernie Madoff’s, FTX, Tom Brady, Gisele Bundchen, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Wang, Singh Organizations: New, New York CNN, Alameda Research, Bankman, Miami, Chief Locations: New York, Alameda, FTX, Bahamas

☆ Cryptoverse: As good as gold? Spot bitcoin ETFs aim to whip up US demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Suzanne Mcgee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Mainstream investment giants such as BlackRock (BLK.N) and Fidelity, as well as crypto-focused firms like Grayscale, have filed applications for spot bitcoin ETFs. U.S. crypto firm NYDIG estimates demand for a spot bitcoin ETF at around $30 billion. Their calculation compares the sizes of the gold and bitcoin ETFs - $210 billion versus $28.8 billion, respectively - and adjusts them for their relative volatility. BlackRock declined to comment on its pending spot bitcoin ETF, other than to confirm that it is still awaiting final SEC approval. His forecast is based on how demand evolved in smaller markets where spot bitcoin ETFs already exist, such as Canada.

Persons: Dado, Dave Mazza, George Gagliardi, cryptocurrencies, bitcoin, Todd Sohn, Steven McClurg, Crypto, Matthew Sigel, Matthew Hougan, Steve Sosnick, Suzanne McGee, Ira Iosebashvili, Michelle Price Organizations: REUTERS, Roundhill Investments, Fidelity, U.S . Securities, Exchange, Coromandel Wealth Management, Strategas Securities, Boston Consulting, BlackRock, SEC, Bitwise Investments, Interactive, Thomson, Reuters Locations: U.S, BlackRock, Lexington , Massachusetts, Canada

☆ UK confirms plans to regulate crypto industry with formal legislation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The U.K. government on Monday confirmed plans to regulate the cryptocurrency industry, announcing in a consultation paper that it will look to bring in formal legislation for crypto activities by 2024. The government published its response to a consultation paper issued earlier this year, which outlined recommendations on regulating the crypto industry. The government aims to introduce laws for the crypto industry before Parliament by 2024, according to the paper. It is not immediately clear at this stage what U.K. laws on crypto will look like. Numerous bills are going through Congress, but the U.S. is far behind others when it comes to bringing about formal federal laws for the crypto industry.

Persons: Andrew Griffith Organizations: Government Locations: EU, Crypto, U.S

☆ Standard Chartered-owned crypto firm Zodia launches in Hong Kong
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Zodia Custody, the crypto security firm owned by British banking giant Standard Chartered, is launching its services in Hong Kong, the company told CNBC exclusively. "The Hong Kong government and the regulators see digital assets as the future and also want Hong Kong to be a hub," Sawyer said. Hong Kong has been increasingly warming to crypto assets despite a broader anti-crypto push from China, which banned bitcoin trading and mining in 2021. At first, it will seek to provide services for Hong Kong clients in a limit set of crypto assets. Zodia is also in discussions with both the SFC and Hong Kong Monetary Authority about becoming regulated in the financial district.

Persons: Julian Sawyer, Sawyer, Zodia Organizations: CNBC, Hong, Standard Chartered, Northern Trust, Japan's SBI Holdings ., Hong Kong Securities, Futures Commission, OSL, SFC, Hong Kong Monetary Authority Locations: Hong Kong, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Singapore, Australia, Japan's SBI Holdings . Hong Kong, China

☆ Treasury's new Hamas sanctions target middlemen, shell companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Jason Gewirtz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The United States Treasury Department announced a new round of sanctions targeting Hamas' fundraising network Friday, the department's second attempt to block Hamas' money supply since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks that killed 1,400 Israelis and saw another 200 Israelis taken hostage. Speaking from Doha, he said Treasury officials have stepped up their efforts to stop the money flow to Hamas in recent days. "While Hamas itself has been under sanctions for decades, we must go after new, emerging shell companies, middlemen, and facilitators," he said. "If they do not act to prevent illicit financial flows, the United States and our partners will." The charity, "serves as a recruiting tool for terrorist activities," Treasury said in its sanctions announcement.

