DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

The crypto industry has been in the regulatory crosshairs since investors were burned last year by sudden collapses of Celsius Network, Voyager Digital, FTX and other companies. The markups - where legislation is debated and brought to a vote, paving the way for a full vote by the House of Representatives - are the first time crypto regulatory bills will be put to a vote in Congress, a victory for crypto lobbyists that have pushed lawmakers to provide regulatory clarity for the industry. His committee is expected to consider that bill during a markup on Wednesday, while the House Agriculture Committee will consider the same bill on Thursday. The bill has galvanized many in the crypto industry, who say that with Democrats' support, the bill could have a shot in the Senate. That effort escalated last month when the SEC sued crypto exchanges Coinbase (COIN.O) and Binance for failing to register some crypto tokens.

Persons: we've, Kristin Smith, Sherrod Brown, Patrick McHenry, McHenry, Miller Whitehouse, Levine, Maxine Waters, Waters, Hannah Lang, Matthew Lewis, Mark Porter Organizations: Capitol, Voyager, Financial, U.S ., Representatives, Blockchain Association, Democratic, Banking, Trading, Securities, Exchange, DeFi, SEC, Financial Services, Securities and Exchange Commission, Politico, Thomson Locations: Singapore, Australia, United States, McHenry, Washington

The crypto industry has been in the regulatory crosshairs since investors were burned last year by sudden collapses of Celsius Network, Voyager Digital, FTX and other companies. Still, it remains to be seen if the bills will garner any Democratic support, a factor seen by many as crucial to the bills' ultimate chances of becoming law. His committee is expected to consider that bill during a markup on Wednesday, while the House Agriculture Committee will consider the same bill on Thursday. The bill has galvanized many in the crypto industry, who say that with Democrats' support, the bill could have a shot in the Senate. That effort escalated last month when the SEC sued crypto exchanges Coinbase (COIN.O) and Binance for failing to register some crypto tokens.

Persons: we've, Kristin Smith, Sherrod Brown, Patrick McHenry, Miller Whitehouse, Levine, Maxine Waters, Waters, McHenry, Hannah Lang, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Capitol, Voyager, Financial, U.S ., Representatives, Blockchain Association, Democratic, Banking, Trading, Securities, Exchange, DeFi, SEC, Financial Services, Politico, Thomson Locations: Washington

☆ DeFi Group Found Liable Under Commodities Law, but Getting It to Pay May Be Tricky
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Dylan Tokar | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/defi-group-found-liable-under-commodities-law-but-getting-it-to-pay-may-be-tricky-f9984b01

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ Fintechs need to focus on the future to develop tomorrow's solutions today
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Unlimit With Insider Studios | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The future is DeFiDecentralized finance (DeFi) has gained significant traction in recent years, offering a new paradigm for financial services that are open, transparent, and community-driven. DeFi adoption will significantly enhance the concept of "embedded finance," and we will see more integration of financial services with traditionally non-financial services or products. Foresee market structure trends and shape them proactivelyWhile fintech's growth in developed markets is undeniable, even more significant potential for growth lies in developing economies. This will empower customers to make payments swiftly and conveniently, ultimately driving higher adoption and usage of fintech solutions. With the fintech industry projected to reach $492.81 billion by 2028, the time to start looking into tomorrow is now.

Persons: Irene Skrynova, Statista Organizations: Intelligence, Central Bank, Allied Market Research, Finance, World Bank, Insider Studios Locations: China, India, Eastern Europe, Africa

☆ Bitcoin and ether stand ground this week while altcoins tumble on the SEC's Coinbase crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Coinbase shares fell more than 17% over the course of the week. The market cap of crypto 'securities' fell CryptoQuant's "SECurities" index fell about 14% following the lawsuit, while the market cap of bitcoin and ether has basically remained flat. JMP noted that in the "securities" the SEC named, bitcoin and ether, which represented 55% of Coinbase's trading volume in the first quarter, were excluded. Coinbase saw outflows of about 20 million of Polygon's matic token Tuesday afternoon, trading at about 73 cents by the end of the week. The popular gaming token Axie Infinity, trading at about $6, saw outflows of about 32,000 coins Monday afternoon.

