Brussels Wants All Crypto Service Providers to Report Transactions of Europeans

The European Commission has set out to oblige platforms processing crypto transactions for EU residents to share information with tax authorities in the Union. According to the proposal, all crypto service providers, regardless of where they are based, will have to abide by the new rules. EU to Consider New Reporting Requirements for Crypto Platforms … Read more

Bank of Russia Wants to Ban Mutual Funds From Investing in Cryptocurrency

Russia’s central bank intends to prohibit mutual funds from acquiring crypto assets or related financial instruments. The proposal, which is in line with its hard line stance on decentralized digital money, comes after the regulator urged stock exchanges to avoid trading securities tied to cryptocurrencies. Central Bank of Russia Issues Draft Directive Banning Crypto Investments … Read more

Joe Biden Directs US Intelligence to Investigate Ransomware Attack Against Florida IT Firm

Joe Biden wants to crackdown on ransomware according to statements he made on Friday, after hackers hijacked software from a Miami-based IT supplier called Kaseya. Hundreds of American businesses were affected by the breach as the attackers encrypted the files of some 200 clients. Biden said on Friday that he’s ordered an investigation into the … Read more

Bitcoin Is Financial Instrument, Clarifies Germany, Crypto Custodians Qualify as Financial Institutions

The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority of Germany, Bafin, has issued guidance to clarify the status of cryptocurrencies and the regulations that apply to related business activities. The recommendations are based on the country’s current legislation, taking into account the latest changes. Also read: Turkey to Inspect Cryptocurrency Exchanges as Part of Government Offensive Against Online … Read more

40 Banks in Germany Declare Intent to Offer Crypto Services Under New Law

More than 40 financial institutions in Germany have reportedly declared to the country’s financial regulator, BaFin, their interest to offer cryptocurrency services under the new German law. News.Bitcoin.com reached out to the regulator for some more information. The law, which went into effect early this year, enables banks to offer crypto services after obtaining a … Read more

EU Countries Commence Crypto Regulations as Mandated by New Directive

The European Union’s 5th Anti-Money Laundering Directive mandates that member states start regulating crypto assets by Jan. 10. Crypto exchanges and custodial wallet providers are now covered by the same regulatory requirements as banks and other financial institutions. Also read: Regs Roundup: SEC Actions, Crypto Tax-Free in Korea, New Chinese Laws EU’s Regulatory Deadline: Jan. … Read more

European AML Directive Pushes Crypto Startup Bottle Pay Out of Business

Bottle Pay, a cryptocurrency payments provider from the U.K., has announced its decision to cease operations by the end of the year. Despite attracting some serious funding and expanding its user base significantly in the past few months, the company has found it unacceptable to continue to work under the upcoming EU regulations. AMLD5, the … Read more

Localbitcoins to Introduce New User Verification Rules

Peer-to-peer crypto exchange Localbitcoins is preparing to implement updated requirements for the identity verification of its users. The company recently revealed it’s cooperating with regulatory agencies in Finland on the implementation of the latest EU anti-money laundering rules. Also read: 3 Technical Proposals for Increasing Bitcoin’s Privacy P2P Exchange Localbitcoins Advising Finnish Regulators In a … Read more

EU Adopts Rules to Reduce Anonymity for Crypto Users

A directive affecting the crypto sector in Europe has been adopted by the EU Council. The document updates the anti-money laundering legislation of the European Union to address, among other issues, “the risks linked to virtual currencies.” The new rules aim to reduce anonymity for both users and transactions with requirements for know-your-customer procedures that … Read more

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Directs Central Bank to Strengthen Cryptocurrency Framework

The Prime Minister of Vietnam has signed a directive for the country’s central bank and the Ministry of Finance to strengthen the management of cryptocurrency-related activities. This follows an alleged fraud involving a cryptocurrency that scammed 32,000 Vietnamese out of VNĐ15 trillion. Also read: Japan’s DMM Bitcoin Exchange Opens for Business With 7 Cryptocurrencies Prime Minister’s … Read more