Japan’s Crypto Industry to Launch “Self-Regulation” of Stablecoins

JVCEA‘s role has been formally recognized by Japan’s top financial regulatory body, the Financial Services Agency (FSA). According to Japanese news outlets CoinPost and Nikkei, JVCEA will collaborate with the FSA to handle regulatory-related matters.  The association already oversees Japans crypto exchange industry, addressing issues like token listing agreements. Previously focused on “crypto exchange business and crypto-related derivatives trading firms,” JVCEA will now expand its regulatory scope to include the “electronic payment tools trading industry.”

2024-11-06Deep Dive

Russia Establishes Legal Framework and Standards for Crypto Mining

The Russian government‘s introduction of this framework follows the implementation of a law signed by President Putin in August, just before these rules took effect. This legislation officially designates cryptocurrency mining as a legal activity in Russia, setting safety and operational standards for miners and creating a structure for trading digital financial assets on specially approved platforms. The framework aims to bring clarity and oversight to Russia’s growing crypto industry amid increasing energy demands and concerns over illegal mining activities.  Under the new regulations, only registered organizations and individual entrepreneurs are allowed to legally conduct crypto mining. Russian individuals not formally registered as entrepreneurs can also mine, provided their monthly electricity consumption does not exceed 6,000 kWh. If they exceed this limit, they must register as entrepreneurs to continue their mining activities. This approach ensures smaller, individual mining operations remain viable while imposing stricter requirements on larger, potentially commercial ventures.  The framework also details reporting obligations for miners, requiring them to disclose the total digital currency output and provide transaction address identifiers to the Federal Tax Service (FTS). While these details are accessible only to law enforcement, this ensures oversight while maintaining a degree of privacy. Additionally, miners are required to ensure

2024-11-06Deep Dive

What Impact Will the U.S. Presidential Election Have on the Crypto Industry?

As attention centers on the U.S. election, the influence of this election goes far beyond America‘s borders. Being the world’s largest economy, the elections results set the direction for U.S. policies over the next four years, which will impact global economies, international relations, climate policies, military dynamics, and technological advancements.  For the crypto industry, the election holds significant implications, particularly in areas such as regulatory uncertainty, market sentiment, investor confidence, tax policy changes, financial institutions stances, and the progression of blockchain and crypto technologies. As the election approaches, the crypto market is already positioning itself based on potential outcomes.   WikiBit has outlined the main election-related information and potential market trends.Key Dates  The U.S. presidential election will take place on November 5, 2024. Voting stations open and close at different times across states due to time zone and state regulations, with most stations closing between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Currently, the election is in its voting phase.  According to Reuters, the election results may take days to tally, with the final result expected by noon on November 6. However, complete confirmation may take longer, depending on the closeness of the race and counting progress across states. For instance, due to high numbers of

2024-11-05Deep Dive

This Week's Noteworthy Events(Nov 1, 2024–Nov 10, 2024)

Token Unlocks  • Delysium (AGI) will unlock approximately 8.57 million tokens at 00:00 UTC on November 5, making up 0.71% of the circulating supply, valued at approximately $1.4 million.  • Ethena (ENA) will unlock approximately 12.86 million tokens at 09:00 UTC on November 6, making up 0.45% of the circulating supply, valued at approximately $4.5 million.  • Eigenlayer (EIGEN) will unlock approximately 1.29 million tokens at 19:00 UTC on November 5, making up 0.69% of the circulating supply, valued at approximately $3.1 million.  • Cetus Protocol (CETUS) will unlock approximately 8.3 million tokens at 00:00 UTC on November 6, making up 2.61% of the circulating supply, valued at approximately $1.5 million.  • Heroes of Mavia (MAVIA) will unlock approximately 1.15 million tokens at 00:00 UTC on November 6, making up 3.64% of the circulating supply, valued at approximately $1.3 million.  • Neon (NEON) will unlock approximately 53.91 million tokens at 00:00 UTC on November 7, making up 44.92% of the circulating supply, valued at approximately $21.2 million.  • GoGoPool (GGP) will unlock approximately 840,000 tokens at 00:00 UTC on November 7, making up 11.79% of the circulating supply, valued at approximately $3.7 million.  • Hashflow (HFT) will unlock approximately 13.62 million tokens at 00:00 UTC on November 7,

2024-11-04Deep Dive

Russia to Lift Bitcoin Mining Ban on November 1

Russia is set to lift its Bitcoin mining ban on November 1, 2024, but this comes with new regulatory requirements. All Bitcoin miners will need to register with Russias Federal Tax Registry and provide details of their equipment models and wallet addresses for government monitoring. This ban, initially imposed in early 2022, primarily targeted large-scale Bitcoin mining operations in Russia, particularly in areas with low electricity costs. The ban aimed to prevent excessive energy consumption and reduce grid strain, especially in economically weaker or energy-scarce regions.Why is Russia Lifting the Mining Ban?  In mid-October, at the BRICS Business Forum in Moscow, Russia‘s sovereign wealth fund partnered with data center operator BitRiver to establish Bitcoin mining and AI computing facilities within BRICS countries. These regions often have limited IT infrastructure but abundant unused electricity resources. By leveraging Bitcoin mining, Russia can effectively utilize this surplus energy, modernizing infrastructure in these countries while generating economic revenue. This dual-purpose approach not only extends Russia’s international influence but also provides a direct income boost to its treasury.  Geopolitical factors are another reason for lifting the ban. Many countries globally are concerned about U.S. fiscal policies and are looking for ways to bypass them. As highlighted by

