Politics, Legal & Regulation

February 27, 2025 @ 11:47 am By Press Release  |  

U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Litigation Release No. 26258 / February 27, 2025 Securities and Exchange Commission v. Trends Investments Inc., et al., Civil Action No. 1:22-cv-10889-RGS (D. Mass. filed June 8, 2022) Court Finds in Favor of Two Remaining Defendants in Fraud Scheme The… Read More

February 26, 2025 @ 9:43 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a statement today noting that a final judgment against Sergii “Sergey” Grybniak and his blockchain marketplace Opporty International, had been entered by the US District Court, Eastern District of New York. The SEC was granted partial judgment on… Read More

February 26, 2025 @ 9:28 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

More than a third (38%) of finance brokers say lower taxes are needed in order to boost SME growth this year in the UK, according to iwoca’s latest SME Expert Index. The latest research report from European Fintech firm iwoca has noted that this is… Read More

February 26, 2025 @ 5:51 pm By JD Alois  |  

DealMaker CEO and co-founder Rebecca Kacaba participated in a Congressional hearing today. Hosted by the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, part of the House Financial Services Committee, the topic was improving access to capital and more significant investor opportunities.   DealMaker is a tech-enabled broker-dealer that… Read More

February 26, 2025 @ 4:46 pm By JD Alois  |  

The House Financial Services Committee, Subcommittee on Capital Markets, held a hearing today entitled, The Future of American Capital: Strengthening Public and Private Markets by Increasing Investor Access and Facilitating Capital Formation. Witnesses testified on the topics, sharing real-world experience and making suggestions while answering… Read More

February 26, 2025 @ 10:38 am By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has apparently closed another investigation pursuing a digital asset entity.  According to Uniswap Labs, the SEC has given notice that it will close the action after the multi-year investigation into its activities. Uniswap received a Wells Notice in the… Read More

February 26, 2025 @ 9:40 am By JD Alois  |  

The Capital Markets Subcommittee, part of the House Financial Services Committee, is holding a hearing today (February 26, 2025) at 10 AM ET. Entitled The Future of American Capital: Strengthening Public and Private Markets by Increasing Investor Access and Facilitating Capital Formation, the hearing will address… Read More

February 25, 2025 @ 10:37 am By JD Alois  |  

DealMaker founder and CEO Rebecca Kacaba is scheduled to testify this week in front of the Capital Markets Subcommittee, part of the House Financial Services Committee. Kacaba will be joined by others to discuss capital formation for smaller firms. The hearing is entitled The Future… Read More

February 25, 2025 @ 9:34 am By JD Alois  |  

During the Biden Administration, digital assets were regulated by enforcement as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) refused to provide regulatory clarity for firms engaged in the trading and issuance of crypto. In effect, the SEC told platforms and issuers to come in and register… Read More

February 24, 2025 @ 4:50 pm By JD Alois  |  

The fear of artificial intelligence (AI) becoming self-aware, similar to Sky Net in the eponymous Terminator series, or at least leveraged to manipulate the masses, appears to be driving an onslaught of legislation targeting AI. Multistate, a government relations firm, has published a map tracking AI… 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 @ 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 23, 2025 @ 11:59 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In a step toward enhancing public sector payments, the UK government has reportedly opened bidding for a £49 million contract to embed open banking technology into its Gov.UK Pay platform. Announced on February 19, 2025, by the Government Digital Service (GDS), this procurement initiative aims… Read More

February 23, 2025 @ 5:18 pm By Michael Wong  |  

The Philippines has been removed from the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list after more than three years, following significant progress in strengthening its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) framework, the global financial watchdog said. The FATF, which monitors global efforts to combat… Read More

February 23, 2025 @ 5:17 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has imposed a hefty £104.5 million fine on four global banking giants—Citi, HSBC, Morgan Stanley, and the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)—for “illegally” sharing sensitive details regarding UK government bonds, known as gilts, between 2009 and 2013. Unveiled… 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 @ 12:14 pm By JD Alois  |  

The House Financial Services Committee has announced a series of hearings covering a litany of issues and topics. As the Committee is currently controlled by Republicans, the tendency is to be more supportive of innovation and access to opportunity – especially for retail investors 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 21, 2025 @ 9:29 am By JD Alois  |  

In January 2024, the then Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had his X account hacked. The individual who commandeered the account used his access to announce the approval of Bitcoin ETFs, impersonating Chair Gary Gensler – one day before the SEC intended… 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