1. The UK proposes a bill to classify crypto assets such as Bitcoin and NFT as personal property
According to Decrypt, the British government introduced a bill in Parliament on Wednesday that would classify crypto assets such as Bitcoin and NFT as personal property. The bill also aims to provide legal protection for cryptocurrency owners when they encounter fraud and scams, and provide clearer guidelines for cryptocurrency-related cases.
2. SBF's ex-girlfriend pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering, and her legal team recommended that she be sentenced to three years in prison and supervised release
According to Cointelegraph, SBF’s ex-girlfriend, Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison, pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering. Her legal team filed a document with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on September 10, requesting that Ellison be sentenced to three years in prison and supervised release (parole) at a hearing on September 24.
3. Swift launches infrastructure to simplify tokenized asset transfers
Swift is launching infrastructure to simplify tokenized asset transfers in order to provide users with access to digital asset classes and currencies. The program will test multi-ledger delivery-to-delivery (DvP) and payment-to-payment (PvP) transactions, which are expected to enable real-time payments and exchanges of tokenized assets.
4. Nigeria freezes more than $330,000 in crypto user funds, accusing the government of manipulating the Naira exchange rate
According to Nigerian media nairametrics, the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been approved by the court to freeze more than $330,000 (about 54.86 million naira) in the bank accounts of multiple cryptocurrency users. The EFCC accused these users of trading activities on platforms such as KuCoin and Bybit, which led to the continued depreciation of the Nigerian currency, the naira. At the same time, the EFCC also accused these trading platforms of failing to comply with anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing regulations.
5. Insiders: Hong Kong may adjust its cryptocurrency regulatory plan, and the Securities and Futures Commission may participate in the formulation of over-the-counter trading rules
Hong Kong is considering involving the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) in regulating over-the-counter (OTC) virtual asset trading services, according to a report by the South China Morning Post. According to people familiar with the matter, the SFC has sought industry opinions on a potential new licensing system for cryptocurrency OTC services, which would see the SFC and Customs jointly regulate these companies. In the previous proposal published in February 2024, OTC cryptocurrency shops were only regulated by Customs. However, some people have complained that the rules for virtual assets are confusing, prompting a possible change in the regulatory scheme.
6. Cryptocurrency exchange CEX.IO has resumed operations in the UK
According to The Block, cryptocurrency exchange CEX.IO has complied with the regulatory requirements of the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and has resumed operations in the UK.
As previously reported, cryptocurrency lending platform Nexo resumed registration for UK users after adjusting the new user registration process to comply with regulatory guidelines set by the FCA.
7. OSL Group and its digital asset trading platform will undergo brand rebranding
OSL Group (863.HK) and its digital asset trading platform OSL will commission design consultancy Pentagram to rebrand in line with OSL’s global expansion. The rebrand aims to expand its digital asset service scope and attract a wider audience.
Pentagram has worked with Citibank, Mastercard, Reddit and Slack on brand identity.
8. Southeast Asian ride-hailing platform TADA will provide ride-hailing services on Telegram, supporting TON and USDT payments
According to The Block, Southeast Asian ride-hailing platform TADA and TON Foundation will work together to launch a Telegram mini application "TADA mini".
TADA mini allows users to book trips directly on Telegram and pay with TON or USDT on TON.
9. Russian regulator: It is recommended to force all trade and service companies to accept digital ruble payments by July 1, 2027
The Central Bank of Russia issued an announcement that Russian regulators have sent a proposal to the Russian Ministry of Finance to amend legislation, planning to set a deadline for trade and service companies (TSPs) to compulsorily accept digital ruble payments. Companies with annual revenues exceeding 30 million rubles must do so from July 1, 2025, companies with annual revenues exceeding 20 million rubles must do so from July 1, 2026, and all other companies must do so from July 1, 2027.
Furthermore, after the mass rollout of the digital ruble, banks and merchants will be able to accept the digital ruble as soon as the system is ready.
10. Hong Kong-listed company Easy Communication purchased shares of Hong Kong Virtual Asset Exchange Limited VAX for HK$12.9 million
E-News, a Hong Kong-listed company, released its 2024 interim report, which disclosed that E-News had purchased shares of Hong Kong Virtual Asset Exchange Limited "VAX" for HK$12.9 million and invested in VAX.
VAX is a non-listed company that is currently applying to the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission for a license to carry out Type 1 (securities trading) and Type 7 (providing automated trading services) regulated activities under the Securities and Futures Ordinance to regulate Hong Kong's virtual asset trading platforms.
As of June 30, 2024, Easy Communications Group held 165,385 shares with a book value of approximately HK$1,543,000.
