Australian police’s ‘new powers’ lead to $142.6K crypto seizure  

Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has introduced new guidelines for crypto exchanges offering staking services.In an April 7 announcement, the SFC announced new guidelines for crypto exchanges offering staking services and locally authorized funds exposed to digital assets involved in staking. The announcement follows recent remarks from Christina Choi, the SFC’s executive director of investment products, who said during a speech at the Hong Kong Web3 Festival:“The SFC is committed to supporting Hong Kong’s Web3 journey.”In its announcement, the regulator said it “recognizes the potential benefits of staking in enhancing the security of blockchain networks and allowing investors to earn yields.” Consequently, the latest guidance allows crypto exchanges to provide staking service offerings.Related: Hong Kong investment firm’s shares surge 93% after buying just 1 BitcoinNew rules for staking servicesThe new rules were communicated by the regulator in its latest circular sent to crypto exchanges under its jurisdiction. The SFC requires crypto exchanges to obtain written approval before offering staking services, retain control over staked virtual assets and not delegate custody to third parties.Cryptocurrency exchanges engaged in staking must disclose all relevant risks and details concerning fees, minimum lock-up periods, unstaking processes, outage processes and custodial arrangements to their customers. Lastly, the providers must report on their staking activities to the SFC.A similar circular was sent to SFC-regulated crypto fund operators, with the new rules being relevant to funds with more than 10% of their net asset value invested directly or indirectly in digital assets. Funds can only acquire virtual assets that are also directly available to the local public and rely on SFC-authorized platforms. Leveraged exposure is prohibited.Funds can engage in staking if it is consistent with the fund’s objectives, while providing clear disclosure and robust controls. An investor notice and possibly shareholder approval may be required if staking implementation leads to material strategy or risk profile changes.Hong Kong bets on Web3During her recent speech, SFC’s Choi recognized that the Web3 space is still evolving and that “its full benefits will unfold in time, likely with twists and turns.” She cited the speculative industry of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as a cautionary tale that justifies caution in the current regulatory approach:“Therefore, rather than chasing every new spark, we believe in a pragmatic approach — strengthening the fundamentals and fostering a supportive ecosystem where Web3 can thrive in a sustainable manner.“Related: Hong Kong remains an ‘open and vibrant market’ for crypto, says financial secretaryThe official’s comments follow recent reports that cryptocurrency exchange Bybit announced the shutdown of its NFT marketplace as the market is running out of steam. The decision follows a similar decision by major NFT marketplace X2Y2 announced in late March.The non-fungible token market is seeing a significant downturn. Daily NFT trading volume was over $18 million 364 days ago before Bybit’s announcements and stood at $5.34 million when the decision to shut down the platform was made public — a 70% fall.When arguing why Web3 companies should choose Hong Kong as their headquarters, Choi pointed out that Hong Kong ranks third in the Global Financial Centres Index. Furthermore, local regulators have set clear guidelines for crypto industry firms, and Hong Kong provides easy access to Asian markets.Global Financial Centres Index top 10. Source: LongFinanceIn her closing statements, Choi said, “We stand today at the crossroads where traditional finance and the digital economy are converging to drive promising outcomes for our financial markets.” She added:“The zero-to-one breakthrough has been made, and its future success would very much depend on how we nurture this convergence, that is, how we go from one to 100.“Her statements echo Hong Kong’s financial technology sector, which has seen 250% growth since 2022. The SFC recently introduced a new roadmap to position the city as a global cryptocurrency hub.The “ASPIRe” roadmap hopes to future-proof the local virtual asset ecosystem. It involves 12 initiatives spread across five broad categories, which include providing market access, optimizing compliance and frameworks and improving blockchain efficiency. Magazine: Korea to lift corporate crypto ban, beware crypto mining HDs: Asia Express

Stablecoins are the single best tool for the United States government to maintain the US dollar’s hegemony in global financial markets, according to LayerZero Labs CEO and founder Bryan Pellegrino.In an interview with Cointelegraph, the CEO of LayerZero Labs, which created the LayerZero interoperability protocol recently chosen by Wyoming to be the distribution partner for the Wyoming stablecoin, said that the cross-border accessibility of dollar-pegged tokens makes them an obvious choice to drive US dollar demand. Pellegrino added:”Stablecoins for the US dollar are the single best tool — the last Trojan Horse or vampire attack on every single other currency in the world — whether it is Argentina, whether it is Venezuela, whether it is all of the countries that have massive inflation.”The CEO said he expects support for stablecoins on both the federal and state levels to grow because of the obvious boost stablecoins give to the US dollar in foreign exchange markets and the financial moat stablecoin-driven demand will create around the US dollar’s global reserve currency status.Stablecoin market overview. Source: RWA.XYZRelated: Certain stablecoins aren’t securities, SEC says in new guidanceUS government looks to stablecoins to protect US dollarPellegrino cited Tether’s emerging role as one of the largest buyers of US Treasury bills in the world as evidence of the demand for US debt instruments from stablecoin issuers.Tether recently became the seventh-largest holder of US Treasuries, beating out Canada, Germany, Norway, Hong Kong, and Saudi Arabia.Speaking at the White House Crypto Summit on March 7, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Trump administration would leverage stablecoins to extend US dollar hegemony and indicated this would be a top priority for officials in 2025.According to a 2023 report from Chainalysis, over 50% of all the digital asset value transferred to countries in the Latin American region, including Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, and Venezuela was denominated in stablecoins.The low transaction fees, relative stability, and near-instant settlement times for dollar-pegged stablecoins make these real-world tokenized assets ideal for remittances and stores of value for residents in developing countries suffering from high inflation and capital controls.Magazine: Bitcoin payments are being undermined by centralized stablecoins

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) will likely see a reduced role in crypto regulations as other federal agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and state-level regulators assume a bigger role in crypto policy, according to Ethan Ostroff, partner at the Troutman Pepper Locke law firm.”I think with the current administration, my sense is, we are highly likely to see a significant pullback by the CFPB in the context of the activity by other regulators,” Ostroff told Cointelegraph in an interview.State regulators also have the authority under the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) to assume some of the regulatory roles of the CFPB, the attorney said but also added that some regulatory functions will continue to fall within the purview of the CFPB as a matter of established law.Ostroff cited the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) and the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) as regulators to keep an eye on as potential leaders of crypto regulations at the state level.However, the attorney clarified that while the CFPB may see a diminished role during the Trump administration, the agency would not be outright dismantled during the current regime due to “statutorily mandated obligations and requirements” that require acts of Congress to change.Related: Elon Musk’s ‘government efficiency’ team turns its sights to SEC — ReportTrump administration targets CFPB in efficiency pushThe Trump administration targeted the CFPB as part of a broader push by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to slash government spending and reduce the federal debt.Russell Vought, the recently appointed head of the CFPB, announced major funding cuts to the agency and scaled back operations within days of assuming the helm at the CFPB in February 2025.Source: Russell VoughtMassachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized Elon Musk for dismantling the CFPB, which the US senator co-founded back in 2007.Warren characterized Musk as a “bank robber” and claimed that the Trump administration dismantled the CFPB to undo consumer protection rules and have greater control over the financial system.In a February 12 interview with Mother Jones, the senator stressed that the Executive Branch of government does not have the statutory authority to fully dismantle the CFPB, which can only be done through Congressional approval.Magazine: SEC’s U-turn on crypto leaves key questions unanswered