A watchdog group has demanded an investigation into Sam Bankman-Fried's political donations, claiming the former FTX CEO “admitted” to donating tens of millions to Republicans under the table in violation of federal law. The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed the complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on Dec. 8, citing comments made by Bankman-Fried in a Nov. 16 interview with cryptocurrency vlogger Tiffany Fong which was released via Youtube on Nov. 29. CREW suggested in their complaint that wealthy donors often take advantage of the Citizen United ruling and evade federal disclosure laws by using …

The outgoing United States House Representative Madison Cawthorn has been fined over $15,000 by the House Committee on Ethics for his promotion of a cryptocurrency in which he had an undisclosed investment. A report released by the Committee on Dec. 6 after a seven-month-long investigation found Cawthorn “improperly promoted a cryptocurrency in which he had a financial interest” violating conflict of interest rules. Cawthorn’s “direct and unambiguous” promotional commentary on social media followed an undisclosed purchase by the Representative of $150,000 worth of the token in December 2021. He promoted the Ethereum-based token Let’s Go Brandon (LETSGO) — named after …

The leadership with the United States House Financial Services Committee have separately called on former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried to appear in an investigative hearing scheduled for Dec. 13. In Dec. 2 posts on Twitter, House Financial Services Committee chair Maxine Waters, a Democrat, and ranking member Patrick McHenry, a Republican, requested SBF speak at a hearing aimed at investigating the events around the collapse of FTX. It’s unclear if the U.S. lawmakers intended the former FTX CEO to appear in person or remotely from the Bahamas. “[Sam Bankman-Fried], we appreciate that you've been candid in your discussions about what …

In October, Greenland was reported to be exploring the feasibility of an online voting platform for its national elections. Among the options being considered is a blockchain-based system. That isn’t entirely surprising. Electronic voting, or e-voting, has long been viewed as a promising use case for blockchain technology. “It’s time for online voting,” wrote Alex Tapscott in a New York Times opinion piece in 2018. “Using blockchain technology, online voting could boost voter participation and help restore the public’s trust in the electoral process and democracy.” It seems especially timely now as large swaths of the world’s population are raising …

Results from many election races for seats in the United States Senate and House of Representatives are still coming in, but a number of candidates who have expressed staunch views on digital asset regulation won on Nov. 8. Some of crypto’s most outspoken supporters at the local and federal level, including Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, had no elections in November 2022, but others defended challenges to congressional seats with both narrow and wide margin victories. Pro-crypto House incumbents including Minnesota Representative Tom Emmer and North Carolina Minnesota Representative Patrick McHenry won re-election, as did crypto …

On Nov. 8, registered voters across the United States will cast ballots for political candidates to represent them at the local, state, and federal level — and for some people, crypto is the main issue. Voters took to social media amid early voting in certain U.S. states and ahead of Election Day to proclaim that despite many of the issues driving people to the polls — including ensuring free and fair elections, gun control, and abortion — digital assets were at the forefront of their decision-making process. President Joe Biden's term doesn't end until January 2025, but the future majority …

The 2022 midterm elections will be held in the United States on Nov. 8. Thirty-four senators and all 435 members of the House of Representatives will be running. According to media reports, cryptocurrency lobbyists and political action committees have poured millions of dollars into select campaigns, and extensive polling has shown crypto to be on voters’ minds. Fundraising and polling are normal parts of the American political system, but the numbers associated with crypto may have raised some eyebrows. Sam Bankman-Fried called $1 billion his “soft ceiling” for 2022 election contributions, for example. Even though he backpedaled on some of …

A local report from South Korea claims that the country's prosecutors have obtained evidence to suggest Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon had onceordered an employee to manipulate the price of Terra Luna Classic (LUNC). A report by Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) on Nov. 3 quotes an official from the South Korean Prosecutors Office, who said they have obtained a "conversation history" in which "CEO Kwon specifically ordered price manipulation." The reported evidence came in the form of a "messenger conversation" between Kwon and a former Terraform Labs employee. Prosecutors did not disclose further details, noting: “I can’t reveal details, but …

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has tested the capabilities of crypto in a real-world conflict where sanctions and inventive blockchain crowdfunding models abound. The war, which is drawing into its ninth month, has uncovered a raft of blockchain benefits, such as the capacity to support humanitarian endeavors. It has also revealed how much control national authorities can exert over crypto networks. Vadym Synegin, co-founder at IT and crypto solutions provider Tecor, told Cointelegraph that cryptocurrencies have a unique advantage in situations where there is an increased risk of money transfer interruptions due to the centralization of conventional systems. “With most markets controlled …

Bitcoin price is up today, and a market-wide rally in crypto prices suggests that BTC and Ether (ETH) could be aiming to wrap up the month of October in the black. As of October 26, 2022, most major cryptocurrencies are posting single-digit gains. Bitcoin recorded a 5.15% price increase within the last 24 hours and a 5.48% gain within the last 7 days. While the current price is fluctuating, BTC is holding above the psychologically important $20,000 level. The following chart shows the BTC rally since October 24, 2022. Stocks are beginning the day down as Bitcoin continues to remain …

Anchorage Digital co-founder and president Diogo Mónica has called for regulatory clarity in the United States, which he said remains muddy due to the politicization of Web3 technology and a lack of coordinated effort from the industry. Speaking to Cointelegraph ahead of the company’s push into the Asian market, Mónica said there was a night-and-day difference between the regulatory experience in Singapore compared to the U.S. “Singapore, it really is a breath of fresh air […] It's very different to have one regulator,” Mónica said, adding regardless of the asset type it’s the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the country’s …

Kazakhstan is ready to legalize a mechanism for converting cryptocurrencies to cash if there is demand, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, per local news agency Informburo on Sept. 28. Speaking at the international forum Digital Bridge 2022, Tokayev emphasized that Kazakhstan aims to become an international leader in the field of digital technology, cryptocurrency ecosystem and regulated mining. He noted that the government of Kazakhstan has drafted amendments in national law to pilot a mechanism for converting crypto at the Astana International Financial Centre. “We are ready to go further. If this financial instrument shows its further relevance and security, it …