The SEC and ShapeShift have settled charges for operating an unregistered exchange and listing cryptocurrencies the SEC deemed securities.

Coinbase, America's largest cryptocurrency exchange, recently met with the SEC to discuss Grayscale's proposed Ethereum ETF. Conversion of Grayscale's Ethereum Trust into a spot ETH ETF would allow investors to access spot Ethereum exposure directly through their normal brokerage accounts. According to documents filed with the regulator, the presentation covered possible market manipulation and described Ethereum as resilient to fraud and manipulation.

OKX, the world's fourth largest cryptocurrency exchange, is discontinuing its support for Tether trading pairs in the European Economic Area. This move comes ahead of the EU's implementation of the Markets in Crypto-Assets law, which restricts the use of certain stablecoins. OKX also plans to roll out new product offerings and Euro fiat onramps for EEA customers.

A Utah court sanctioned the SEC for abuse of power and undermining judicial integrity, highlighting the impact on taxpayers for the Commission's litigation misconduct.

A US District Judge has ruled that the SEC’s securities lawsuit against Coinbase can proceed, despite the firm’s attempt at getting a dismissal. This decision implies that cryptocurrency transactions could fall under the SEC's jurisdiction, despite Coinbase's objections. The judge dismissed claims against Coinbase's Wallet product, stating the SEC has failed to prove that it acts as a 'broker'.

President Joe Biden has signed into law a bill that orders TikTok owner ByteDance to sell the company within 270 days or lose access to the US market. Biden can extend the deadline by up to 90 days if a sale is in progress. If ByteDance doesn't sell TikTok, app stores in the US will have to drop the app and internet hosting services will be prohibited from providing services that enable distribution of TikTok in the US. ByteDance will file a lawsuit to attempt to block the law.

Beribit clients have occupied the Russian crypto exchange's offices, demanding their funds amidst a financial discrepancy audit. Russian Duma is considering a bill that would ban crypto exchanges but allow transactions and mining by registered firms. This legislative move is being challenged as it could potentially affect national security interests due to cryptocurrencies' role in bypassing sanctions.

zkSNACKs, the company behind Wasabi Wallet, has prohibited users in the U.S. from accessing its products, likely because of regulatory concerns highlighted by recent arrests related to crypto privacy (e.g., Samourai wallet).

Robinhood received a Wells Notice from the SEC indicating the SEC will proceed with civil enforcement despite meeting with the SEC 16 times to discuss registering as a special purpose broker-dealer for crypto assets. Vlad Tenev, Robinhood's CEO, criticized the SEC's approach as "regulation by enforcement" and emphasized the importance of defending both Robinhood's position and customer's right to access crypto.

Beginning on June 30, Binance will implement phased restrictions on "Unauthorized Stablecoins" for European Economic Area (EEA) users to comply with new MiCA stablecoin regulations. Binance will transition these users towards "Regulated Stablecoins" as they become available to ensure compliance and to minimize market disruption.

David Hirsch has departed from his role as the SEC's Head of Crypto Asset and Cyber Unit in the Division of Enforcement. He spent nine years with the agency. Ladan Stewart, who brought cases against Ripple and Coinbase for the SEC, left earlier this year.

The SEC has ended its investigation into Ethereum 2.0, which Consensys believes confirms that ETH sales are not considered securities transactions. This decision comes after a request from Consensys to clarify whether ETH is considered a commodity.

Ethereum ETF issuers are responding to the SEC's feedback on their S-1 forms to address comments by the end of this week. This process typically involves iterative feedback from the SEC before eventual approval for trading.

According to Pantera Capital analysts, Biden's veto of the pro-crypto SAB121 is due to his reluctance to oppose the SEC and Gary Gensler, whom he appointed.

The European Commission has opened an investigation into Apple's support for alternative iOS marketplaces in Europe. The investigation is focused on Apple's Core Technology Fee, the multistep process required for users to install third-party marketplaces, and Apple's eligibility requirements for developers. Regulators say that Apple's App Store 'steering' policies violate the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA). Apple is the first company to be charged under the DMA rules - it can respond to the European Conformation's preliminary assessment ahead of its final ruling before March 2025. Apple could be fined up to 10% of its annual global revenue for infringement.

The SEC has concluded its investigation into stablecoin issuer Paxos, officially determining that Binance's BUSD stablecoin is not a security.

The European Commission's relentless regulation of the internet and big tech companies is getting to the point of regulatory overreach that creates poor user experiences.

The SEC has terminated its investigation on the Stacks blockchain and parent company Hiro and will not pursue legal action. Stacks performed the first SEC-qualified token offering in 2019, initially classifying its token as securities before transitioning to a decentralized network.

Meta will withhold its next multimodal AI model from customers in the EU because of a lack of clarity from regulators. Apple has also said it won't release its Apple Intelligence features in Europe because of similar concerns. Meta plans to incorporate its new multimodal models in a wide range of products, including smartphones and its Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses. The upcoming larger text-only version of Meta's Llama 3 model will be available in the EU.

Europe's strict tech regulations are causing global firms to withdraw their products and services. Apple's new AI-powered features, including Apple Intelligence, won't be released due to the EU's Digital Markets Act. This isn't new - tech companies have previously exited or limited services, like Meta in Canada and Google News in Spain. Europe's regulatory stance might lead to an outdated tech market.

Crypto executives and top White House officials, including U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo and National Economic Council Director Lael Brainard, met virtually to discuss crypto policy, focusing on regulatory concerns, economic impact, and the upcoming election's implications for the industry. This meeting, unlike the previous one, included senior figures directly responsible for crypto policy, leading to a more productive dialogue on future regulations.

Apple implemented a deceptive dark pattern in iOS to make it harder for users to change their default browser from Safari. This issue was initially reported by Ars Technica and later fixed by Apple, though the specific iOS version containing the fix was not disclosed. Despite solid evidence from multiple sources, Apple recently denied the existence of the issue in a formal response to the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), leading to accusations that the company was potentially misleading regulators.

The Digital Chamber has urged Congress to clarify the legal status of NFTs, advocating for them to be classified as consumer goods rather than securities in response to the SEC's potential regulatory action against OpenSea. This comes after OpenSea received a Wells notice, which suggests the SEC might take enforcement steps, reflecting broader concerns over regulation in the NFT space.

The SEC has filed a proposed amendment complaint against Binance, addressing issues previously dismissed by the court and emphasizing arguments about some cryptos being offered as unregistered securities. The new filing includes more detailed allegations about Binance's role in promoting digital assets, particularly BNB, SOL, ADA, and MATIC, and argues that Binance provides selective information to encourage investment. The SEC also moved away from “crypto asset securities” to emphasize that the associated contracts, not the asset itself, can constitute a security.

The SEC has charged Rari Capital, a DeFi platform, and its founders with misleading investors and engaging in unregistered broker activity, alleging that the platform falsely promoted features of its crypto investment products and conducted unregistered securities offerings. Rari Capital and its successors settled the charges, agreeing to penalties and legal restrictions without admitting or denying the allegations.