The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) says in its recently published strategic plan that it will actively monitor and manage business-related risks related to cryptocurrency firms. Monitor crypto firms to prevent crypto-related crimes On Sept. 6, the MFSA published its three-year strategic plan for 2019–2021 which states the Malta financial regulator will strive to modernize their regulatory approach to be one step ahead of industry developments. The MFSA said it will work closely with the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit and other national and international authorities, including the newly formed Malta Digital Innovation Authority. The regulator added: “Whilst Malta has taken …

San Francisco-based cryptocurrency exchange OKCoin will now offer fiat-to-token and token-to-token trading services to residents of seven more U.S. states. OKCoin expands services in the United States of America On Sept. 5, OKCoin, one of the top cryptocurrency exchanges by adjusted volume, announced that its trading services are now available in 7 new US states: Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Utah and Wisconsin, which are added to an already extensive list of areas of operation in the U.S.. Expanding into Europe Cointelegraph reported in early June that OKCoin had decided to launch its services to non-U.S. customers, who from that …

Coinone Global Exchange (CGEX), a Malta-based crypto exchange launched by major South Korean exchange Coinone, will terminate its service in mid-September. Less than a year in operation According to an announcement on Aug. 12, the exchange will shut down services at 2:00 a.m. UTC on Sept. 18. CGEX initially launched in October 2018. CGEX placed a services termination notice on the main page of its website, adding that it has decided that it can no longer maintain service. CGEX’s services termination notice | Source: CGEX In the notice, CGEX warned its customers that all assets on user accounts should be …

Malta-based digital asset exchange OKEx has launched a new comprehensive data insights platform that covers trading trends for derivatives. According to a press release shared with Cointelegraph, this platform will reportedly allow OKEx users to see real-time data on the exchange’s futures and perpetual swap markets for nine major tokens, including the top cryptocurrencies BTC, ETH and XRP. The platform provides six indicators of market trends as follows: long/short positions ratio, basis, open interest and trading volume, buy/sell taker volume, top trader sentiment index, and top trader average margin used. As per the announcement, the goal of this platform — …

Junior Minister for Financial Services, Digital Economy and Innovation in the Government of Malta Silvio Schembri announced that the nation’s business registry (MBR) will employ blockchain, local financial service firm Zeta reports on July 31. First blockchain-based government agency? Per the report, when making his remarks at the Prime Minister Dr. Joseph Muscat’s inauguration of the new premises of the MBR on June 28, Schembri also claimed that the initiative will create the first government agency to be run on a blockchain-based system and artificial intelligence. The news has been seemingly confirmed by the official account of the Italian-Maltese Chamber …

Malta’s finance regulator has issued a public warning about a cryptocurrency company falsely claiming it is licensed to operate in the country. “Built on the power of the Middle East” In a statement July 23, the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) warned residents they should avoid Emirate Coin Tech, which offers cryptocurrency investment options with alleged weekly payouts of up to 25%. “The MFSA wishes to alert the public, in Malta and abroad, that Emirate Coin Tech is NOT a Maltese registered Company NOR licenced or otherwise authorised by the MFSA to provide any investment, crypto currency or other financial …

Steve Wozniak, co-founder of American tech giant Apple, has invested in a new blockchain-based company headquartered in Malta. Wozniak is now the co-founder of energy efficiency company Efforce, according to a report by Maltese news daily The Malta Independent on July 18. Wozniak co-founded the company alongside Jacopo Visetti, who — according to his LinkedIn profile — works in the renewable energy and environment sector. According to this page, Visetti co-founded Efforce in January, 2018 — approximately one year and seven months ago. According Efforce's LinkedIn page, the company provides the first blockchain-based platform focused on investing in energy efficiency, …

Some things never change, like the Megalithic Temples built in Malta over 5,000 years ago. These days, however, that may be the only thing that remains unchanged in Malta. With a population of just under half a million and being mostly famous as a destination for European teenagers to study English during their summer vacation, Malta has recently become a star on the crypto map. Having already had a positive experience hosting online gambling companies, which makes up a very significant portion (13%) of Malta’s GDP, the island is now turning its head toward the world of crypto in an …

A Canadian tech institute will issue blockchain-based diplomas to its next graduating class, according to an official press release on June 13. The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) has partnered with blockchain marketplace ODEM (On-Demand Education Marketplace) to provide blockchain-based copies of student diplomas for SAIT’s graduating class of 2019. SAIT’s class of 2019, which is made up of over 4,800 students, will reportedly be able to use blockchain technology to share their official diplomas as needed, circumventing the need for alumni to request official documents from SAIT to send to recruiters and employers. The students will receive the …

The captains regent of the Republic of San Marino, Nicola Selva and Michele Muratori, have issued a governmental decree on blockchain tech for businesses, according to a recent document. The new decree outlines procedures for registering a blockchain-based organization with the “Istituto per l’Innovazione della Repubblica di San Marino,” or San Marino Innovation Institute. According to the decree, blockchain-based organizations in the Republic of San Marino, the EU, or any country not classified as “high risk” and also considered relevant to the purview of San Marino legislation, may apply for registration with the institute. The institute sets out to provide …

The European Union has told Malta it needs to improve the resources it has to fight potential financial crime as a result of cryptocurrency popularity, local daily news outlet Malta Today reported on June 5. In a letter to member states advising how to spend EU funds, the European Commission flagged Malta’s burgeoning cryptocurrency sector as a potential weak link in the fight against financial crime. “The Commission, in its recommendations to member states for the use of EU funds, said that the size of Malta’s financial and gaming sector, and the efforts to attract crypto-currency operators required an effective …

Digital asset trading platform OKCoin has expanded its trading services and opened an office in Malta, according to a blog post published on June 4. OKCoin has launched its services to non-United States customers, who can now deposit and withdraw euros, as well as participate in euro spot trading for cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH), and bitcoin cash (BCH). Per the post, the exchange is planning to add more euro digital asset pairs in the future. Apart from expanding its trading, OKCoin has opened an office in Malta in the blockchain accelerator and hub dubbed chiliZ Blockchain Campus. …