The New York Department of Financial Services, or NYDFS, has released a lengthy report analyzing the impact of July’s high-profile Twitter hack, which resulted in the theft of over $118,000 worth of Bitcoin (BTC). Far beyond the immediate material impact, the NYDFS states that the incident exposed deep cybersecurity weaknesses of a publicly-traded social media company valued at $37 billion and counting over 330 million active monthly users. The discovery has serious consequences in light of the platform’s ever-expanding influence on both financial markets and the political sphere. Two key sections of the NYFDS report, published on Oct. 14, tackle …
The Winklewoss twins' crypto exchange Gemini is continuing to consolidate its regulated services for clients in the United Kingdom. On Oct. 12, Gemini announced a partnership with BCB Group — a European crypto-focused payment processor that already works with major platforms such as Coinbase, Bitstamp and Galaxy Digital. BCB Group is focused on institutional payments services and offers business accounts and crypto market liquidity for "crypto-engaged" financial institutions. The Group's core subsidiary was officially approved by the Financial Conduct Authority as an authorized payment institution (API) earlier this year. Collaborating with BCB is intended to provide Gemini's clients in the …
Major American cryptocurrency exchange Gemini is expanding the company’s business in the Asia-Pacific region with a new high-profile hire. Andy Meehan, a former executive at major American investment bank Morgan Stanley, has joined Gemini as chief compliance officer of the APAC region. Announcing the news on Oct. 7, Gemini executives noted that Meehan will work with regulators to promote smart regulations that drive adoption. Formerly head of legal for Morgan Stanley’s global financial crimes division in the APAC, Meehan will now shape strategy, product and operations of Gemini in the region. The new Gemini CCO will be based in Singapore …
Over 45,000 Bitcoin has been withdrawn from BitMEX since the U.S. government levied charges against the exchange and its leadership. October 1 brought two devastating blows to BitMEX. First, the CFTC and DOJ brought charges against the exchange. Shortly thereafter, its founders (including CEO Arthur Hayes), were indicted by the U.S. government. The market reacted to the news with a sharp decline across many of Blockchain's biggest assets. This isn't the first time in recent months that BitMex has contributed to a downward turn. The exchange first began losing the trust of its participants following a blackout on Black Thursday …
Gemini, a cryptocurrency exchange founded by the Winklevoss twins, aims to improve user privacy with a major privacy token, Zcash (ZEC). Starting Sept. 29, Gemini will support shielded withdrawals of ZEC, which allows users to hide their transaction data. Gemini representatives said that the new feature is the “first time shielded ZEC withdrawals are available on a regulated exchange.” The new option comes in line with Gemini’s mission to strengthen financial privacy and “empower the individual through crypto,” Gemini executives said. Launched in 2016, Zcash is a major privacy-focused cryptocurrency, enabling two user privacy levels through two types of addresses …
In a virtual fireside chat with the D.C. Bar, SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce criticized the commission’s long-standing resistance to a Bitcoin ETF. Moderator Ashley Ebersole asked about the SEC’s highly public dissatisfaction with a long series of Bitcoin ETF proposals in the U.S. Peirce, who is often known as "CryptoMom," responded with opposition to those rejects: “I’ve been pretty outspoken about my disagreement with my colleagues on disapproving some of these exchange-traded products.” Bitcoin is not uniquely volatile as a base investment for an exchange-traded fund, Peirce argued. “I would like us to look at how we’ve looked at similar …
Wealthsimple Crypto, the first regulated cryptocurrency exchange in Canada, is rolling out its trading platform to the public today. Starting from Sept. 22, users in all 13 provinces and territories in Canada will be able to sign up for the new product and start trading cryptocurrencies. At the launch, Wealthsimple Crypto will allow users to buy and sell Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) through the platform’s mobile app. Deposits and withdrawals can only be made in Canadian dollars, The public launch of Wealthsimple Crypto comes shortly after the company received regulatory approval from Canadian securities regulators on Aug. 7. To …
Crypto exchange Gemini will begin accepting deposits in PAX Gold (PAXG), Amp (AMP) and Compound (COMP) with trading to start Sept. 15. Gemini will offer US dollar trading pairs for PAXG, AMP, and COMP via its ActiveTrader platform and API connections. The exchange will also offer trading and custody support for 12 cryptos and custody for 13 cryptos. Gemini co-founder Tyler Winklevoss tweeted the addition of PAXG, COMP and AMP shows the exchange’s commitment to DeFi. The #DeFi revolution is upon us. @Gemini is now accepting deposits for $AMP @amptoken, $PAXG @PaxosStandard, and $COMP @compoundfinance. Trading to begin on 9/15! …
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority has granted operational licenses to two cryptocurrency exchanges operating in the country: digital security exchange Archax and the UK branch of the Winklevoss twins’ Gemini exchange. According to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) website, both Archax and Gemini Europe Services are currently registered in the U.K. as crypto asset firms as of Aug. 18 and Aug. 19, respectively. Both crypto exchanges had to meet compliance requirements in terms of a risk assessment of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorism Financing (CTF) regulations which were mandatory as of Jan. 10. Archax said in an Aug. 19 blog …
Gemini, a major cryptocurrency exchange founded by the Winklevoss brothers, has just added support for three new fiat currencies on its platform. According to an official announcement on Aug. 17, Gemini now allows users to trade in the Hong Kong dollar (HKD), the Australian dollar (AUD), and the Canadian dollar (CAD). The three new fiat currencies come in addition to the United States dollar, allowing Gemini users in Hong Kong, Australia, and Canada to buy and sell crypto with native currencies. However, HKD, AUD, and CAD are currently not offered through Gemini’s crypto trading platform known as the Active Trader …
In a major new partnership, Samsung has announced that the Samsung Blockchain Wallet will be integrated with Gemini, a New York-based crypto exchange. This integration will allow owners of newer Samsung Galaxy phones to not only use their devices as cold storage wallets but to buy and sell crypto via the Gemini exchange as well. Samsung is the global leader in the smartphone market, with 298.1 million units shipped and a 21.8% market share in 2019, according to tech analytic firm Canalys. Adding support for Gemini will lower the barrier to entry to cryptocurrency use for millions of people. Previously, …
Coinbase Wallet, a service of the largest crypto exchange in the United States, now supports “.crypto” domains via an integration with blockchain domain provider Unstoppable Domains. Coinbase users can now send payments to each other by simply typing a .crypto domain instead of using long-form cryptographic addresses, Unstoppable Domains told Cointelegraph on Aug. 5. By introducing the new integration, Coinbase Wallet joins major crypto exchange Huobi, which announced a similar feature in late June. Brad Kam, co-founder of Unstoppable Domains, says that Coinbase Wallet is the first platform to offer an “all in one solution” for all cryptocurrencies offered by …