Persons: Coinbase, Bitcoin, Jefferies, They're, Binance Organizations: SEC, Securities and Exchange Commission, Metrics, U.S, Sports Locations: U.S, Solana, Cardano, Coinbase

☆ Crypto bill from Republicans lays out clear roles for SEC and CFTC
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The bill proposes a clearer pathway for the registered offer and sale of digital assets. Crypto exchanges have been calling for regulatory clarity in the wake of expansive enforcement actions that have left companies and developers scrambling to move operations beyond the U.S. Crypto exchanges Coinbase and Gemini have both announced off-shore exchange operations. Coinbase also is engaged in a bruising courtroom battle with the SEC over the very issues that apparently prompted the McHenry-Thompson bill. The crypto exchange received a Wells notice, a warning of impending enforcement action, from the SEC earlier this year. The draft bill will likely be reshaped and modified in coming weeks and months, but it represents a powerful vote of support from two influential Republican members.

Persons: Patrick McHenry, Glenn Thompson, Coinbase, McHenry, Thompson Organizations: Republican, Financial Services, Futures, Securities, Exchange, SEC, Gemini Locations: North Carolina, Washington ,, R

☆ A husband hid $500,000 in bitcoin during a divorce — and got busted by a crypto hunter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +23 min

Thumb drive-size devices, such as a Trezor or Ledger, offer another way to secure crypto tokens cold by safeguarding both the crypto itself and the keys to access it. Transfers of digital assets between chains has helped to expand the crypto market by giving people more ways to pay and transact. With crypto staking, investors typically vault their crypto assets with a blockchain validator, which verifies the accuracy of transactions on the blockchain. The tax implications are another major consideration when choosing how to divide crypto assets. I think the people that are interested in digital assets are going to continue to be interested in digital assets," she said.

☆ 'Ordinals' could signal the beginning of a new generation for Bitcoin. Here's what investors need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"In a way, Bitcoin Ordinals add more diversity and utility to the Bitcoin network, which could elevate the Bitcoin network utility to that of other blockchains, such as Ethereum." There's one population in crypto, however, who have long believed the Bitcoin network could and must do more than that. Binance cited Bitcoin network congestion on Sunday as the reason for pausing withdrawals, and bitcoin dropped 7% between then and Monday. "Congestion, or lots of demand for the block space, is not just good, it's a critical thing for the future of Bitcoin," Miller added. A sneak peek Ordinals and spikes in transaction fees are just a glimpse of what may be on the horizon.

☆ Old-School Rules Apply to New-School DeFi Exchanges
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Paul Kiernan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/old-school-rules-apply-to-new-school-defi-exchanges-1ec14258

[1/2] U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler testifies before a House Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee hearing on President Biden's budget request for the Securities and Exchange Commission, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 29, 2023. Many in the industry have said existing securities regulations are inappropriate and the sector needs fresh rules. Some DeFi platforms may fall under the proposed definition, but others may already be considered exchanges by the existing one, SEC officials said this week. "Make no mistake: many crypto trading platforms already come under the current definition of an exchange," SEC Chair Gary Gensler said in prepared remarks published on Friday. Most crypto trading platforms meet that definition, regardless of whether they call themselves decentralized, Gensler said.

☆ US SEC sees DeFi platforms as exchanges, seeks more public feedback
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Chris Prentice | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler testifies before a House Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee hearing on President Biden's budget request for the Securities and Exchange Commission, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 29, 2023. The SEC voted 3-2 to take additional comments from the public after crypto firms criticized the plan as vague and aimed at roping in decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms. Some DeFi platforms may fall under the proposed definition, but others may already be considered exchanges by the existing one, SEC officials said this week. "Make no mistake: many crypto trading platforms already come under the current definition of an exchange," SEC Chair Gary Gensler said in prepared remarks published on Friday. Most crypto trading platforms meet that definition, regardless of whether they call themselves decentralized, Gensler said.

☆ The IRS may tax certain NFTs at a higher rate in the future — here’s what to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Currently, the IRS treats NFTs and cryptocurrency as property for federal income tax purposes, according to the agency's website. However, net profits earned from selling a collectible are subject to a higher tax rate of 28%. So, if the IRS decides to treat NFTs as collectibles for tax purposes, sellers may be faced with a higher tax bill. The NFT market started the year off with a sizable surge in trading volume, according to NFT and DeFi tracking company DappRadar's latest report. That's up from trading volume of $1.9 billion on 18 million sales in the fourth quarter of 2022.

