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Showing posts with the label united kingdom

UK’s FCA to authorize overseas stablecoin providers

The UK government has rolled out proposals on how to regulate fiat-backed stablecoins. Crypto companies that want to offer services with overseas stablecoins like Tether (USDT) in the UK must get permission from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). According to the update on plans for regulating fiat-backed stablecoins, fiat-backed stablecoins issued in or from the UK by authorized persons will be permitted for use in the country. The government also said it “wishes to accommodate” overseas fiat-backed stablecoins for goods and services but insisted that brokers or payment providers willing to work with these stablecoins will still have to be authorized by the FCA. You might also like: UK politician calls on FCA to be less aggressive on crypto ads Under the proposed update on the legislation, the FCA will also be able to rule the issuance and custody of fiat-backed stablecoins issued in or from the UK. Those stablecoins not backed by fiat “will still...

Standard Chartered-owned crypto platform Zodia launches in Hong Kong

Demand for crypto in Hong Kong is mainly driven by institutional investors rather than retail customers, Zodia CEO said. Zodia, the institutional cryptocurrency custody platform co-owned by British banking giant Standard Chartered, Japanese SBI Holdings and the financial firm Northern Trust, is expanding its services to Hong Kong. Zodia Custody is launching services in Hong Kong in response to growing demand for crypto from institutions, Zodia CEO Julian Sawyer said, according to a CNBC report on Oct. 29. According to Sawyer, the crypto demand in Hong Kong is mainly driven by institutional investors rather than retail customers, ideally matching Zodia’s crypto custody offering. He also mentioned that Hong Kong’s stance on crypto aligns with Zodia’s ambitions as the local government “sees digital assets as the future and also wants Hong Kong to be a hub.” Zodia’s launch in Hong Kong comes as the firm aggressively scales operations in Asia, opening services in Japan, Singapore and Austr...

1 in 4 investment firms assign senior execs to digital assets: Report

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One-quarter of asset managers and hedge funds in the US and Europe have recruited senior executives to oversee digital asset strategies, according to a recent report. Based on the findings of a market intelligence firm, an increasing number of investment firms in the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe are appointing senior executives to lead digital asset investment strategies. According to a recent Amberdata report titled 'Digital Assets: Managers' Data Infrastructure Fuel,' 24% of asset management firms have adopted a digital assets strategy, with an extra 13% planning to do so in the next two years. “These roles are being staffed up, with almost a quarter of firms with a senior role dedicated to digital assets, reflecting seriousness about implementation as well as senior management buy-in.” Organizations with a senior role dedicated to dedicated asset strategy implementation. Source: Amberdata The report surveyed 60 investment professionals across the United St...

UK FCA unveils guidelines for crypto operators ahead of ‘Travel Rule’ enforcement

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From Sep. 1, 2023, crypto businesses in the UK will be legally required to collect, verify, and share transfer information, under the so-called “Travel Rule.” This directive, endorsed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), seeks to standardize procedures across crypto entities involved in sending and receiving transactions. Under FAFT guidelines, crypto operators must identify the senders and recipients involved in funds transfers. While these more stringent anti-money laundering measures are at various stages of implementation globally, the UK is set to introduce even more rigorous regulations, including restrictions on advertising. Companies like PayPal have already ceased their crypto operations due to these impending rules. You might also like: UK FCA to introduce permanent digital sandbox for technology startups In the context of this announcement, companies have to take all reasonable actions and demonstrate their commitment to ensuring full compliance ...

NatWest bank puts $6K monthly limit to crypto exchange payments

NatWest’s head of fraud protection emphasized the importance of self-custody in crypto amid the bank imposing new crypto restrictions. NatWest, a retail and commercial bank in the United Kingdom, is taking measures to protect customers from potential crypto losses amid Bitcoin (BTC) hitting multi-month highs. On March 14, NatWest introduced major restrictions on payments to cryptocurrency exchanges, imposing daily and monthly caps for such transactions. According to an announcement shared with Cointelegraph, NatWest has set a 1,000 British pounds ($1,216) limit for daily transactions involving crypto exchanges. The bank has also imposed a 30-day payment limit of 5,000 GBP ($6,080). The latest restrictions by NatWest aim to help protect customers from losing “life changing sums of money,” the bank said, adding that crypto investments are risky due to a significant amount of scams in the industry. “We have seen an increase in the number of Scams using crypto currency exchange s and we ...