Analysis and Insight in Blockchain Law
Please join Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP for a webinar:
Intellectual Property and the Blockchain, Part 1
Tuesday, April 26, 2022
12:30 pm ET
It is well-known that a trademark is a word, name, symbol, design, or phrase used to identify and distinguish a product…
On March 8, 2022, President Biden issued an Executive Order prohibiting the importation of Russian-origin oil, liquified natural gas, and coal into the United States and prohibiting US persons from making new investments in Russia’s energy sector. On March 9, 2022, President Biden issued an Executive Order directing US government agencies to study and report on cryptocurrencies and other digital assets and consider, among other things, the use of digital assets to circumvent US sanctions.
Continue Reading US Sanctions Target Russia’s Energy Sector and Ban Imports of Russian Oil, LNG, and Coal as Enforcement Efforts Increase and Agencies Consider Cryptocurrency and Other Digital Assets
On January 20, 2022, the Federal Reserve Board published a discussion paper on the potential for a US central bank digital currency, or CBDC. Entitled “Money and Payments: The U.S. Dollar in the Age of Digital Transformation,” the paper provides further insight into the public policy concerns guiding the Fed as it deliberates whether to adopt a US CBDC.
Continue Reading Federal Reserve Publishes Discussion Paper on CBDC
On November 15, 2021, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which significantly expands tax information reporting for certain cryptocurrency transactions. The Infrastructure Bill includes an information reporting requirement for cryptocurrency asset exchanges and custodians on an IRS Form 1099, and an information reporting requirement for certain persons who accept large payments in cryptocurrency in such person’s trade or business on an IRS Form 8300.
Continue Reading New Cryptocurrency Information Reporting Regime Required on Form 1099 and Form 8300
On December 1, 2021, Freddie Mac published Bulletin 2021-36 for Freddie Mac sellers to provide updated guidance on eligibility criteria for qualifying mortgages. Freddie Mac publishes such bulletins on a regular basis for loan originators who wish to resell mortgages to Freddie Mac, and Bulletin 2021-36 covers a number of routine topics such as 2022 conforming loan limits, certain credit underwriting criteria and document custody. The bulletin is notable, however, because it specifically addresses requirements related to cryptocurrency’s use in the mortgage qualification process.
Continue Reading Freddie Mac Addresses Cryptocurrency in Mortgage Lending Criteria
On November 23, 2021, the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs sent a series of letters to prominent stablecoin issuers and cryptocurrency exchanges. Citing the recent President’s Working Group on Financial Markets report on stablecoins, the letters seek to clarify basic operational features of various stablecoins which the Committee believes is critical to improving its understanding of digital assets.
Continue Reading Senate Banking Committee Probes Stablecoins
On 25 October 2021, the Dubai Financial Services Authority, the regulatory body of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), announced that it implemented a regulatory framework for investment tokens issued or traded within the DIFC, which follows from the Consultation Paper No. 138 (Regulation of Security Tokens) it issued earlier in March this year.
Continue Reading Dubai Financial Services Authority Recently Launched Its Framework for Regulating Digital Assets
On November 1, 2021, the President’s Working Group released a long-awaited report on stablecoins. The Report outlines a number of significant legislative recommendations for Congress to consider as well as a number of interim measures that agencies should adopt under their existing authorities to protect against prudential risks in the near-term.
Continue Reading President’s Working Group Releases Report on Stablecoins
On October 15, 2021, the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued “Sanctions Compliance Guidance for the Virtual Currency Industry” and related updated FAQs.
Continue Reading OFAC Continues to Emphasize Regulatory Focus on Virtual Currency Regulation Through Its Sanctions Programs
A recent dispute over trademark ownership to the name of meme-fueled Dogecoin highlights the importance of trademark rights in the ever-growing world of cryptocurrencies.
Continue Reading Timely Trademarks Are Important to Crypto: Dogecoin Disputes Illustrate Potential Naming Issues