Persons: Brian Nelson, Nelson, Wally Adeyemo, Adeyemo, Mahmud Hams, Matt Levitt, Levitt Organizations: United States Treasury Department, Treasury, Terrorism, Financial Intelligence, CNBC, Brigades, Afp, Getty, Iran's Revolutionary Guard, Bank, Charity Association, Washington Institute for Near East, Capitol, Hamas Locations: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Gulf, Doha, London, United States, Gaza City, Gaza, Mahmud, Turkey, Spain, Sudan

☆ With China playing catchup with the U.S., these 3 charts show the top countries for fintech in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

UK has second-biggest number of top fintech firmsThe U.S. was home to 65 of the top fintech companies, according to CNBC's list of world's top 200 fintech companies. In the U.S., some of the top global fintech companies on Statista's list include names like Stripe, PayPal and Intuit . Stateside, meanwhile, the largest fintech unicorns are Stripe ($95 billion), Chime ($25 billion), Ripple ($15 billion), Plaid ($13.5 billion), Devoted Health ($12.6 billion, and Brex ($12.3 billion). Other leading ecosystems for fintech unicorns include India, on 17 unicorns, and China, on eight. Standing in 8th place is Mexico, with five fintech unicorns, Singapore, also with five, and the Netherlands, which has four in total.

Persons: Ed Jones, Starling, Tencent, Statista, Andreessen Horowitz, Wise, Vlad Tenev, Group's, —, Nick Parmenter Organizations: AFP, Getty, CNBC, Statista, Ant Group, Plaid, Visa, Mastercard, European Union, Apple, Google, Sequoia Capital, PayPal, Intuit, Financial, Authority, Consumers Locations: U.S, Beijing, China, Silicon, Europe, Ukraine, Covid, India, France, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Singapore, Netherlands, Statista

watch nowLawyers for Sam Bankman-Fried late Wednesday revealed details of his planned testimony if he takes the witness stand at his FTX fraud trial. Earlier Wednesday, one of Bankman-Fried's two chief trial attorneys, Mark Cohen, said in a conference call that his client would testify as would three other people. Cohen cited specific examples where, at the guidance of FTX lawyers, Bankman-Fried adopted a policy which prosecutors argued shows his criminality. But Cohen wrote that Bankman-Fried's understanding was that these auto-deletion policies were "instituted under the guidances of lawyers." "We respectfully submit that Mr. Bankman-Fried's knowledge of industry practices regarding the use of omnibus wallets is relevant to his good faith belief that his conduct was permissible," the letter added.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Judge Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, Mark Cohen, Cohen, Fried, Caroline Ellison, Bankman, SBF, Gary Wang, Adam Yedidia, Wang, FTX, Sun Organizations: Bahamian, Stanford, Alameda Research, Prosecutors, Bankman, Bahamas Securities Commission, Securities Commission, The Locations: Manhattan, FTX, Alameda, Bahamian, The Bahamas, United States

Former FTX Chief Executive Sam Bankman-Fried, who faces fraud charges over the collapse of the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, leaves federal court in New York City, U.S., February 9, 2023. Prosecutors allege Bankman-Fried misled FTX customers about the safety of their assets before the exchange filed for bankruptcy in November 2022. Alameda had borrowed several billion dollars of FTX customer assets to repay its lenders the month before, she said. "We have a long history of safeguarding client assets and that remains true today," he said in the thread. Ellison testified at trial that by the summer of 2022, Alameda was drawing from FTX customer funds to make venture investments.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Mike Segar, Fried, Gary Wang, FTX's, FTX, Wang, Caroline Ellison, Alameda's, Ellison, Jody Godoy, Luc Cohen, Noeleen Walder, Daniel Wallis Organizations: FTX, REUTERS, Prosecutors, Alameda, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Alameda, New York

