FATF Grey Listing Concern Prompts Kenya to Establish a Crypto Working Group

The fears that Kenya’s lack of a regulatory framework for overseeing the crypto industry has prompted the government to establish a working group tasked with drafting crypto regulations. Authorities in the East African nation are confident that the approved regulations will designate a sole regulatory body to oversee the cryptocurrency industry. Lack of Regulation Threatens … Read more

South Korea to Expel Crypto Exchanges Failing to Meet Its Stringent Conditions

Cryptocurrency exchanges that fail to meet South Korea’s stringent operating standards will be expelled from the crypto market, the country’s financial intelligence agency has said. The Financial Intelligence Unit said its annual work plan incorporates the insights of cryptocurrency experts serving on its advisory committees. South Korea to Deploy System for Identifying Suspicious Transactions South … Read more

South African Financial Sector Regulator Declares Crypto Assets a Financial Product

According to a general notice published in a government gazette, crypto assets are now treated as financial products under South Africa’s Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services (FAIS) Act. Declaration of the crypto assets as financial products means crypto asset service providers (CASP), such as exchanges, must apply for a license. Declaration Applicable to Any Digital … Read more

Regulator Says UAE ‘Closer to Issuing the Regulatory and Supervisory Framework’ for VASPs

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is getting closer to issuing a regulatory and supervisory framework that will govern the country’s virtual asset industry, the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) has said. FATF Recommendations A UAE securities regulator, the SCA has said it is getting closer to “issuing the regulatory and supervisory framework related to virtual … Read more

Botswana Cryptocurrency Regulation: Government Set to Present Virtual Asset Bill to Parliament

The Botswana government is set to present a “Virtual Asset Bill” to the country’s parliament, a move that could see it become one of the first countries in Africa to have laws regulating cryptocurrencies. Preventing the Proliferation of Risks Associated With Cryptos A Botswana government draft document that proposes to regulate new and developing virtual … Read more

Seychelles Examines the Pros and Cons of Licensing Crypto Trading Platforms

Seychelles’ Financial Services Authority (FSA) together with the country’s finance ministry, is reportedly working on a policy to either prohibit or license crypto trading platforms as registered international businesses. Increase in International Investigations of Crypto Platforms According to a report, the move by the FSA happens against the backdrop of a rising number of international … Read more

Bitmex Fast-Tracks KYC Program as Regulators Tighten Screws on Anti-Money Laundering Rules

Bitmex said Wednesday that it is fast-tracking its user verification program in order to comply with regulatory requirements. Users must now be fully verified by Nov. 5, 2020 “to continue trading on the platform,” it said. In a statement, the crypto derivatives exchange stated that “unverified users will not be able to open new positions” … Read more

Gibraltar Updates Distributed Ledger Framework to Align With FATF Crypto Regulations

The Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (GFSC) has updated its guidance notes for distributed ledger technology (DLT) providers to include recommendations for risk management, as well as clarify aspects around the issuance of digital assets. In a statement released on September 17, the regulator said the new updates are part of an ongoing effort to adapt … Read more