Fall is traditionally the open season for United States financial regulators. The thicket of news coming out of Capitol Hill, federal courts and various regulatory agencies can feel overwhelming around this time, especially for those of us residing outside of these venerable institutions’ purview. It is also clear that the outcomes of these legal battles will have tremendous effects on crypto markets, adoption and, generally, the relationship between state power and the industry worldwide. But that is not the only reason for anyone interested in how the old world adapts to digital finance to follow U.S. developments closely. Gensler of …

U.S. Department of the Treasury will reportedly push to extend the reach of new rules designed to govern the cryptocurrency space. Closely following the infrastructure package freighted with last-minute crypto taxation provisions is the upcoming budget reconciliation bill that could also see additional requirements for cryptocurrency businesses. Citing an unnamed official within the Biden administration, Roll Call reported on Monday that the administration is looking to append provisions to the budget bill requiring U.S. digital asset firms report information on their foreign clients. As with the infrastructure bill, the purpose of the potential regulation is to enhance tax compliance and …

Bitcoin (BTC) prices briefly fell below $44,000 on Thursday as the United States Dollar strengthened after the U.S. Federal Reserve policy minutes revealed its intentions to limit its bond-purchasing program this year. Bitcoin risks $45,000 becoming new resistance The spot BTC/USD rate dropped 1.71% to a new week-to-date low of $43,955. The pair’s plunge appeared as a part of a technical correction that started after it had reached a three-month high of $48,176 on Saturday, following a 64.42% price rally. Bitcoin’s latest price decline also surfaced in line with a similar market bias on Wall Street. For instance, the benchmark …

The United States-based investment management firm ProFunds announced the launch of Bitcoin Strategy ProFund (BTCFX), one of the first publicly available mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETF) that performs in parallel with Bitcoin (BTC). ProFunds provides an alternative to the traditional methods of holding cryptocurrencies via wallets or crypto exchanges with this service. Sharing details on how ProFunds plans to enable investment in Bitcoin performance through mutual funds, ProFunds CEO Michael L. Sapir said: “Compared to directly buying bitcoin, which may involve opening a new account with an unregulated party, this ProFund offers investors the opportunity to gain exposure to …

News of two contrasting approaches to crypto from U.S. members of congress surfaced this week. Alabama Rep. Barry Moore has been loading up on cryptocurrencies such as Ether (ETH), Cardano's ADA and Dogecoin (DOGE) over the past two months. Meanwhile, anti-crypto California Rep. Brad Sherman — whose stated aim is to shut crypto down — has reportedly received more than $100,000 in campaign donations from top financial firms. According to Friday's trading disclosures filed with the clerk of the House of Representatives, Moore purchased ETH on May 5, he bought ADA on May 10, 11, 13, and bought DOGE on …

Bill Foster, Democratic Representative and co-chair of the Congressional blockchain caucus, has called for a regulatory framework that would enable third parties to reverse fraudulent or criminal transactions. Foster is a physicist and a Democratic Rep for Illinois. The blockchain caucus is co-chaired by Democratic Rep Darren Soto, and Republican Reps Tom Emmer and David Schweikert. Speaking during an online event for news outlet Axios, Foster asserted that unless the Congress or the public can come up with a different solution to ransomware, U.S. regulators need to introduce a legal framework that can “unmask” crypto wallet holders’ identities and reverse …

Cryptocurrencies might be anathema for certain members of United States President Joe Biden's administration, but that has not stopped one staffer from owning a small fortune in Bitcoin (BTC). According to a report by Politico on Monday, Tim Wu, special assistant for technology and competition policy to the president at the National Economic Council, owns over $1 million in Bitcoin. Wu’s BTC ownership came to light after a recent personal financial disclosure that also revealed his ownership of Filecoin (FIL). Wu reportedly owns between $1 million and $5 million worth of Bitcoin as well as between $100,001 and $250,000 worth …

Former United States President Donald Trump has once again slammed Bitcoin (BTC). Appearing on FOX Business on Monday, the former president remarked: “Bitcoin, it just seems like a scam […] I don’t like it because it is another currency competing against the dollar. Essentially, it is a currency competing against the dollar. I want the dollar to be the currency of the world, that’s what I’ve always said.” TRUMP: Bitcoin, it just seems like a scam. I don't like it. I want the dollar to be the currency of the world. pic.twitter.com/CXjALsJmXx — August Takala (@AugustTakala) June 7, 2021 Trump's …

Powers On... is a monthly opinion column from Marc Powers, who spent much of his 40-year legal career working with complex securities-related cases in the United States after a stint with the SEC. He is now an Adjunct Professor at Florida International University School of Law, where he teaches a course on 'Blockchain, Crypto and Regulatory Considerations.' I was downstairs at a bar on the Upper East Side of Manhattan that Thursday evening, December 11, 2008, playing a friendly game of Texas Hold ‘em when the calls began. One after the other they came, and they continued at the office …

No fewer than 47 companies have cited the term “inflation” in their earnings calls for Q1 2021. According to a report by financial market data provider FactSet on Monday, the figure represents the highest number of companies to do so in the last decade. Earlier in April, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics released its “Producer Price Index” report showing a 4.2% year-on-year increase in PPI, the highest since September 2011. While Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell continues to argue that current inflation and consumer price index numbers are only temporary, there is a counter-argument that businesses will move …

The United States House of Representatives on Tuesday passed H.R. 1602 — the Eliminate Barriers to Innovation Act — introduced by Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC). H.R. 1602 was among six bipartisan financial services-related bills passed by the House on Tuesday, with the McHenry-sponsored legislation focusing on regulatory clarity for cryptocurrencies. Introduced back in March, the bill seeks to clarify the roles of agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in the policing of cryptocurrencies in the United States. The bill also seeks to answer the ongoing debate of whether crypto tokens are securities or …

Powers On... is a new monthly opinion column from Marc Powers, who, after a stint with the SEC, spent much of his 40-year legal career working with complex, securities-related cases in the United States. He is now an adjunct professor at Florida International University School of Law, where he teaches the course “Blockchain, Crypto and Regulatory Considerations.” In 40 years of practicing law — including five years with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s, or SEC’s, Enforcement Division and 35 years in private practice— I came to learn certain truths. My awareness of these truths helped save many clients from untold …