North Carolina House Representative Patrick McHenry has proposed a bill that would amend one of the laws governing the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to provide a safe harbor for certain token projects. In a draft of the “Clarity for Digital Tokens Act of 2021,” provided by the House Committee on Financial Services, McHenry suggested amending the Securities Act of 1933 to establish a safe harbor for token development teams. He proposed letting projects offer tokens without registering for up to three years, during which time teams would be given the opportunity to create a fully decentralized network. …

This week, United States lawmakers and regulators have stolen much of the spotlight once more. The cryptocurrency-related provisions of the infrastructure bill, a tiny grain of sand in the grand scheme of the omnibus legislation, had all laser eyes glued to the fateful House of Representatives vote — which never happened. There is a sense, however, that the bill will become law sooner rather than later. We have also learned from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testifying to Congress that the Fed sees no use in a China-style blanket ban on cryptocurrency, eyeing tighter regulation of stablecoins instead. The latter …

Edward Snowden has touted the antifragility of Bitcoin (BTC) despite increasing regulatory scrutiny on cryptocurrencies around the world. Tweeting on Sunday, the former United States Central Intelligence Agency agent stated that Bitcoin has gotten stronger on the back of government bans and anti-crypto policies. Snowden’s tweet referenced remarks made back on March 13, 2020, amid the throes of the Black Thursday decline that saw crypto and equity markets tank amid fears of the coronavirus pandemic. As reported by Cointelegraph at the time, Snowden was unfazed by Bitcoin’s 50% drop, stating that it was the first time he “felt like buying …

Bitcoin (BTC) failed to break the so-called September curse, with its price falling by a little over 7% into the month despite a strong rebound rally right ahead of its close. Nonetheless, Bitcoin looks to be making a comeback in October, a month known for painting aggressive bullish reversals. Bybt data shows that Bitcoin has closed October in profit the majority of the time since 2013 — with a success rate of over 77%. Last year, the cryptocurrency surged by 28% to reach levels above $13,500 after finishing September at around $10,800, following an approximate 7.5% decline. Similarly, Bitcoin climbed …

Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg has told a local industry event that Australia’s digital asset plan to create cryptocurrency-related legislation is “coming” soon and could be enacted in 2022. He also backed plans to run the sector on renewable energy as part of the government's yet-to- be-established goal of achieving ‘net zero’ carbon emissions. Speaking at the virtual NFT Fest event supported by Blockchain Australia on Thursday, Bragg stated that the select Senate committee investigating the topic will publish its report by the end of October and that it will include regulatory recommendations that can be legislated over the next 12 …

Bitcoin (BTC) has been trading in a descending pattern since the strong $53,000 rejection that occurred on Sept. 7, and the $3.4-billion futures contracts liquidation along with China’s ban on crypto trading appear to have severely impacted traders’ morale. Adding to the negative sentiment, major crypto exchanges such as Binance and Huobi halted some services in mainland China, and some of the largest Ethereum mining pools, like SparkPool and BeePool were forced to shut down completely. Based on the above chart, it is possible to understand why buyers placed 80% of their bets at $44,000 or higher. However, the past …

Later today, the United States House of Representatives is expected to vote on the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, a bill authorizing sweeping investments in domains such as passenger rail, bridge repair, clean and wastewater facilities, clean energy transmission, and universal access to high-speed internet. Also tucked into the massive bill are several provisions that would directly affect millions of crypto users if enacted, particularly the expanded tax reporting requirements for entities handling cryptocurrency transactions. Neither the bill becoming law nor even the Sept. 30 House vote on the bill is warranted. The legislation is working through …

Join Cointelegraph host and analyst Benton Yaun alongside resident market experts Jordan Finneseth and Marcel Pechman on “The Market Report” — which is live right now! Here’s what to expect in this week’s markets news breakdown: Whales have been busy moving a record amount of Bitcoin (BTC). How will this affect prices? Bitcoin is long overdue for a “FOMO rally” to new all-time highs, according to Bobby Lee, the former CEO of BTCC. Does his claim have merit? Despite China’s crackdown on the crypto industry last week, Bitcoin nodes still appear to be operating in the People’s Republic, proving Bitcoin’s …

Resistance is mounting to United States President Joe Biden’s reported plans to tap a staunch banking and crypto critic to run the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The proposed nomination of law professor Saule Omarova to head the federal bank regulatory agency has raised eyebrows in political and financial circles, as she is widely seen as anti-crypto and anti-big banks. Senator Ted Cruz has become the latest crypto ally to speak out, claiming that her decisions, if nominated, could change the future of the industry in a tweet on Tuesday. “Not only is Saule Omarova, Biden’s pick to …

The United States Internal Revenue Service continues to propose new tax reforms to regulate the crypto investments in the U.S., with the latest notice sharing tax obligations for the marijuana industry. The notice, signed by IRS Small Business/Self-Employed Division Commissioner De Lon Harris, reflects the priorities of the United States federal agency to ensure cryptocurrency tax compliance among local businesses that grow, distribute and sell cannabis. Commissioner Harris said that the use of cryptocurrencies in the cannabis industry is one of the top enforcement priorities of the IRS. The statement coincides with the recent proposal by the Senate lawmakers from …

In the wake of yet another iteration of China’s enduring crackdown on cryptocurrency, a particularly influential narrative on Crypto Twitter suggests that by banning Bitcoin (BTC), China has definitively put itself on the dark side of the struggle, while the collective West must now resolutely throw its weight on the opposite side by embracing crypto. Granted, this framework for thinking about the relationship between political power and decentralized finance is appealing for crypto allies. Yet the news coming out of the United States gives few reasons to believe that policymakers there see the situation this way. It appears that U.S. …

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, has delivered a report to Congress containing recommendations from small businesses seeking regulatory clarification on the role of digital assets. In a Monday announcement, the SEC’s Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation reported on recommendations from the commission’s 40th Annual Small Business Forum held in May. Participants at the forum — including all five SEC Commissioners, 14 members of SEC staff, 12 small business advocates, 11 guest speakers, and 610 other participants from the U.S. public — recommended that the U.S. Congress “clarify the status of digital assets …