Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

Two U.S. lawmakers have asked the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to consider criminal charges against Binance and Tether, alleging that the two crypto platforms were used to fund Hamas. “We urge the Department of Justice to carefully evaluate the extent to which Binance and Tether are providing material support and resources to support terrorism through violations of applicable sanctions laws and the Bank Secrecy Act,” the lawmakers stressed. Lawmakers Concerned About Binance and Tether The office of U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) announced Thursday that the senator from Wyoming and U.S. Representative French Hill (R-AR) have sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) “to swiftly investigate Binance and Tether.” They alleged that the two cryptocurrency platforms have been used to fund Hamas and “have a history of allowing illegal activity to occur.” Lummis is a member of the Senate Banking Committee while Hill is the chair of...

A new law that gives law enforcement agencies greater powers to seize, freeze, and recover crypto assets has entered into force in the U.K. The law introduces provisions for police to “seize crypto assets more easily and convert them into money before a forfeiture hearing has taken place,” the British government explained, adding: “In exceptional circumstances, there will also be a power to destroy seized cryptocurrency.” Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 The U.K. government announced Thursday that the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, which aims to “fight fraud, counter corruption, and bolster legitimate business,” has received Royal Assent. After being introduced to Parliament in September 2022, the bill underwent a year of debate and amendments before receiving Royal Assent and becoming law. The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act introduces powers that will allow British authorities to “proactively target organized criminals and othe...

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is currently considering between eight and 10 bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications, according to SEC Chairman Gary Gensler. He insisted that “the vast majority of crypto assets likely meet the investment contract test, making them subject to the securities laws.” SEC Chair Gary Gensler on Spot Bitcoin ETFs U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler said Thursday that the regulator has eight to 10 spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications under review. The SEC has not yet approved a spot bitcoin ETF, even though the agency has greenlighted several ETFs linked to bitcoin futures contracts. Regarding bitcoin ETF decisions, the SEC chairman stated: They’ll come potentially to the five-member commission. I’m not going to prejudge them but I don’t have anything on timing. They all have various different filing dates. Gensler did not specify the eight to 10 spot bitcoin ETF applications t...

JPMorgan announced that it is registering transactions for $1 billion daily using its own currency, jpm coin. JPMorgan Global Head of Payments Takis Georgakopoulos added that while these movements are denominated in U.S. dollars mostly, the institution is seeking to expand on that in the future. JPMorgan’s JPM Coin Sees $1 Billion in Movements Daily JPMorgan has reported that jpm coin, the cryptocurrency created by the financial giant, is being used to settle $1 billion daily. According to statements from JPMorgan’s Global Head of Payments Takis Georgakopoulos, the bank plans to expand on jpm coin’s usage in the future, widening adoption. In an recent interview with Bloomberg, Georgakopoulos stated : JPM Coin gets transacted on a daily basis mostly in US dollars, but we again intend to continue to expand that. Jpm coin allows making transactions denominated in dollars and recently in euros using the Qorum blockchain, a distributed ledger created by the bank in 2016 and sold to ...