The District Court for the Southern District of New York has denied a request by the United States’ securities regulator to make Telegram reveal its bank records. According to a Jan. 6 court order signed by Judge P. Kevin Caste, the court has denied an application by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to “compel the production of defendant’s bank records.” Telegram must prove that its bank records comply with data privacy laws The new court decision refers to a Jan. 2 application by the SEC to compel Telegram to share the details of how the firm spent $1.7 …

Cryptocurrency investment is among the top five investor threats for 2020, according to the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA). The NASAA, the oldest international investor protection organization, has officially announced the top five products or schemes likely to defraud investors in the coming year. In order to provide the report, the authority surveyed state and provincial securities regulators across the United States, Canada and Mexico. NASAA warns against crypto and Ponzi schemes Released on Dec. 23, the report includes the top five schemes that are likely to trap investors in 2020, based on investor complaints, ongoing investigations as well …

Former PayPal and Google veteran Mike Blandina has been appointed as the new CEO of major cryptocurrency trading platform Bakkt. Following the departure of founding CEO Kelly Loeffler, who was appointed to a United States Senate seat in early December, Blandina has now been promoted to CEO position as he joined Bakkt as chief product officer in April 2019. As announced by Bakkt’s parent company Intercontinental Exchange on Dec. 23, the appointment came into force on Dec. 20. Bakkt’s former COO Adam White will now serve as the company’s president Alongside the new CEO, Bakkt has also appointed Adam White, …

A member of the United States Federal Reserve’s board of governors appears to believe that one in four people who use Bitcoin (BTC) are criminals. Lael Brainard highlighted the perceived risks still posed by cryptocurrencies in remarks delivered today in Frankfurt Germany. Brainard was speaking as part of a panel honoring Benoît Coeuré, a member of the executive board of the European Central Bank (ECB). Brainard: crypto exchange security troubling Specifically selected for the panel, which formed part of the “Monetary Policy: The Challenges Ahead” event in Frankfurt, Germany, was illicit activity involving Bitcoin. According to Brainard, who cited an …

United States authorities have charged a Pennsylvania man with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and extortion via a series of SIM swaps targeting cryptocurrency execs and investors. SIM-swapping — alternatively known as a port-out scam — involves the theft of a cell phone number in order to hijack online financial and social media accounts, enabled by the fact that many firms use automated messages or phone calls to handle customer authentication. As per a Dec. 11 news release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Anthony Francis Faulk, 23, allegedly used “fraud, deception, and social engineering techniques” to persuade telecoms employees …

The director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) says the cryptocurrency industry has begun to fall in line with the agency’s regulations on money transmission services. In a speech delivered at the American Bankers Association/American Bar Association Financial Crimes Enforcement Conference on Dec. 10, Kenneth A. Blanco claimed that FinCEN’s May 2019 guidance was having a marked and positive impact on its oversight of the crypto space. Crypto reporting has significantly increased since May In May, FinCEN published guidance for crypto businesses that clarified how its regulations relating to money services businesses (MSBs) apply to certain business models in …

United States authorities in New Jersey have announced the arrest of three men who are accused of defrauding investors of over $722 million as part of alleged crypto ponzie scheme BitClub Network, per a Dec. 10 announcement from the Department of Justice. The accusations against BitClub Network According to the press release, BitClub Network promised massive rates of return in exchange for investments in a shared cryptocurrency mining pool. The parties at the center of the scheme then allegedly misappropriated over $722 million of those funds into their own lavish living rather than the promised mining pool. Authorities further accuse …

Accounting advisor CPA.com and cryptocurrency accounting automation startup Lukka partnered to jointly launch a crypto asset tax preparation tool. CPA.com announced the partnership with Lukka in a press release published on Dec. 9. Per the release, the “LukkaTax for Professionals” crypto asset preparation tool for accountants aims to address issues currently faced by companies in the crypto industry. Specifically, CPA announced plans to start providing services for valuing digital assets and assurance around blockchain technology. A pressing need CPA.com states that it decided to engage with Lukka because of the growing portion of the American population that owns and trades …

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed to reopen a case against Bitcoin (BTC) fraudster Renwick Haddow as he has not resolved the regulator’s claims for monetary relief against him. On Dec. 6, The agency submitted a letter to Judge Lorna G. Schofield of the New York Southern District Court requesting to reopen the case against Haddow. Last year, the SEC accused Haddow of defrauding Bitcoin investors out of over $37 million. The court found him guilty in June of 2019. Claims against Haddow In the letter, the SEC notes that the court gave a partial consent …

Bitcoin (BTC) futures-focused NYDIG Bitcoin Strategy Fund has procured approval from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), entitling it with the right to offer its shares to institutional investors. According to an SEC filing that came into effect on Dec. 2, the New York Digital Investment Group LLC (NYDIG) is now authorized to offer its shares to institutional investors, including registered investment advisers, their clients, and other eligible investors. For those who intend to invest in the shares, the fund does not put forward a minimum investment requirement. Cash-settled BTC futures The fund describes itself as “a non-diversified, …

United States Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin said that he and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell do not anticipate the development of a national digital currency in the country. Mnuchin delivered his comments during a House Financial Services Committee hearing in Washington, Bloomberg reported on Dec. 5. “Chair Powell and I have discussed this — we both agree that in the near future, in the next five years, we see no need for the Fed to issue a digital currency,” Mnuchin said. The Treasury secretary’s statement came in response to a question about Facebook’s yet-to-be-released Libra stablecoin. Mnuchin further …

OneConnect, the financial technology subsidiary of Chinese insurance giant Ping An, has updated its filing for an initial public offering (IPO) with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). According to an F-1 filing dated Dec. 2, the firm is looking to sell $500 million worth of shares in its IPO. The recent filing states: “We expect that we will receive net proceeds of approximately US$438.2 million from this offering, or approximately US$504.6 million if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full.” Reports circulating in November claimed that OneConnect initially sought approval for a $100 million IPO. In …