Social Media Crypto “Influencer” Not Above the Law
Former Louisiana deputy sheriff and Russian resident Steven Seagal agreed to a Cease and Desist (“C&D”) Order by the SEC, finding violations of the non-touting…
Bitcoin
State Law Fintech Roundup
As fintech and blockchain transactions continue to grow in popularity, they are receiving increased attention at the state level, whether through fintech sandboxes, crypto-friendly legislation,…
The SEC Solicits Blockchain Analysis Service
The Securities and Exchange Commission issued a Sources Sought Notice on January 31, 2019, seeking a private vendor "to support the goal of acquiring data…
Cryptocurrency Firm Bitwise Asset Management Seeks SEC Review of New Bitcoin ETF
According to an initial registration statement published on January 10, the cryptocurrency index fund provider Bitwise Asset Management has applied with the U.S. Securities and…
SEC Offers Compliance Guidance and Highlights Recent Enforcement Actions Involving Blockchain Technologies
In a November 16, 2018 Statement on Digital Asset Securities Issuance and Trading, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced its current position on regulation…
Southern District of New York Enjoins AlibabaCoin from Using Alibaba Trademark
On October 22, 2018, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York granted Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba's application for a preliminary…
Some Legal Issues Surrounding Blockchain and Cryptocurrency
Part 1: A Fundamental Disconnect – DLT vs Territorial Jurisdiction.
This is Part 1 of a seven-part series of posts looking at some broad legal issues affecting crypto-currencies. DLT vs Territorial Law. Fiat currencies have…
SEC Disapproves of Proposed Rule Change for Winklevoss Bitcoin Trust
On July 26, 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued a 92-page release disapproving of Bats BZX Exchange, Inc.'s ("BZX") proposed rule change which sought…
Uniform Regulation of Virtual-Currency Businesses Act Offers States Regulatory Framework for the Virtual Currency Industry
I. Introduction Although the virtual-currency business industry is still in its infancy, the Uniform Law Commission ("ULC") sought to create a statutory structure for regulating…
Team of Banks Develops Blockchain Settlement System
UBS is leading a team of banks developing a blockchain-based system to enable financial markets to rapidly settle transactions and make payments. On August 31,…