On Jan. 7, Anatoly Legkodymov, founder of the cryptocurrency exchange Bitzlato, was arrested in Miami. The following day, the U.S. DOJ unsealed a complaint in federal court charging him with “conducting a money transmitting business that transported and transmitted illicit funds.” According to the DOJ, Bitzlato failed to meet U.S. regulatory safeguards, including Anti-Money Laundering
Law360 Expert Analysis: SEC Approach In Wahi Presents New Challenges For Crypto
A recent guilty plea in U.S. v. Wahi in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, a crypto insider trading case, sets up an interesting situation where the defendants — who have already pled guilty to wire fraud — are challenging the SEC’s parallel civil charges. Among other things, they are
NFTs Used to Serve Complaint; Treasury Official, SEC Chairman Address Crypto Compliance; NYAG Sues Crypto Exchange; DOJ Takes Down Crypto Mixer
In this issue:• NFT Integration Software Released; NFTs Used to Serve Complaint in Civil Action• US Treasury Official Signals Forthcoming DeFi Illicit Finance Risk Assessment• SEC Chairman Comments on Crypto Activities, NYAG Sues Crypto Exchange• US and International Law Enforcement ‘Takedown’ Crypto Mixing Service• Hackers Use ‘Flash Loan Attack’ to Steal
DOJ Announcements on Corporate Compliance Programs, Compensation Clawbacks and National Security
The US Department of Justice made several recent announcements expanding on its expectations for corporate compliance programs and unveiling new guidance on executive compensation structures, consequence management and business communications and ephemeral messaging.
National Futures Association to Expand Compliance Rulebook to Address Member Activities in Spot Digital Asset Commodities
On February 28, 2023, the National Futures Association (NFA), the self-regulatory organization for U.S. derivatives market participants, submitted to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for approval a new Compliance Rule 2-51: Requirements for Members and Associates Engaged in Activities Involving Digital Asset Commodities.
Compliance Rule 2-51 would impose compliance
Bank Turmoil Brings Increased Risk of Litigation and Investigations
Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP continues to assist clients and monitor developments in the financial markets arising from the liquidity challenges and market volatility currently facing the banking industry. Late Tuesday brought the first inevitable wave of lawsuits and government investigations. There will be many more in the days ahead.
Bank Term Funding Program: Understanding Borrowing from the Federal Reserve Bank
In its ongoing efforts to stabilize the banking system, the Federal Reserve announced the creation of the new Bank Term Fund Program (“BTFP”). The Federal Reserve established the BTFP to make available additional funding to eligible depository institutions in order to help ensure that banks have the ability to meet the needs of all their depositors.
What You Need to Know: Historically Large Bank Closures Resulting in Unprecedented Actions Taken by Regulators
We have linked three client alerts that highlight the key events that occurred over this past weekend in the wake of the failure of Silicon Valley Bank.
Australia and BIS Address CBDCs; OCC, PCAOB and U.S. Senators Address Crypto Risks; SEC, DOJ and USSS Continue Crypto Enforcement Actions
• Reserve Bank of Australia and BIS Commence Efforts to Advance CBDCs• Acting Comptroller of the Currency and PCAOB Address Crypto Risks• Binance and Binance.US Face Inquiry from U.S. Senators• SEC and DOJ Continue Enforcement Actions Targeting Crypto Fraud Schemes• Bitcoin ATM Operators Arrested, Charged with Criminal Violations
Goodwin Shares 2022 Year in Review: Digital Currency and Blockchain Litigation and Enforcement Developments
Throughout a tumultuous 2022, the digital currency and blockchain space saw a number of significant investigation, litigation, and enforcement matters as regulators continue their laser focus on the industry. Our 2022 Year in Review, authored by members of Goodwin’s leading Digital Currency and Blockchain team, recaps the most significant litigation and enforcement developments from the