Tag: Issues

Hong Kong issues rules for asset tokenization as interest mounts

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The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong has issued two circulars to regulate digital asset tokenization. The circulars offer instructions to intermediaries participating in tokenized securities activities and outline the criteria for tokenizing investment products authorized by the SFC. The SFC considers tokenized securities as traditional securities with a tokenization layer. As a result, the exact legal and regulatory requirements that apply to conventional securities markets also apply to tokenized securities. The regulator specified that tokenized securities offerings must adhere to the Companies Ordinance’s Prospectus Regime and the Securities and…

Information Commissioner’s Office issues three fines totalling £170,000 for illegal direct marketing

Three companies offering financial services have been fined £170,000 collectively by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for illegal direct marketing under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). Debt management company, Digivo Media Ltd, which traded as Rid My Debt, was fined £50,000 for sending more than 415,000 text messages, which were delivered, from 24 March 2021 to 7 September 2021. The text messages encouraged people to get “free advice” or a “free pack” by visiting the Rid My Debt website. These messages were sent without valid consent, which is…

Tether issues $610M debt financing to Bitcoin miner Northern Data

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Tether (USDT) stablecoin issuer is raising the bet on Bitcoin (BTC) mining by issuing a major debt facility to German-based BTC mining company Northern Data AG. Northern Data AG has secured a 575 million euro ($610 million) debt financing facility from Tether to drive further investments across its businesses, according to an announcement on Nov. 2. The debt capital specifically aims to enable Northern Data Group to invest in its three business lines including its artificial intelligence cloud service provider Taiga Cloud, Ardent Data Centers and Peak Mining, the company’s…

World Bank Issues First Digitally Native Note on Luxembourg Stock Exchange

The basis for this issuance was Corda, R3’s digital ledger technology (DLT) platform that offers a sustainable infrastructure for digitally native notes. In a first, the World Bank has listed the “first digital native security” or “digital native note (DNN)” on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSe). The €100 million DNN, listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, is a key element of a more extensive endeavor to create a sustainable digital infrastructure for DNN issuance. The issuance happened through the involvement of Citi’s Issuer Services in the role of the issuing…

US Court issues mandate for Grayscale ruling, paving way for SEC to review spot Bitcoin ETF

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The United States Court of Appeal has issued a mandate following a decision requiring Grayscale Investments application for a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund to be reviewed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).  In an Oct. 23 filing in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the “formal mandate” of the court took effect, paving the way for the SEC to review its decision on Grayscale’s spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund, or ETF. The mandate followed the court’s initial ruling on Aug. 29 and the SEC failing…

FinCEN issues alert regarding crypto transactions connected to Hamas

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The United States Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, issued an alert for financial institutions as part of efforts to identify “suspicious activity” related to funding terrorist groups. In an Oct. 20 notice, FinCEN said the terrorist organization Hamas — behind the Oct. 7 attack on Israel — employed “fundraising campaigns involving virtual currency and fictitious charities raising both fiat and virtual currency” to fund its activities. The government department warned virtual asset service providers and other institutions to “identify and report suspicious transactions” potentially connected to Hamas.…

Hollywood’s AI Issues Remain Unsettled Post Writers’ Labor Deal

Despite the current AI Hollywood writers are not completely out of their fight with the use of AI. Some experts have shared some areas of concern. The Writers Guild of America recently signed a labor deal with Hollywood Studios, in what seems to be a victory for the Guild. The labor deal involves implementing guardrails for the use of artificial intelligence (AI). For years, writers and actors have expressed apprehension about the growing prevalence of AI, primarily out of fear that this technology might render them unnecessary in the realm…

Google Moves to Shield Customers from AI-Related Copyright Issues

Google’s announcement comes amid rising concerns over the copyright issues that have been linked with using generative AI. Google is making it its business to legally protect users of generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems within its Google Cloud and Workspace platforms. That is if they are ever faced with copyright infringement allegations. The announcement reads in part: “If you are challenged on copyright grounds, we will assume responsibility for the potential legal risks involved.” With the move, the tech giant joins other top firms like Adobe, Microsoft, and many more…