cryptocurrencies

BitMEX, cryptocurrencies, fraud, ICOs

In collaboration with TokenAnalyst, this research article focuses on the treasury balances of the ICO tokens on the Ethereum network. It’s based on tokens where the team controlled holding’s were…

What crypto funds are doing for custody, benchmarks and insurance (premium)

January 18, 2019

Blockchain, Technology

crypto custody, crypto fund, cryptoassets, cryptocurrencies, cryptosecurity, Demelza Hays, incrementum, Liechtenstein

Incrementum is a Liechtenstein-based wealth management firm that’s started a cryptocurrency fund alongside its commodities and inflation-diversifier funds. It entered the cryptocurrency market in 2016, when Demelza Hays, now a…

Japan’s SBI Holdings invests in Swiss crypto and German AI

January 17, 2019

artificial intelligence, Big Data, cloud computing, cryptocurrencies, digital assets, Germany, Japan, SBI Holdings, Switzerland, wefox

SBI Crypto Investment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SBI Holdings, announced an investment in Swiss digital mobile wallet service Breadwinner. The wallet application for virtual currency is provided to 1.8 million…

OTCXN signs up Australian crypto exchange, algo trading firm and broker

January 16, 2019

crypto exchanges, cryptocurrencies, Fractal Wealth, Independent Reserve, OSL, OTCXN

San Francisco-based OTCXN had a slew of announcements this month in signing up crypto market participants to its platform. Independent Reserve, the first regulated and largest cryptocurrency exchange in Australia…

NMR: no bear market for crypto data providers

January 16, 2019

cryptocurrencies, data vendors

While cryptocurrency exchanges, trading firms and investment funds lay off staff in droves, one sector is bucking last year’s savage bear market: data provision and analytics. Several companies involved in…

AI hedge funds up 1.4% in December, Crypto funds down 6% – Eurekahedge

January 15, 2019

artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies, Eurekahedge, hedge funds

Fund managers using AI/machine learning strategies were up 1.52% in November and 1.43% in December, a performance which led the pack of tracked sub-strategies. This ended their streak of losses…

Cointelegraph: Japan regulator targets unregistered crypto firms

January 9, 2019

cryptocurrencies, Financial Services Agency, fraud, Japan

Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) is considering the regulation of unregistered firms that solicit investments in cryptocurrencies. The development is reportedly a bid to close a loophole in the country’s…

“Crypto winter” in full swing – what to know

January 9, 2019

cryptocurrencies, incrementum

Liechtenstein-based alternative investment fund Incrementum has released a report themed on the “crypto winter”: major players are working on infrastructure while authorities are clearing up the debris of the ICO…

Crypto in 2018 infographic – what happened?

January 6, 2019

2018, cryptocurrencies, Luno

It’s been an eventful year in the crypto space: dramatic price changes, forks and shifting market trends. In 2018, cryptocurrency markets continued to show growth in regions across the globe.…

FT: FCA probes and warns dozens of cryptocurrency transacting firms

January 6, 2019

cryptocurrencies, FCA

The UK financial regulator is probing more than a dozen companies in connection with cryptocurrency transactions amid concerns about growing market risks. The Financial Conduct Authority confirmed it was investigating…

Project Syndicate: cryptocurrencies are a bet on dystopian future

December 11, 2018

CBDC, Central Bank Digital Currencies, cryptocurrencies, Ken Rogoff

The right way to think about cryptocurrency coins is as lottery tickets that pay off in a dystopian future where they are used in rogue and failed states, or perhaps…

Autonomous Next: $1 trillion lost in crypto since all-time highs

December 10, 2018

Autonomous Next, blockchain, cryptocurrencies, ICO

Here’s the monthly update on the crypto fundraising figures. Let’s start with some good examples — Trustology raising $8 million in equity from Two Sigma and ConsenSys, and ErisX raising…

Natixis research shows how big data, algos and cryptocurrencies fare for investor trust

December 6, 2018

News and Notes – Fintech, Uncategorized

algorithms, Big Data, cryptocurrencies, Natixis

Natixis Investment Managers surveyed 9,100 investors globally in September 2018, with the goal of understanding their views on the markets, investing and measuring progress toward their financial goals. Investors from…

US Treasury unit OFAC targets bitcoin-using cyberattack ransom middlemen

December 4, 2018

AML, bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, sanctions, US Treasury

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action against two Iran-based individuals, Ali Khorashadizadeh and Mohammad Ghorbaniyan, who helped exchange digital currency (bitcoin) ransom…

Crypto investment means different things for buy- and sell-sides

November 30, 2018

Blockchain, Technology

cryptocurrencies, SIX, Switzerland, UBS

There was a slew of crypto announcements this week that will give institutional investors pause for thought. Some of these seem like trial balloons since the news is coming out…

European crypto exchange Bitstamp signs up for market monitoring

November 28, 2018

Bitstamp, crypto exchanges, cryptocurrencies, Irisum, market monitoring

Irisum and Bitstamp, the largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume in Europe, announced a partnership to implement a monitoring platform. Bitstamp is the first crypto exchange with a payment institution…

