• a16z promises FinCEN rule court challenge
    Regulation

    Opposition to FinCEN crypto rule grows after a16z promises court challenge

    The industry plans to fight a proposed regulation requiring U.S. exchanges to collect personal data from private wallet-holders

    Major United States-based crypto exchanges Coinbase and Kraken, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey’s fintech Square, and financial services giant Fidelity are among the firms that recently filed comments with the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network strongly opposing the proposed new rules.

  • Celo mainnet launch
    Cryptocurrencies

    Celo mainnet launch paves way for nearly free cross-border payments

    The social impact-focused foundation driving the ecosystem says the launch enables its Celo Gold staking token to be sent and received

    After two-and-a-half years of development, the Celo Foundation has announced that its mainnet has officially launched. The proof-of-stake blockchain enables stablecoins to be sent to phone numbers instead of blockchain addresses.

  • Levey to lead Libra
    Cryptocurrencies,  People,  Politics

    Stuart Levey to lead Libra Association, comfort critics

    A top HSBC executive and Treasury Department official in charge of financial crimes and sanctions, a big part of the new CEO’s role is to reassure central bankers, regulators, and elected officials

    By hiring Stuart Levey the Facebook-founded Libra Association is announcing that compliance—with central bankers, financial regulators, tax authorities, and criminal and intelligence investigators—will be a prime driver as it moves forward.

  • People,  Technology

    Andreessen Horowitz sets out bold vision for second crypto fund worth $515M

    Transforming archaic payment systems and changing the way creators monetize content appear to be the main things on a16z’s agenda

    Andreessen Horowitz announced today that it has managed to raise $515 million in order to launch its second crypto fund—substantially more than the $450 million it was reportedly aiming for back in mid-April.