The past few weeks in crypto news recall that title of the second movie from the original Star Wars trilogy. U.S. regulators are eyeing crypto regulation for protection and territory. As Bloomberg reports this week, "Crypto faces a reckoning in Washington as U.S. regulators prepare to clamp down on the rapidly growing industry." I won't belabor the point, but will provide a … [Read more...] about Crypto Regulation: The Empire Strikes Back
Cryptofinance
Remembering 9/11
Today is the 20th anniversary of that tragic event. It resulted in more social, political, and economic change than anything in most of our lifetimes until the pandemic. Including payments, as I wrote about in Is Covid-19 Payments’ 9/11 Moment? The article links to one of the lesser-known changes wrought by the attack. It took the 9/11 crisis to get U.S. federal … [Read more...] about Remembering 9/11
Eyeing Crypto
U.S. regulators are playing catch-up with crypto. The phrase appeared a number of times in this week's media reporting sparked by concerns over the lending of digital assets by cryptocurrency exchanges and decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. The Sept. 11 Quartz newsletter, gives the most succinct overview and background of U.S. crypto regulation I found. Senior … [Read more...] about Eyeing Crypto
Could Altcoins Surpass Bitcoin?
Another week has closed with another crypto price rally, in what has been a banner year for the market. Bitcoin's been enjoying historic highs - though not without some of its trademark volatility - throughout 2021, and with another climb to $50,000 Friday that trend doesn't look to be ending anytime soon. But Bitcoin's surge wasn't the only story in crypto this week - along … [Read more...] about Could Altcoins Surpass Bitcoin?
Institutional DeFi 101
During a week that featured a dramatic battle over crypto taxation in the U.S. Senate, a major recovery in the price of bitcoin and ether, and the most bizarre crypto hack and recovery ever, the steady interest in decentralized finance by institutional investors continued. The evidence: a steady stream of comprehensive DeFi research for institutional investors. The … [Read more...] about Institutional DeFi 101
Washington DC Gets Crypto Fever
The political jockeying for regulatory positions on digital asserts continued this week. The head of the Commodities Futures Trading Commission let the Securities Exchange Commission know that only the CFTC could regulate crypto. The Biden administration fought cuts of provisions to regulate cryptocurrencies in the infrastructure bill. Meanwhile, American Banker wonders … [Read more...] about Washington DC Gets Crypto Fever