2024-11-01Deep Dive

South Korea Plans to Impose Reporting Mandate for Cross-Border Crypto Transactions

South Korea plans to ramp up regulation over cross-border transactions using cryptocurrencies to curb foreign exchange crime involving digital assets, the countrys Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok announced at a G20 meeting in Washington on Thursday, according to South Korean news reports.  Choi said that businesses that handle “cross-border transactions” of stablecoins and other cryptocurrencies will be required to pre-register with the authorities, as well as report details of such transactions to the Bank of Korea on a monthly basis, Edaily reported.   The reported transaction data will be monitored by South Koreas tax, customs, financial and international finance regulatory bodies to track illegal transactions and use for research.   According to the Korea Customs Service, around 88% of foreign exchange crimes, valued at 1.65 trillion won ($1.2 billion), had been involved with cryptocurrencies. Such crimes include illegal arbitrage and money laundering.  To establish the legal basis for the planned new mandates, Choi reportedly said that the ministry will amend the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act to define “virtual assets” and “virtual asset business operators” in a new category, separate from foreign exchange, means of overseas payment, or capital transactions.  The minister said he expects the legal revisions to be finalized by the first

2024-10-29Deep Dive

Denmark Plans to Propose Taxing Unrealized Crypto Gains in Upcoming Bill

Denmarks Tax Law Council said Wednesday in a translated statement that its recommendations “aim to eliminate the asymmetry in the taxation of gains and losses.” This means that crypto investors would be taxed on unrealized crypto gains or losses if the rules take effect.   “The so-called mark-to-market taxation is treated as capital income and involves continuous taxation, regardless of whether the crypto assets are sold,” the council said. Mark-to-market taxation typically refers to taxes levied on the annual changes in the value of certain assets.  The Tax Law Council explained that taxation has been a challenge due to the nature of crypto assets, “which are not centrally regulated by entities such as a government or central bank.” The council recommended that the new tax regulations should take effect no earlier than Jan. 1, 2026.  At the beginning of 2025, the Minister of Taxation plans to introduce a bill that incorporates the recommendations from the council. The bill is expected to include a requirement for crypto service providers to report information about their clients crypto asset transactions.  Mads Eberhardt, a senior crypto analyst of Steno Research, wrote on X that the tax on unrealized capital gains would likely be 42%.  “This will affect not only

2024-10-29Deep Dive

Stablecoin Project Essence on Scroll Rugged, CHI Plummets 97.78%

The decentralized stablecoin project Essence Finance, built on the Scroll ecosystem, has experienced a rug pull. Its USD-pegged stablecoin CHI has dropped 97.78%, currently priced at 0.0022917 USDC. Collateral worth over $20 million is suspected to have been withdrawn. The projects last tweet was posted on September 11.  

2024-10-29Deep Dive

Truth Terminal Founder’s X Account Hacked, Fake Token Market Cap Reaches $25 Million

A day ago, Truth Terminal founder Andy Ayrey posted on social media, hinting at upcoming actions. What drew attention was that the post seemed to suggest a new token launch, which Andy Ayrey himself later confirmed.  However, it was all part of a hacker‘s plot. Andy Ayrey’s account later shared a message claiming to have launched a project called $IB, along with the tokens contract address.  According to the contract details, the tokens market cap surged to $25 million at its peak, and the hacker profited over $600,000 by selling the tokens. After several key opinion leaders (KOLs) reached out to Andy Ayrey and confirmed that his account had been hacked, the price of $IB plummeted.Why does Andy Ayrey have such a significant influence?  Truth Terminal is a project founded by AI researcher Andy Ayrey, initially promoted as an artificial intelligence experiment. It quickly gained traction in the cryptocurrency space by combining meme culture, blockchain technology, and social media. Truth Terminal‘s main driver of success was the promotion of a meme coin called “GOAT”, based on the Solana blockchain. Through its unique humor and meme-driven strategy, it captured the attention of the crypto community. The project sparked a meme coin craze, pushing GOAT’s

2024-10-29Deep Dive

This Week's Noteworthy Events(Oct 28, 2024-Nov 3, 2024)

Token Unlocking  SingularityNET (AGIX) will unlock approximately 8.07 million tokens at 00:00 UTC on October 28, with a proportion of 2.11% of the current circulating supply, valued at approximately $4.3 million.  Velo (VELO) is scheduled to unlock approximately 182 million tokens at 00:00 UTC on October 29, with a proportion of 2.47% of the current circulating supply, valued at approximately $2.3 million.  Celestia (TIA) is set to unlock approximately 175.6 million tokens at 14:00 UTC on October 30, with a proportion of 79.75% of the current circulating supply, valued at approximately $941 million.  Ethena (ENA) will unlock approximately 12.86 million tokens at 07:00 UTC on October 30, with a proportion of 0.47% of the current circulating supply, valued at approximately $4.5 million.  Eigenlayer (EIGEN) will unlock approximately 1.29 million tokens at 19:00 UTC on October 29, with a proportion of 0.69% of the current circulating supply, valued at approximately $3.8 million.  Optimism (OP) will unlock approximately 31.34 million tokens at 00:00 UTC on October 31, with a proportion of 2.50% of the current circulating supply, valued at approximately $49.5 million.  Tribal Token (TRIBL) will unlock approximately 22.07 million tokens at 00:00 UTC on October 31, with a proportion of 19.06% of the current circulating supply, valued at

2024-10-28Deep Dive
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