Regulation

Investigating Digital Assets in Japan Stymied by Nature of Crypto

According to top government officials in Japan, the current national tax system is not yet capable of accepting declarations of digital assets, potentially leading to outflows overseas.In a Q&A session at the Financial Statements Committee on April 6, Representative Shun Otokita of the Japan Innovation Party pointed out the importance of market research for the introduction of separate taxes for crypto currencies.Otokita was concerned with the current high-tax system in Japan. He acknowledged that it would be difficult to quickly change the tax code to apply to digital assets, and

Celsius Lists Libra Challenger for 9.9% Potential Interest

Crypto lending platform Celsius Network has listed startup Saga’s SGA stabilized asset, unlocking the potential for token holders to earn interest.  “Saga has partnered with leading cryptocurrency interest income platform, Celsius Network,” Saga founder Ido Sadeh Man told Cointelegraph.The collaboration and listing means “users can both preserve their assets’ value with SGA’s proven stabilization mechanism (the IMF's SDR, a basket of currencies designed to offset currency fluctuations), as well as earn attractive interest through the Celsius network,” Man explained. Saga does not call itself a "stablecoin"Although Saga touts SGA as a stable

Poloniex Creates Tron-Only Platform, LaunchBase to Enter IEO Space

On the 5th of April, 2020, the crypto exchange Poloniex had revealed its new initial exchange offering (IEO) platform, powered through Tron (TRX).The Many StipulationsProjects aiming to do their IEOs through the new platform have to adhere to a stipulation that one would expect from Tron’s exchange: The issuing of tokens must be done in exchange for TRX and will be done on a first-come, first-serve basis.The company was quick to state that partner projects, besides needing to agree to raise the money through TRX. Projects are further mandated to

Poloniex Enters Controversial IEO Space With Tron-Only Platform

Poloniex revealed its forthcoming Tron (TRX)-powered initial exchange offering (IEO) platform on April 5.Projects seeking to conduct their offerings on Poloniex’s LaunchBase platform face the stipulation of issuing tokens in exchange for TRX, and will be considered on a “first-come, first-serve” basis.Poloniex announces Tron-powered IEO platformPoloniex asserts that LaunchBase is intended “to help quality blockchain projects grow and further develop their ecosystem,” stating that it will “offer professional advice and guidance” to assist partner projects.In addition to agreeing to raise funds in TRX, partner projects will be subject to “eligibility

Revised Crypto Laws in Japan to be Enforced Starting May 1

New laws for regulating cryptocurrencies in Japan will start to be enforced next month.The Payment Services Act (PSA) and Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (FIEA), two of the pieces of legislation passed by the Japanese House of Representatives last year to regulate crypto, were scheduled to come into effect starting in April. However, with unexpected delays, no enforcement date had officially been set until last week.In the April 3 edition of an official government newsletter, it was announced that the revised versions of the PSA and FIEA would be enforced

In Legal Battle With US SEC, Telegram Sees New Support From Trade Association

The Blockchain Association, a major United States-based trade association in the crypto sphere, has filed a new brief in support of Telegram amid the firm’s continuing legal battle with the Securities and Exchange Commision (SEC).The amicus brief and the SEC’s lack of clarityThe April 3 brief takes the SEC to task for backtracking on its own guidance for legally distributing digital assets. Referring to the inconsistency that issuers of digital assets must cope with when dealing with the SEC, the brief says that “No settled precedent or agency rulemaking addressed whether

People’s Bank of China Continues CBDC Development Talks

The People’s Bank of China held a teleconference on April 3 in Beijing, China. One of the main points confirmed during the call involved the institution’s continued research and development of a central bank digital currency, or CBDC.CBDC development is one of the bank’s top priorities The meeting summarized the central bank’s achievements with fiat currency, gold, silver, and securities since the end of 2019. Executives analyzed the bank’s present challenges in depth, while acknowledging that their top priority for 2020 is the continued research and development of a CBDC, saying: “The

Ripple Funds Blockchain’s Disruption of the Legal Industry

A new blockchain course offered by the Australian National University (ANU)’s law school commenced this year with support from Ripple’s University Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI).Cointelegraph spoke to Lauren Weymouth, the senior manager of the UBRI’s University Partnerships Program, and Scott Chamberlain, the academic running the curriculum, to find out more about how blockchain can disrupt the legal industry and the partnership between the ANU and UBRI.Chamberlain will be working alongside the developer behind the Toast XRPL Wallet, Richard Holland, to develop and deliver the course.ANU law school launches blockchain courseChamberlain

FATF Grades U.S. Government on Crypto Regulation Enforcement 

The Financial Action Task Force, one of the most prominent Anti-Money Laundering (AML) enforcers in the world, has called out the United States government for being lax on policy enforcement. On March 31, the body published a report in which it explained that the United States is only “largely compliant” with its AML and Counter-Terrorist Financing (CTF) regulations – especially when it comes to the issue of virtual currencies. Higher Awareness is Good, but Loophole Still Exist In the report, the FATF outlined the United States’ degree of compliance with the recommendations it issued last

The crypto lending industry — a ticking time bomb, rather than a shortcut to mainstream adoption

In his book “Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds”, Charles Mackay says that men think in herds and go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one. That was written in 1841. Today, it is even more relevant.The most illustrious collective obsession in the past decade is cryptocurrencies. For the last couple of years, we witnessed industry-specific shocks with varying implications, be it exchange hacks, scam schemes, or else. Although covered in controversies, in the long-term, the rise of cryptocurrencies should be