Posted on 27. January 2023 in Allgemein
Bulletpoints:
• Congress may separate crypto exchange and custody the same way it separated Wall Street and commercial banking.
• Rep. French Hill is the chair of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion.
• Clarity on which agency, the SEC or the CFTC, will seek explicit oversight is what the Subcommittee is sorting through.
Article:
The crypto industry may soon be impacted by a regulation change that has been nearly a century in the making. Congress is considering separating crypto exchange and custody the same way it separated Wall Street and commercial banking. This potential regulation change is being looked at by the Financial Services Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion and its chair, Rep. French Hill.
The Subcommittee is currently sorting through the specifics of which agency, the SEC or the CFTC, will seek explicit oversight. Rep. Hill has said that the Subcommittee is trying to “sort through” the proposed regulation change and its implications. If the regulation change is enacted, it could have a major impact on the crypto industry and how people use cryptocurrencies.
The regulation change is an attempt to provide more protection for investors by separating custody from exchange. Currently, many exchanges are both custodians and market makers, meaning that they are responsible for both the storage and trading of crypto assets. By separating the two, investors would be better protected from potential losses due to mismanagement or theft.
The crypto industry has seen its share of scams and hacks in recent years, and this regulation change could provide much needed clarity and security. It could also open up the market to more institutional investors who may have been wary of investing in the space due to potential risk.
The regulation change is still in the early stages of discussion, and it may be some time before it is enacted. But it is a step in the right direction for providing more clarity and protection for investors in the crypto space. As more details emerge, the industry will be watching to see if the proposed regulation change will be a boon or a burden.
Posted on 21. January 2023 in Allgemein
Bullet Points:
-Timothy Stranex, the co-founder and chief technology officer of cryptocurrency exchange Luno, has departed the company in December 2020.
-Luno was founded by Timothy Stranex, Carel van Wyk, Pieter Heyns and current CEO Marcus Swanepoel nearly 10 years ago.
-Simon Ince has been appointed as Luno’s new chief technology officer, after joining the firm as its vice president of engineering two years ago.
In December 2020, cryptocurrency exchange Luno announced the departure of its co-founder and chief technology officer (CTO), Timothy Stranex. The company, which is owned by Digital Currency Group (DCG), has over 10 million customers worldwide, with offices in London, Singapore, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Lagos and Sydney.
Stranex founded Luno, which was formerly known as BitX, nearly 10 years ago with Carel van Wyk, Pieter Heyns and current CEO Marcus Swanepoel. He has now been replaced as CTO by Simon Ince, who joined Luno just under two years ago as its vice president of engineering.
Prior to launching Luno, Stranex was the founder and CEO of a software company called Zuma Technologies. He also founded a digital media company called Moduzo, which was acquired by the South African media group Primedia in 2014.
In a statement, Stranex said that he was leaving Luno in order to pursue personal projects. “I am extremely proud of what we have achieved at Luno,” he said. “I’m now looking forward to embarking on some personal projects and pursuing some of my other interests.”
Swanepoel praised Stranex for his contribution to Luno and wished him well for the future. “Timothy was instrumental in building Luno into what it is today,” he said. “I want to thank him for his contributions and wish him all the best for the future.”
Ince has been appointed as Luno’s new CTO. He previously served as the vice president of engineering and has been responsible for overseeing the development of the company’s product and technology. He also co-founded a company called Vodacom Digital Ventures, and was part of the founding team at a digital identity startup called Yoco.
In a statement, Ince said he was excited to take on the role of CTO at Luno. “I am thrilled to be taking on the role of CTO at Luno and look forward to leading the development of our products,” he said. “I am passionate about building digital products that make a difference in people’s lives and I am looking forward to being part of the Luno team and helping to shape the future of digital currency.”
Posted on 14. January 2023 in Allgemein
• The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board) and the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute (CFA Institute) have recently issued advisories and guidelines for financial advisors regarding cryptocurrency investments.
• The CFP Board issued a “Notice to CFP Professionals Regarding Financial Advice About Cryptocurrency-Related Assets” in November 2020, which will govern how holders of the CFP certification should advise clients about cryptocurrency investments.