BIS chief says crypto and DLT destination should come before the road

November 26, 2018

Bank for International Settlements, blockchain, cryptocurrencies, DLT

Excerpts from speech by Agustín Carstens, general manager, Bank for International Settlements, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore, 15 November 2018 We take a public policy view of…

What the early days of crypto markets are like to trade (Premium)

November 23, 2018

Blockchain, Technology

Battle of the Quants, blockchain, cryptocurrencies, DLT, quants

Fragmented volumes, feeble exchanges, a paucity of data and unreliable, expensive trading are some of the descriptions given by professional traders in the early days of crypto markets. So, why…

SIX hosts world’s first crypto index ETP listing by Amun

November 23, 2018

Amun, cryptocurrencies, ETP, SIX

SIX – which owns and manages the Swiss stock exchange – added fintech Amun as a new exchange-traded product (ETP) issuer to its trading segment. Zug-headquartered Amun was established by…

Informed traders and investors’ information asymmetry is driving cryptocurrency price swings

November 19, 2018

cryptocurrencies, Warwick Business School

New research has found evidence that informed traders and investors’ information asymmetry is driving the huge price swings in cryptocurrencies. Daniele Bianchi and Alexander Dickerson, of Warwick Business School, used…

FXStreet: bitcoin market in turmoil as first Swiss ETP listing approved

November 19, 2018

bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, ETFs, SIX

The bitcoin price opened the week’s trading with declines wiping out $13 billion after a week that saw $26 billion disappear in a 12-hour period. This is happening at a…

ECB exec on the 3C’s of payment dangers: cryptos, cyber and CCPs

November 16, 2018

Benoît Cœuré, CCPs, Central Banks, cryptocurrencies, cybersecurity

Excerpts from speech by Benoît Cœuré, chair of the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI) and member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank, at the Economics…

OTCXN starts digital asset prime brokerage for institutions

November 14, 2018

cryptocurrencies, Custodians, OTCXN, Prime Brokerage

OTCXN, a blockchain-powered capital markets infrastructure company, announced that it has launched its OTC Block Trading venue for crypto trading. Transactions are settled in 250 milliseconds with instant clearing and settlement…

Insurance payments on blockchain trialed by Australian federal agency and bank

November 14, 2018

blockchain, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, cryptocurrencies, CSIRO

A new type of smart money, powered by blockchain, has been successfully trialled by the innovation arm of Australian federal agency CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) and the…

AI and crypto hedge funds continue downward slide

November 13, 2018

artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies, Eurekahedge, hedge funds, machine learning

The bloodbath in October left AI/machine learning hedge funds at a loss, as the Eurekahedge AI Hedge Fund Index slumped 3% over the month – its worst monthly performance ever…

Cinnober to provide trading system for cryptocurrency exchange

November 5, 2018

Bitstamp, Cinnober, cryptocurrencies

Cinnober announced that it has been selected by the cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp to deliver a trading system for cryptocurrencies. Bitstamp is replacing an in-house developed matching engine with Cinnober’s TRADExpress…

Coinsource gets virtual currency license from NY authority

November 1, 2018

bitcoin, Coinsource, cryptocurrencies, NY DFS

New York Department of Financial Services (NY DFS) announced that it’s approved the application of Coinsource for a virtual currency license. Coinsource owns and operates touchscreen kiosks, which allow customers…

NY DFS approves Coinbase for crypto custody

October 24, 2018

Coinbase, crypto custody, cryptocurrencies, NY DFS

The New York Department of Financial Services has authorized Coinbase to offer custody services for six of the largest virtual currencies: Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Ether Classic, XRP and Litecoin.…

Reuters: FATF to set first cryptocurrency rules by June 2019

October 22, 2018

AML, cryptocurrencies, FATF

Financial Action Task Force, the Paris-based global watchdog for money laundering, will set up its first rules on oversight of cryptocurrencies by June, a major step towards creating international standards…

AI hedge funds on track for first year in the red, crypto hedge funds down too

October 18, 2018

artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies, Eurekahedge, hedge funds

Central Bank Digital Currencies, cryptocurrencies, monetary policy, St. Louis Fed, topstory

AI hedge fund managers posted their worst monthly performance on record since 2011, as indicated by the 2.06% decline of the Eurekahedge AI Hedge Fund Index in September. This loss…

A new analysis on the impact of central bank digital currencies to private banks

October 17, 2018

Josh Galper

Blockchain, Central Banks, Cryptocurrency, Regulatory, Technology

A research paper from the St. Louis Federal Reserve investigates how a central bank digital currency would impact private banks, but along the way gets to the heart of a…

Financial News: Barclays halts work on cryptocurrency trading project

October 15, 2018

Barclays, cryptocurrencies

Barclays has halted work on a cryptocurrency trading project including what IT infrastructure is needed, according to sources familiar with the situation speaking to Financial News, in the latest twist…

