The International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) is working on two papers to address fundamental legal risks in the crypto markets, such as the insolvency of crypto exchange firms, according to a statement released on Jan. 26. The initiative was motivated by the collapse of crypto exchange FTX and previous bankruptcy cases that “prompted a cascade of liquidity and solvency concerns across the crypto ecosystem.” Along with other things, the papers will offer guidance for market participants regarding crypto ownership and the role of intermediates in the event of bankruptcy. “The prospect of insolvency of a major market participant requires …

Kevin Rose, the co-founder of the nonfungible token (NFT) collection Moonbirds, has fallen victim to a phishing scam leading to more than $1.1 million worth of his personal NFTs stolen. The NFT creator and PROOF co-founder shared the news with his 1.6 million Twitter followers on Jan. 25 asking them to avoid buying any Squiggles NFTs until they manage to get them flagged as stolen. I was just hacked, stay tuned for details - please avoid buying any squiggles until we get them flagged (just lost 25) + a few other NFTs (an autoglyph) ... — KΞVIN R◎SE (,) (@kevinrose) …

The administration of United States President Joe Biden is continuing to elaborate its National Digital Assets Research and Development Agenda. In a request for information (RFI) dated Jan. 26 and previewed by the Federal Register, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) invites comments to help it identify agenda priorities. Individuals and organizations may submit comments of no more than ten pages in length by March 23. The White House announced the creation of the agenda in September among the large number of next steps after its unveiling of the “first-ever” Comprehensive Framework for Responsible Development of …

ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood believes that digital wallets and blockchain tech were among “game-changing innovations” that the equity markets largely ignored in 2022. In a Jan. 12 blog post on the ARK Invest website, Wood suggested that the equity market faced a “wall of worry” in 2022, caused by fears of entrenched inflation and higher interest rates, and largely ignored a number of innovative technologies. Wood highlighted that digital wallets are “replacing cash and credit cards,” noting that they overtook cash as the top transaction method for offline commerce in 2020. Further arguing that digital wallets should not be …

The crypto space is notorious for its significant swings and ups and downs. Yet the 2022 crash seems harsher and more unpredictable than previous bear markets. Still, there are ways for investors to safeguard their crypto assets and protect them despite the turbulent times. Regardless of the somewhat hostile environment, crypto adoption is still rising, signaling that the bear times will end. According to recent research, about 20% of people in America who have never owned crypto plan to invest by the end of the year. But why is the space crashing when interest is on the rise? Why was …

References to crypto or blockchain technology are nowhere to be found in newly leaked images concerning “Twitter Coins” — the platform’s secret in-development digital asset. First leaked in early December by tech bloggers Jane Manchun Wong and Nima Owji, many have been hoping that the secret “Twitter Coins” project would involve cryptocurrency in some way. Members of the Dogecoin (DOGE) community have been especially hopeful given Twitter CEO Musk’s affiliation with the token. In a Dec. 4 Twitter Spaces, when Musk said he was still interested in integrating crypto with the social media platform. However, newly leaked images of the …

Digital assets funds saw inflows totaling $433 million during 2022, the lowest level since 2018, when inflows in the crypto industry reached $233 million, according to the cryptocurrency investment firm Coinshares. Investors' appetite for digital assets seems not to have been fully affected by the crypto winter, but otherwise encouraged investments in crypto assets in a year marked by a price decline and the collapse of many industry players. James Butterfill, researcher at CoinShares, noted in the weekly report that: "In a year where bitcoin prices fell by 63%, a clear bear market precipitated by irrational exuberance and an overly …

The Israeli Securities Authority (ISA) proposes a framework for regulating digital assets as an increasing number of Israeli investors are exposed to digital assets, and over 150 companies operate in Israel, according to the regulator. The regulator released a proposal in January 2023, outlining its purpose to achieve the “double value” of responding to the risks associated with investing in digital assets alongside giving the authority means to adopt a regulation. The authority has established multiple committees over the past several years to examine and regulate the issuance of cryptocurrencies and promote the development of digital markets in Israel. The …

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) has formed an FTX Task Force to “trace and recover” missing customer funds, as well as handle investigations and prosecutions related to the exchange’s collapse. The announcement came via a statement from U.S. Attorney Damian Williams who is the federal prosecutor in the FTX case involving founder Sam Bankman-Fried. Charges from the Manhattan attorney’s office against Bankman-Fried include wire and securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire and securities fraud, money laundering and violation of campaign finance laws. “The Southern District of New York is working around the …

The Securities Commission of The Bahamas (SCB) has denied FTX debtors’ claims and expresses concern that the investigation has been ‘impeded.’ According to a statement released on Jan.3, The Securities Commission of The Bahamas (SCB) has had to correct material misstatements made by John J. Ray III, the representative of the United States-based FTX debtors, in press and court filings. The document stated that the Chapter 11 Debtors had “publicly challenged” the Commissions calculations of digital assets transferred to digital wallets under the Commission's control in Nov. 2022. It argued that these statements were based on “incomplete” information and the …

Russia’s largest bank Sber — formerly known as Sberbank — reported the first issue of gold-backed digital financial assets (DFAs). The bank considers DFAs to be a “great alternative” to investments amid dedollarization. On Dec. 26, Sber published the news about its first issue of gold-backed DFAs. A diversified metals seller and manufacturer, Solfer, became the first investor to obtain the issued assets. Gold-backed DFAs represent certifying monetary rights, whose price and volume depend on gold prices. According to juridical documentation of the issuance, the bank will provide up to 150,000 DFAs for potential investors to buy. The DFAs will …

Binance France and its parent company Binance Holdings Limited are being sued by 15 investors in France over alleged misleading commercial practices and fraudulent concealment, according to local media reports. In a complaint filed on Dec. 14, the plaintiffs claimed that Binance violated French laws by advertising and distributing crypto services before receiving registration from the country's authorities. As reported by Cointelegraph, France's financial market regulator, the Autorité des marchés financiers, has granted Binance a license as a digital asset provider in May 2022. The license allowed the crypto exchange to offer services such as assets custody and crypto trading. …