Category: Exchanges

Hong Kong Regulator Admits to Pressuring Major Global Banks to Onboard Crypto Exchanges As Clients: Report

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A Hong Kong regulatory agency is reportedly admitting to pushing global banks operating in its jurisdiction toward accepting crypto exchange platforms as clients. According to a new report by Reuters, The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the body that regulates banks in the region, says that it had asked major financial institutions to “try and meet the business needs of licensed crypto exchanges.” Blue-chip institutions HKMA had asked to onboard crypto exchanges include UK-based lenders HSBC and Standard Chartered, and the Bank of China, a Chinese state-owned bank. Last month,…

Exchanges pledged $2.5B to user protection funds amid FTX’s collapse: Report

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According to a new report published by blockchain analytics firm Nansen on June 14, most reputable cryptocurrency exchanges adopted user protection funds amid the collapse of FTX. Together, exchanges such as Binance, OKX and Bitget have more than $2 billion combined in nominal fiat protection funds. Meanwhile, Huobi’s insurance fund is collateralized by 20,000 Bitcoin (BTC), while Coinbase grants up to 150,000 British pounds ($189,140) worth of insurance to U.K. customers’ accounts. The Nansen researchers wrote: “Proof of Reserves should become the minimum standard in the exchange industry, However, as…

Requiring DEXes to register with SEC like other exchanges is ‘impossible’, says Coinbase CLO

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Paul Grewal, chief legal officer of United States-based cryptocurrency firm Coinbase, has pushed back against a proposed rule change from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) which could change the definition of an exchange and how digital assets are regulated. In a June 14 Twitter thread, Grewal said the SEC proposal “tries to fit a square peg in a round hole” and was “too flawed on process and substance to move forward”. He was referring to the SEC extending the comment period for a proposed rule change in the Securities…

North Korean Hackers Launder Stolen Crypto Funds Through Sanctioned Exchange

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Blockchain security firm Elliptic has revealed that the attackers responsible for the recent $35 million exploit of crypto wallet Atomic Wallet are moving the stolen funds through the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)-sanctioned exchange Garantex. Elliptic investigators strongly believe that the notorious North Korean hacking group, Lazarus, was behind the hack, as previously reported. Garantex, which was sanctioned by the OFAC last year due to lax anti-money laundering measures and its facilitation of illicit activities, has become the channel for transferring the pilfered funds, according to Elliptic. While several…

SEC hears from Blockchain Assoc., House Republicans on ‘exchange’ definition proposal

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The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) extended the comments period for its proposal to amend Rule 3b-16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ended June 13. The Blockchain Association and Republican members of the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services filed last-minute comments. The amendments proposal, which runs for hundreds of pages, was released in January 2022. It did not mention digital assets. Another lengthy document was released when the comment period was reopened. It did address digital asset platforms. The amendments could profoundly impact the…