☆ U.S. says decentralized finance services being used for illicit transfers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, April 6 (Reuters) - North Korea, cybercriminals, ransomware attackers, thieves and scammers are using decentralized finance (DeFi) services to transfer and launder their illicit proceeds, the U.S. Treasury Department warned on Thursday. In a new illicit finance risk assessment on decentralized finance, the Treasury found that illicit actors are exploiting vulnerabilities in U.S. and foreign anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regulation and enforcement as well the technology underpinning the services. DeFi services that fail to comply with these obligations to prevent money laundering and terrorism financing pose the most significant illicit finance risk in this domain, the assessment found. "Our assessment finds that illicit actors, including criminals, scammers, and North Korean cyber actors are using DeFi services in the process of laundering illicit funds," the Treasury's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian Nelson, said in the statement. Nelson added that the private sector should use the findings of the assessment to inform their risk mitigation strategies and to take steps to prevent illicit actors from using decentralized finance services.

☆ Ether is rallying ahead of major upgrade that will let holders more easily access their tokens
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Ethereum underwent a huge network upgrade called the merge which proponents say will make transactions much more energy efficient. Following the merge, ether prices have dropped following a huge run up ahead of the event. Ether has spiked this week to a nine-month high, ahead of a major network upgrade that some crypto enthusiasts say will make the digital currency a more profitable long-term investment. Currently, over 18 million ether tokens worth about $32.5 billion are staked, meaning that 15% of ether's total supply are considered locked assets. That could signal a buildup of bearish bets leading up to the network upgrade.

☆ Coinbase says it's working on 'flatcoins' that will keep pace with inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Coinbase said Friday that it's developing "flatcoins" that keep pace with inflation. The crypto exchange believes the tokens will help crypto traders shield their portfolios from soaring prices. Billionaire investor Ray Dalio is one high-profile name who's backed the idea of an inflation-linked coin in the past. Stablecoins are crypto tokens that derive their value from another asset. "I think that what would really be best is an inflation-linked coin," the billionaire investor told CNBC's "Squawk Box" last month.

☆ Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul and other celebrities charged $400,000 for violating crypto rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( David Goldman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —The Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday charged Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul and several other celebrities with failing to disclose that they were paid to promote crypto. The celebrities agreed to pay $400,000, including fines, and return what they were paid for the promotion. For their violations, Lohan agreed to pay $30,000 in fines in addition to the $10,000 she earned for the promotion. Paul agreed to pay $75,000 in fines on top of the $25,000 he earned. “At the same time, Sun paid celebrities with millions of social media followers to tout the unregistered offerings, while specifically directing that they not disclose their compensation.”

☆ Why stablecoin company Circle is set to be the big winner in crypto after the collapse of Signature Bank and Silicon Valley Bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( April Joyner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The collapse of three crypto-friendly banks is a boon for stablecoin issuer Circle, investors said. Slivergate Bank, Silicon Valley Bank, and Signature all imploded in the space of a week. Circle keeps its reserves at BNY Mellon, which helped its stablecoin USDC recover after SVB's fall. Circle, the company behind the stablecoin USDC, is set to come ahead in the aftermath of the collapses of Silvergate Bank, Silicon Valley Bank, and Signature Bank, according to several investors and founders. One risk, however, is that recent bank failures prompt regulators to bar crypto companies, including Circle, from accessing the US banking system altogether.

MarketVector's Smart Contract Leaders Index (.MVSCLE), which tracks major tokens of this kind - including ether, dot and solana - is up 36% in 2023, outpacing even bitcoin's 33% rise. Bundeep Rangar, CEO of crypto-focused asset manager Fineqia, said he expected the biggest crypto returns to come from smart contract tokens on platforms that support decentralized finance (DeFi) apps. Around seven of the top 20 biggest crypto assets are smart contract tokens, including ether and dot , solana and cardano . BofA analysts also pointed to smart contract tokens and the blockchain-based applications they power as similar to growth stocks in the equities world, typically technology shares. They caution, though, that the global macro outlook and central bank policy could hit the growth of crypto projects and their associated tokens.

☆ Crypto Company Circle Focuses on Growth After Canceled SPAC Merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Mark Maurer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Circle is still hiring even as many crypto companies are laying off staff and some have filed for bankruptcy following the run on the stablecoin TerraUSD last spring. The crypto company had been preparing to go public via a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company, a move to access the capital market, enhance its transparency and further expand operations internationally. A SPAC typically has as long as two years to find its merger partner, clear the SEC’s review process and complete the deal. Circle, which was founded in 2013, intends to make another bid to go public, though likely not this year, Mr. Fox-Geen said. Circle in 2021 said that Poloniex LLC, its discontinued crypto exchange business, paid $10.4 million to settle a case brought by the SEC.

REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File PhotoFeb 21 (Reuters) - The world of stablecoins is suddenly looking shaky. "There's way too much demand for dollar-based stablecoins for them to go away," said Alex Miller, CEO at bitcoin developer network Hiro. Market leader tether (USDT) has been a big beneficiary, adding $1.9 billion to its market capitalization to hit $70.3 billion since the news. It now commands 52.6% of the stablecoin market, up from just over 51%. Traders also use these tokens to hedge their positions, and hence dwindling market value is associated with falling liquidity and leverage in the broader crypto market.

☆ G20 watchdog homes in on decentralised finance after FTX crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

FSB member countries will now "proactively" analyse vulnerabilities from DeFi as part of regular monitoring of crypto markets, the report said. The collapse of FTX last November exposed vulnerabilities in intermediaries and DeFi, the report said. FSB DeFi Graphic 1SUPERVISION GAPSThe most worrying vulnerability in DeFi relates to "mismatches" in liquidity from different maturities in liabilities and assets, the report said. Until the sharp retreat in bitcoin prices and the FTX crash, regulators had largely focused on cryptoassets rather than related technology. FSB DeFi Graphic 2Reporting by Huw Jones Editing by Helen PopperOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Crypto Brands Reposition Themselves in Wake of FTX and Market Tumble
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

Roughly one year ago, a handful of crypto heavyweights made swaggering debuts on the Super Bowl ad roster, airing costly commercials with messages like “Don’t miss out” (FTX) and “Fortune favors the brave” (Crypto.com). Then came the swoon in crypto and the bankruptcy of FTX. Recently, trading firm OKX scuttled its plans to buy an ad in Super Bowl LVII when FTX began to dominate the news cycle. Coinbase aims to convey its confidence in crypto “while maintaining our position as the most trusted brand in the space,” Chief Marketing Officer Kate Rouch said. “I think that, especially after the FTX collapse, there has been a real need for that across the entire crypto space,” he said.

☆ Crypto investors lost nearly $4 billion to hackers in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Cryptocurrency hackers stole $3.8 billion in 2022, according to the blockchain analytics firm's report — up from $3.3 billion in 2021 . Take smart contracts, for example. These digital contracts are the key underlying technologies that allow crypto transactions to be made. Within DeFi, smart contracts are publicly viewable sets of instructions that allow users to borrow, lend or make transactions without an intermediary. Once a user meets the smart contract's terms and conditions, the transaction happens automatically, similar to a vending machine.

☆ Russia's Sberbank to launch DeFi platform in coming months - Interfax
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 3 (Reuters) - Russia's largest lender Sberbank (SBER.MM) plans to launch a decentralised finance (DeFi) platform within the next few months, the Interfax news agency reported. Sberbank says it wants to make the Russian decentralised finance system the best in the world, and is currently beta testing its own platform. Traditional financial institutions are looking at how to get into the space and integrate DeFi technology with their existing regulated operations. Sberbank will launch open testing in March of its platform and aims to start commercial operations by the end of April, the Interfax news agency quoted Konstantin Klimenko, head of products at Sberbank's blockchain laboratory, as saying. Sberbank's DeFi platform will be based on the Ethereum blockchain, the second-largest crypto currency by market capitalisation after bitcoin, Klimenko said on Friday.

☆ Trader Is Charged in Alleged $110 Million Crypto Manipulation Scheme
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Mengqi Sun | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

He faces charges of commodities fraud, commodities market manipulation and wire fraud in connection with what prosecutors said was manipulation of Mango Markets. Mr. Eisenberg remained in police custody on Thursday and will be arraigned Feb. 14, when he would be asked to enter a plea. PREVIEWThe Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed parallel civil charges against Mr. Eisenberg last month. The CFTC, which regulates derivatives markets, said the enforcement action against Mr. Eisenberg was the first of its kind against an alleged manipulation scheme involving a decentralized exchange. He allegedly artificially pumped up the price of MNGO on three different digital asset exchanges that Mango Markets used to determine the value of the derivative contracts.

Search resuls for: "DEFI"

25 mentions found