• The CFA Institute has also issued a “Crypto-Asset Valuation Framework” to help financial advisors better understand the valuation of crypto-assets and make sound investment decisions.
Cryptocurrency is becoming an increasingly popular asset class for investors and financial advisors alike. With the rise in the number of investors looking to diversify their portfolios into digital assets, financial advisors have a responsibility to ensure that their clients are making sound investment decisions. In order to ensure that advisors are providing the best advice to their clients, two of the most respected credentialing organizations in the financial services industry, the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board) and the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute (CFA Institute), have issued advisories and guidelines to help financial advisors better understand and advise on cryptocurrency investments.
The CFP Board issued a “Notice to CFP Professionals Regarding Financial Advice About Cryptocurrency-Related Assets” in November 2020, which outlines the CFP Board’s expectations of how holders of the CFP certification should advise clients about cryptocurrency investments. The notice states that CFP professionals must be knowledgeable about the asset class and must remain current on industry developments, market conditions and strategies, as well as the associated risks. CFP professionals must also be aware of the regulatory environment and any applicable laws or regulations. In addition, the CFP Board recommends that advisors adhere to the same standards of care for cryptocurrency investments as for any other investment.
The CFA Institute has also issued a “Crypto-Asset Valuation Framework” to help financial advisors better understand the valuation of crypto-assets and make sound investment decisions. The framework outlines six methods for valuing cryptocurrencies, including market comparison, discounted cash flow analysis, technical analysis, option pricing, real options analysis, and machine learning techniques. The CFA Institute also recommends that advisors follow the same risk management and regulatory compliance guidelines as they would for any other asset class.
As the cryptocurrency market continues to grow and evolve, financial advisors must stay up to date on the latest developments in order to ensure that their clients are making sound investment decisions. The CFP Board and the CFA Institute have both taken steps to provide guidelines and advisories to help financial advisors better understand and advise their clients on cryptocurrency investments. By following the guidelines and advisories issued by these two organizations, financial advisors can ensure that their clients are making informed and responsible investment decisions.
Posted on 14. January 2023 in Allgemein
-Genesis Global Trading, a crypto lending product pitched to smaller investors, is in dispute with Digital Currency Group, its partner.
-Digital Currency Group is the parent company of Genesis and CoinDesk and is looking to sell some of its venture-capital portfolio, worth around $500 million, to pay off its creditors, who Genesis owes over $3 billion.
-Lumida CEO and co-founder Ram Ahluwalia weighed in on the latest tensions escalating between DCG and Gemini.
Tensions between Digital Currency Group (DCG) and its partner Genesis Global Trading have been escalating recently, with DCG’s crypto lending product pitched to smaller investors now in dispute. Gemini, the crypto exchange owned by the Winklevoss twins, has now terminated a key aspect of their relationship.
Lumida CEO and co-founder Ram Ahluwalia weighed in on the situation, pointing out that Genesis’ current financial woes are at the heart of the dispute. It has been reported that Genesis owes its creditors over $3 billion, prompting its parent company, Digital Currency Group, to look at asset sales to pay off the debt.
The Financial Times reported on Thursday that DCG is considering offloading some of its venture-capital portfolio, worth around $500 million. If a sale were to take place, it would go some way to helping Genesis pay off its creditors, which includes some of the biggest names in the crypto industry.
However, a sale of assets could also have some negative implications, with concerns over the potential implications for the liquidity of the overall market. The sale of venture capital portfolios could potentially lead to a decrease in venture capital investments, as investors become more cautious and pull back their capital.
It is unclear how the dispute between DCG and Gemini will be resolved, with the latter having been a prominent partner for Genesis for quite some time. It remains to be seen whether the two companies will be able to reach an agreement, or whether the situation will escalate further.
Whatever the outcome, it is clear that the dispute between DCG and Gemini has exposed the underlying financial issues at Genesis. Whether it is able to pay off its creditors remains to be seen, but the sale of assets could be the only way for it to do so. As the dispute between the two companies continues, all eyes will be on the crypto industry to see how it continues to evolve.