☆ Coinbase is 'confident' a U.S. bitcoin ETF will be approved after SEC's court defeat
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Coinbase is confident that a U.S. bitcoin exchange-traded fund will be approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the company's chief legal officer, Paul Grewal, told CNBC. The SEC was recently dealt a major court setback when a judge ruled that the regulator had no basis to deny digital asset management Grayscale's bid to turn its huge GBTC bitcoin fund into an ETF. The SEC last week declined to appeal that ruling by a key deadline, likely paving the way for a bitcoin-related ETF to be approved in the coming months. "I think that the the firms that have stepped forward with robust proposals to our for these products and services are among some of the biggest blue-chips in financial services," Grewal added. But, Grewal said, it's likely now that the regulator will approve a bitcoin ETF soon, highlighting the regulator's failure in court to block Grayscale from converting its GBTC bitcoin fund into an ETF.

Persons: Coinbase, Paul Grewal, Grewal, CNBC's Arjun Kharpal, it's Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, CNBC, SEC Locations: U.S

☆ Coinbase picks Ireland as its main EU regulatory hub as U.S. authorities go on the offensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

If and when it is approved, Coinbase will have a universal "MiCA license" in Ireland, which it can then use to "passport" its services into Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and other EU countries. The rules will allow crypto companies to use one license in one country to operate across all 27 EU member states. Currently, Coinbase has an electronic money institution license and virtual asset service provider registration in Ireland; a crypto license in Germany; and national registrations in other EU member states including Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. Paul Grewal, Coinbase's chief legal officer, said that progress has been "slower" than he'd like when it comes to achieving crypto regulation in the U.S. "We're now seeing in court cases real questions being asked about the U.S. approach to crypto regulation and in particular securities regulation," he said.

Persons: Coinbase, Nana Murugesan, we've, Murugesan, Paul Grewal, isn't, Grewal, CNBC's Arjun Kharpal — Organizations: Getty, European Union, CNBC, Central Bank of Ireland, EU, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC Locations: Crypto, Dublin, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, U.S, San Francisco, United States, Central, Northern, Western Europe, North America, Europe, headcount

☆ New York Attorney General Sues Crypto Firms in $1 Billion Fraud Case
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Ephrat Livni | More About Ephrat Livni | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Continuing a crackdown on cryptocurrency companies, the New York attorney general accused three major players in the digital asset industry of lying to investors and concealing losses in a $1 billion fraud scheme, according to a lawsuit filed on Thursday. The suit targets Gemini Trust, the exchange run by the twin brothers Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss; the lender Genesis Capital; and Digital Currency Group, the parent company of Genesis. The attorney general, Letitia James, contends in the suit that Gemini lied to investors about the dangers of Gemini Earn, a program started by Gemini and Genesis that promised investors a high rate of return — up to 8 percent — if they essentially lent their cryptocurrency to Genesis. But Genesis struggled after the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, founded by Sam-Bankman Fried, imploded last November. It froze accounts amid a crash in digital asset values, leaving Earn investors unable to reclaim hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency.

Persons: Tyler, Cameron Winklevoss, Letitia James, Gemini, Genesis, Bankman Fried Organizations: New, Gemini Trust, Genesis, Digital Currency Group, Gemini Locations: New York

A bronze seal for the Department of the Treasury is shown at the U.S. Treasury building in Washington, U.S., January 20, 2023. If finalized, the rule would require financial firms to report information about transactions that they suspect involve crypto mixers, which are anonymized software tools that allow users to conceal the source or owner of digital assets. * On Wednesday, the Biden administration issued sanctions to disrupt Hamas' funding, which included a Gaza-based crypto exchange. * The U.S. last year imposed sanctions on crypto mixers Tornado Cash and Blender. Reporting by Hannah Lang in Washington; editing by Michelle Price and Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kevin Lamarque, Biden, ”, Wally Adeyemo, Hannah Lang, Michelle Price, Deepa Babington Organizations: Department of, U.S . Treasury, REUTERS, U.S . Treasury Department’s, Hamas, U.S ., Reuters, U.S, Convertible, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Israel, Gaza, Washington

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