Bloomberg: crypto pits economists against engineers

October 13, 2018

blockchain, cryptocurrencies, Ethereum, Roubini, Senate Banking Committee

Economist Nouriel Roubini, nicknamed Dr. Doom for predicting the most recent global financial crisis, has crossed swords with cryptocurrency guru and Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin. In the epic battle of…

AI and crypto hedge funds down in September

October 10, 2018

artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies, Eurekahedge, hedge funds

AI hedge fund managers spent another month in the red, as represented by the Eurekahedge AI Hedge Fund Index which was down 2.63% in September, and 5.21% year-to-date. The Eurekahedge…

Turkey’s financial regulator washes hands of regulating crypto, warns investors

October 4, 2018

blockchain, cryptocurrencies, Regulation, Turkey

The Capital Markets Board (CMB) issued an announcement in late September addressing the much-disputed status of digital tokens and Initial Coin Offerings (ICO). CMB stated that it does not regulate…

Court finds that CFTC has power to prosecute virtual currency fraud

October 4, 2018

CFTC, cryptocurrencies, fraud

A senior judge at a US District Court has entered an order holding that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has the power to prosecute fraud involving virtual currency. The…

BoC’s Lane on crypto regulations and central bank issuance

October 2, 2018

Bank of Canada, Central Bank Digital Currencies, cryptocurrencies, Regulation

Excerpts from speech by Timothy Lane, deputy governor, Bank of Canada, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary, October 1, 2018 The newness of crypto products and the fact that they claim…

Bloomberg: institutional investors and miners are creating an OTC crypto market

October 2, 2018

cryptocurrencies, hedge funds

Hedge funds and miners are shifting sales to over-the-counter trading in what is a departure from peer-to-peer crypto tradition, writes Bloomberg in a recent article. And institutional investors are becoming…

Malta announces highly anticipated crypto laws in effect Nov 1

September 29, 2018

blockchain, cryptocurrencies, Malta

The Maltese Government has published the long-awaited legal notices establishing the 1st November 2018 as the date on which the Virtual Financial Assets (VFA) Act and the Innovative Technology Arrangements…

Swiss crypto fintech raises CHF100mn to build regulated bank and securities dealer

September 29, 2018

crypto custody, cryptocurrencies, FINMA, SEBA, Switzerland

SEBA Crypto has secured CHF100 million to ignite its vision to build a regulated bank to bridge the gap between the crypto and traditional financial economies. The crytpo fintech startup’s…

SEC and CFTC charge bitcoin-funded securities dealer and CEO

September 27, 2018

1Broker, bitcoin, CFTC, cryptocurrencies, fraud, Securities and Exchange Commission

central bank digital currency, cryptocurrencies, ECB

The Securities and Exchange Commission filed charges against an international securities dealer and its Austria-based CEO for allegedly violating the federal securities laws in connection with security-based swaps funded with…

ECB Draghi’s letter to EU Parliamentarian says no central bank digital bank cryptocurrency for now

September 21, 2018

Josh Galper

News and Notes

Frankfurt am Main, 12 September 2018 L/MD/18/306 Honourable Member of the European Parliament, dear Mr Fernández, Thank you for your letter, which was passed on to me by Mr Roberto…

Cyber threat watchdog raises alarm on illicit cryptocurrency mining

September 20, 2018

cryptocurrencies, cyber threat alliance, cybersecurity, fraud

The threat of illicit cryptocurrency mining represents an increasingly common cybersecurity risk for enterprises and individuals, with mining detections increasing 459 percent between 2017 to 2018. As the values of…

NY AG report on cryptocurrency markets identifies conflicts of interest, no customer protection

September 20, 2018

cryptocurrencies, NY AG

The New York State Office of the Attorney General (OAG) launched the Virtual Markets Integrity Initiative to protect and inform New York residents who trade in virtual or “crypto” currency.…

UK Treasury committee says “Wild West” cryptoassets should be regulated

September 19, 2018

Bank of England, cryptocurrencies, FCA, UK Treasury

The UK’s Treasury Committee published a unanimously-agreed report on crypto-assets for its Digital Currencies inquiry. The Treasury Committee provides oversight of public bodies such as the UK’s finance ministry, as…

Overstock will sell bitcoin on retail site using Bitsy

September 17, 2018

cryptocurrencies, Overstock

Medici Ventures, a subsidiary of Overstock, announced that its portfolio company Bitsy has commenced the limited beta launch of a digital wallet service that creates a “bridge” between traditional fiat…

CCN: SEC charges blockchain company heads with $27mn pump-and-dump

September 12, 2018

blockchain, cryptocurrencies, fraud, Securities and Exchange Commission

Two of the blockchain hype bubble’s flagship companies now find themselves with new captains at their respective helms, after their CEOs stepped down days after being charged by US regulators…

AI and crypto hedge funds down in August

September 12, 2018

artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies, Eurekahedge, hedge funds