Every Friday, Law Decoded delivers analysis on the week’s critical stories in the realms of policy, regulation and law. Editor’s note Last week’s Law Decoded sounded the alarm on threats to self-custodial wallets in the U.S. in particular. While such concerns have continued to take shape, nothing concrete has emerged from the U.S. Treasury, which was at the heart of last week’s conversation. Though I don’t like to recycle themes, it seems a reasonable time to ask the question: What is a crypto wallet as far as a regulator is concerned? While many people access their crypto through custodial solutions …

French financial authorities are strengthening the country’s cryptocurrency regulations in a move to prevent illicit activities like money laundering and terrorism financing. On Dec. 9, several ministries in France jointly introduced an order aiming to prevent anonymous digital asset transactions by banning anonymous crypto accounts. The new regulatory effort is backed by French finance minister Bruno Le Maire, overseas minister Sébastien Lecornu and junior economy minister Olivier Dussopt. The order is pursuant to Article 203 of France’s PACTE law, which stands for the Action Plan for Business Growth and Transformation. In the document, the ministries have admitted that digital assets …

Digital-asset regulation has been a hot topic in 2020 and shows no signs of cooling. A recent G7 meeting concluded that the sector faces an ongoing need for regulation. In addition to talking about COVID-19 and economic issues, the group “also discussed ongoing responses to the evolving landscape of crypto assets and other digital assets and national authorities’ work to prevent their use for malign purposes and illicit activities,” according to a public statement from the United States Department of the Treasury on Monday: “There is strong support across the G7 on the need to regulate digital currencies. Ministers and …

After years of extradition debates, Bitcoin (BTC) launderer Alexander Vinnik has finally been sentenced by a French court. According to a report on Monday by Novaya Gazeta, Vinnik has been sentenced to five years in prison for "money laundering as part of an organized criminal group and providing false information about the origin of the proceeds" in addition to a fine of 100,000 euro ($121,000). According to the BBC, the court partially dropped charges related to the ransomware known as Locky. As of publishing time, online reports do not specify whether Vinnik’s sentence is related to his alleged senior role …

Ethereum software firm ConsenSys has just sealed its sixth central bank digital currency project. On Oct. 28, the blockchain organization announced that it will be collaborating with Société Générale Forge on experiments for a digital euro. Société Générale Forge is the digital capital markets platform of major financial services group, Société Générale Group. SG Forge was involved in the issuance of a 100 million euro bond as a security token on the Ethereum blockchain back in spring 2019. It specializes in building institutional-grade models for regulated security token operations registered on the blockchain. Alongside Accenture, Euroclear, HSBC and others, SG …

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, who once said Facebook’s Libra token would risk the "monetary sovereignty of states,” is continuing his criticism of cryptocurrencies. In an Oct. 19 tweet, Le Maire claimed some cryptocurrencies are associated with purchasing drugs and weapons in addition to being used for money laundering. However, he also wrote that he does not “question the reliability and traceability of all blockchain technology.” Cher @cyrilpaglino, nous ne remettons pas en cause la fiabilité et la traçabilité de toutes les technologies de la blockchain. Mais certaines cryptomonnaies ont pu être utilisées pour faciliter des transactions frauduleuses (drogue, …

A large goup of accomplaces allegedly financing a jihadist network in Syria have been arrested after a sting operation by French police — despite choosing cryptocurrency coupons in an attempt to cover their tracks. In a statement, police said that "constant surveillance of these networks prompted terrorist organisations to seek more opacity by using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin," as reported on Sept. 30. Since 2019, the 29 accomplices have allegedly been supporting the operations of an Al-Qaeda affiliate terror organization, called “Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham.” The network’s architects are reportedly two French jihadists in their mid-20s, who are both thought to …

BNP Paribas’ securities arm has partnered with Digital Asset to develop a number of real-time trade and settlement applications using DAML-based smart contracts, the firm announced on Sept. 15. The new DAML-driven apps will connect BNP Paribas Securities Services with major global stock exchanges like the Australian Securities Exchange, or ASX, and the Hong Kong Exchange, or HKEX. The apps will provide market participants in the Asia Pacific with real-time access to ASX’s and HKEX’s upcoming blockchain-based trading and settlement platforms. BNP Paribas will specifically connect to the ASX’s blockchain-powered equity transaction platform known as the Clearing House Electronic Subregister …

Israeli blockchain startup Orbs has published an open letter to French President, Emmanuel Macron. This letter promotes the use of blockchain technology to manage foreign aid following the tragic explosion in Beirut on August 4. Blockchain’s transparency and accountability could help reassure both private donors and governments that the financial aid they provide is being deployed effectively, it says. Catastrophic events such as those in Lebanon tend to spur pledges of much needed humanitarian aid from around the world. President Macron of Lebanese former colonial power, France, wasted no time in visiting the area and urging world leaders to accelerate …

Also awaiting charges in the United States and Russia, suspected Bitcoin money launderer Alexander Vinnik could be facing a trial in France first. According to news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP), a Paris judge has ordered the Russian national to stand trial for extortion, money laundering, criminal association, and fraudulently accessing and modifying data in data processing systems. The AFP stated French authorities have accused Vinnik of defrauding more than 100 people out of $160 million between 2016 and 2018. Vinnik, also known as "Mr. Bitcoin," is accused of laundering 300,000 Bitcoin (BTC) — roughly $3.4 billion at press time — …

Banque de France has picked eight potential candidates to test the integration of a CBDC for interbank settlements, according to the announcement published earlier today. The list of approved participants includes mainstream juggernauts like Accenture, HSBC, and Societe Generale, as well as smaller crypto-focused players like Seba Bank and LiquidShare. The announcement follows the central bank’s call for applications to experiment with the use of a digital euro, which it posted in March. At the time, the institution said it would select a maximum of 10 CBDC-related applications, with “innovative nature” being one of the main selection criteria. Now, the …

Encrypted messaging services have always presented a tough challenge for government agencies all over the world. On one hand, they allow for freedom of speech, but on the other, they enable miscreants and bad actors to facilitate nefarious deeds. In this regard, on July 2, European law enforcement authorities arrested over 800 individuals that were allegedly partaking in shady activities through the use of an encrypted chat service called EncroChat. The messaging platform has servers based out of France and claims to provide users with “worry-free secure communications.” According to the BBC, EncroChat has a customer base of more than …