The FTX contagion saga sees new revelations around its misconduct every other day, and the latest one solidifies the collusion between the failed crypto exchange and its sister company Alameda Research from the very beginning. FTX like many other crypto exchanges found it difficult to get a banking partner to process fiat transactions- as banks have been hesitant to tie up with crypto exchanges due to a lack of regulatory oversight. FTX overcame this problem by using its sister company’s banking accounts to process transactions for the crypto exchange. Former CEO of FTX Sam Bankman-Fried confirmed in a conversation with …

A handful of government-backed financial institutions have been exploring tokenization use cases to revolutionize traditional financial systems. For instance, El Salvador’s Bitcoin Volcanic bond project has been in the works for over a year and aims to raise $1 billion from investors with tokenized bonds to build a Bitcoin city. The Central Bank of Russia has also expressed interest in tokenized off-chain assets. In addition, the Israeli Ministry of Finance, together with the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE), recently announced the testing of a blockchain-backed platform for digital bond trading. Cointelegraph Research’s 2021 Security Token Report found that most securities …

Starling — a digital bank based in the United Kingdom — is the latest financial institution to ban crypto-related transfers and activities for its cardholders. Starling customers will no longer be able to purchase cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) or receive incoming transfers from crypto exchanges or merchants. The online bank announced the news in a statement to customers as well as on Twitter, citing the perceived high risks of crypto trading. Hi there We always review our position in relation to financial crime. We consider crypto activity to be high risk. We’ve taken the decision to prevent all card payments …

Purchasing cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC), Dogecoin (DOGE) or Ether (ETH) in Canada is on an upsurge as crypto ownership rises. Moreover, the Ontario Securities Commission, in their report, stated that more than 30% of Canadians plan to buy crypto assets in 2023. So, if you are wondering how to buy Bitcoin or crypto in Canada, then read on and familiarize yourself with the details. Is it legal to buy cryptocurrency in Canada? Cryptocurrency trading is legal in Canada even though it is not yet considered a legal tender. Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) specifies what virtual currencies are and provides information …

FTX — the three letters on everyone’s lips in recent days. For those active in the crypto space, it has been a shattering blow as a tumultuous year for crypto nears an end. The repercussions are severe, with over a million people and businesses owed money following the collapse of the crypto exchange, according to bankruptcy filings. With investigations into the collapse ongoing, it will certainly push forward regulatory changes, either via lawmakers or through federal agencies. While regulators may feel relieved that the scandal didn’t occur under their supervision, it highlights that there simply hasn’t been enough action taken …

The cryptocurrency sector is the Wild Wild West in comparison to traditional finance, yet a number of banks are showing interest in digital assets and decentralized finance (DeFi). This year in particular has been notable for banks exploring digital assets. Most recently, JPMorgan demonstrated how DeFi can be used to improve cross-border transactions. This came shortly after BNY Mellon — America’s oldest bank — announced the launch of its Digital Asset Custody Platform, which allows select institutional clients to hold and transfer Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH). The Clearing House, a United States banking association and payments company, stated on …

Economic uncertainty amid geopolitical tensions, rising interest rates and slowing economic growth have put a strain on the United States financial system. Reacting to the massive losses reported by the traditional banks in Q2 2022, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) decided to prioritize five key policies this year, which include evaluating the risks of crypto assets to the banking system. Addressing the Senate Banking Committee at a recent hearing , FDIC acting chairman Martin J. Gruenberg highlighted the moderate decline in net income of banks in Q1 and Q2 2022 owing to an increase in loan balances and provision …

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation acting chair Martin Gruenberg said the agency does not back any crypto firms in the United States, nor does its insurance cover losses from tokens. In a Nov. 15 hearing of the Senate Banking Committee on the oversight of financial regulators, New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez said lawmakers needed to “take a serious look at crypto exchanges and lending platforms” over risky behavior. Gruenberg responded to Menendez’s questions confirming there were “no cryptocurrency firms backed by the FDIC” and “FDIC insurance does not cover cryptocurrency of any kind.” FDIC insurance normally protects deposits at financial institutions …

United States President Joe Biden announced he would be nominating Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC, acting chair Martin Gruenberg to assume the position as part of a five-year term. In a Nov. 14 announcement, President Biden said he intended to nominate Gruenberg, who has previously served as acting FDIC chair from 2005 to 2006, 2011 to 2012, and from February 2022 to the present. Gruenberg assumed the temporary position following the resignation of former chair Jelena McWilliams. According to FDIC regulations, a chairperson of the FDIC’s board of directors may serve for a term of five years following a …

Following the liquidity crisis and acquisition of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao said his exchange will soon start a Proof-of-Reserves audit system to allow verification of its digital asset holdings. In a Nov. 8 Twitter post, Zhao pledged to implement a Proof-of-Reserve mechanism at Binance to provide “full transparency” through the use of Merkle Trees — a data structure used to encode blockchain data more efficiently and securely. All crypto exchanges should do merkle-tree proof-of-reserves. Banks run on fractional reserves. Crypto exchanges should not.@Binance will start to do proof-of-reserves soon. Full transparency. — CZ Binance (@cz_binance) November …

Bitcoin (BTC) holders looking to avoid Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) may have gained a surprise ally — banks. In his latest blog post, “Pure Evil,” Arthur Hayes, ex-CEO of crypto derivatives platform BitMEX, argued that banks may limit the impact of the CBDC “horror story.” Hayes: Bitcoiners and banks stand against CBDC "dystopia" CBDCs are currently in various stages of development worldwide. Fans of financial sovereignty naturally fear and even despise them, as they imply total government control over everyone’s money and purchasing power — “a full-frontal assault on our ability to have sovereignty over honest transactions between ourselves,” …

The Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank), one of the largest universal banks in the Philippines, debuts cryptocurrency trading via a partnership with a Swiss crypto firm. UnionBank has launched a pilot program for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) custody and trading services for select retail customers, the firm said in a joint announcement on Nov. 2. The new investment and trading feature launches in collaboration with the Swiss crypto technology firm Metaco, with UnionBank going live on Metaco’s digital asset platform Harmonize. UnionBank initially partnered with Metaco for the development of crypto trading services in January 2022. Licensed and …