China ICO ban proving ineffective
Despite measures announced in February aimed at preventing its citizens from taking part in cryptocurrency trading and initial coin offerings, Chinese media are admitting that ICO activity is continuing to intensify
SEC Chairman issues advice to ICO investors
On Monday this week, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton issued the following advice to market professionals considering investing in ICOs. "The world's social media platforms and financial markets are abuzz about cryptocurrencies and initial coin offering. There are tales of fortunes made and dreamed to be made. We are hearing the familiar refrain,'this time is different.'
ICOs and cryptocurrencies – a ‘rough’ guide to global regulation
Cryptocurrency mania, especially new ICOs, has led to an internationally inconsistent regulatory response. Some authorities have issued total bans on ICOs, whilst others have decided to take a more observational approach to regulating the burgeoning industry. Notably, a number of regulators, have issued warnings to consumers about the lack of investor protection, high risk of fraud, and price volatility which can characterise ICOs and cryptocurrencies in general. This article seeks to provide a brief overview of the approaches taken by a number of regulators and provide readers with an idea of the current regulatory status of cryptocurrencies and ICOs in a number of key FinTech jurisdictions.
Surf’s up or tsunami – is an ICO legislation wave looming?
In crypto years, the July 25th report by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on the DAO ICO probably feels like ancient history to many industry observers. Much has been written about it and the flavor of a lot of that comment has been that the gold rush is over. For many, that interpretation was reinforced soon after the SEC’s report by the Chinese government’s decision to ban ICOs altogether - and give them the nasty name of “illegal financial crimes” to boot. Even Gibraltar got on the bandwagon - with its Financial Services Commission announcing on September 22nd that it was “considering” a regulatory framework “covering the promotion and sale of tokens.”
