Opinion

February 24, 2025 @ 12:08 pm By JD Alois  |  

ByBit, one of the largest crypto exchanges in the world, may now claim to be the victim of the largest crypto hack ever, with over $1.5 billion in value. ByBit is a centralized exchange, which one crypto executive says is emblematic of why a “CEX”… Read More

February 24, 2025 @ 11:03 am By JD Alois  |  

The State of Virginia is considering legislation designed to limit the interest charged on credit to consumers. The Federal government is also reviewing a similar approach to credit cards, but once again, policymakers are looking to apply price-fixing to a market driven by supply and… Read More

February 24, 2025 @ 10:41 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The cryptocurrency market in early 2025 has already seen significant developments, as revealed in Gemini’s recent industry update. From Ethereum’s ETF resurgence to corporate Bitcoin accumulation and a revival in the NFT market, the research report from Gemini indicates that the crypto industry is growing… Read More

February 24, 2025 @ 7:28 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In a speech delivered on February 21, 2025, at the European Parliament plenary debate on the ECB Annual Report, ECB President Christine Lagarde provided an update on the euro area’s economic situation and the European Central Bank’s monetary policy direction. The address from Christine Lagarde… Read More

February 22, 2025 @ 6:02 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

The recent $LIBRA memecoin debacle is the latest in a long list of lessons in how the cryptocurrency industry needs to shape up if it is to see more widespread acceptance. Chris Chung, founder of Solana-based swap platform Titan, said the crypto industry must call… Read More

February 21, 2025 @ 3:28 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Canada’s economy appears to be at a crossroads with its unique set of challenges, and Stephen Poloz, former Governor of the Bank of Canada, has expressed concerns. In a speech delivered on February 5, 2025, at the Canadian Club Toronto, Poloz emphasized the fragile and… Read More

February 21, 2025 @ 11:28 am By JD Alois  |  

Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) is reporting that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is poised to drop all charges leveled at the digital asset platform, contingent upon the approval of a majority of Commissioners. As Republicans now control the Commission, this should be little more than a… Read More

February 20, 2025 @ 4:18 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Accredited Investor definition is one of the most obtuse rules enforced by the Securities and Exchange Commission. In place for decades, the rule defines who can participate in certain private securities offerings. Broadly speaking, an individual is deemed Accredited if they earn over $200,000… Read More

February 20, 2025 @ 12:14 pm By JD Alois  |  

In an address to the European Parliament, Olli Rehn, First Vice-Chair of the European Systemic Risk Board and Governor of the Bank of Finland, voiced his concerns regarding policy changes in the US as the Trump Administration takes over the federal bureaucracy, including financial regulators…. Read More

February 19, 2025 @ 8:05 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council) is concerned about the Trump Administration’s policy of keeping its predecessor merger guidelines. In a public statement, the SBE Council said that “arbitrary and muddy guidelines”  pursued by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) harm opportunities for early-stage firms… Read More

February 19, 2025 @ 5:23 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Donald Trump’s first 30 days of his second term as President of the United States have been quite eventful. To mark the occasion, Saxo Bank spoke to Trump’s former Communications Director, Anthony Scaramucci, to get his take on Trump’s first month. Scaramucci is probably best known for… Read More

February 19, 2025 @ 5:10 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Daniel Gorfine, Founder & CEO, Gattaca Horizons LLC, is pleased to join J. Christopher Giancarlo and Brian Peters in co-authoring a piece in the Milken Institute Review that makes the case for payments modernization in the U.S. As noted in the paper, over the past… Read More

February 19, 2025 @ 12:55 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

A new research report presents the outcome of a detailed study undertaken by IBM Promontory for the European Commission on embedding supervision in the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem. The project comprised four different phases: identifying use cases and protocols to assess, defining elements of comparison… Read More

February 17, 2025 @ 10:38 am By JD Alois  |  

Climate rules, approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission, have been put on pause by the new leadership at the SEC. Former Chairman Gary Gensler has been replaced by more business and investor-friendly Acting Chair Mark Uyeda, who has moved quickly to address the shortcomings… Read More

February 17, 2025 @ 9:00 am By Omar Faridi  |  

With Bitcoin price surpassing $100K, it’s arguable that 2025 is starting strong for the crypto industry. Regulatory developments in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, combined with regime change in the United States, could set the stage for more institutional and mainstream adoption of stablecoins…. Read More

February 16, 2025 @ 6:12 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Provenance Blockchain Foundation is supporting the public blockchain for financial services, with $12B+ in RWA TVL. This public (permissionless) blockchain is reportedly leveraged by various financial institutions and fintech firms. Finance is evolving. Your portfolio won’t just be crypto, it’ll be tokenized real estate, private… Read More

February 13, 2025 @ 4:14 pm By JD Alois  |  

Price Controls Rarely Work. The Free Market is a Better Option. There have been multiple proclamations from various policymakers regarding the need to cap credit card rates. Unfortunately, forcing credit card issuers to cap interest rates charged to users will accomplish little good while harming… Read More

February 13, 2025 @ 11:38 am By JD Alois  |  

Today, the UK Office for National Statistics reported GDP for Q4 2024 at 0.1%. Although rather tepid, it topped the expectations of no growth or an economic contraction. In Q3 2024, GDP delivered no growth in the UK. The data indicated that the services sector… Read More

February 13, 2025 @ 7:44 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

This week, the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) told the House Financial Services Committee that the new Congress and administration present an opportunity to transform the regulatory environment for community banks to promote locally based economic growth. ICBA president and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey… Read More

February 11, 2025 @ 10:21 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Gemini, the cryptocurrency exchange led by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, is considering an initial public offering (IPO) as early as this year, according to sources familiar with the situation. As reported by Bloomberg, the company is currently in talks with potential advisors, although no final… Read More