Joanna F. Wasick

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Jury Finds Former NFT Marketplace Manager Guilty of ‘Insider Trading’ Wire Fraud Scheme and Money Laundering

By John J. Carney, Teresa Goody Guillén, Veronica Reynolds, Michelle Tanney and Joanna F. Wasick on May 26, 2023 Posted in Alert

On May 3, 2023, a jury found Nathaniel Chastain, a former manager of OpenSea (a major NFT marketplace), guilty of wire fraud and money laundering in connection with his attempts to conceal his use of confidential business information for his own personal gain. The verdict stems from an indictment brought last year by the U.S. … Continue Reading

Fintech Firms Pursue DeFi, CBDC Initiatives; Blockchain Integrations Announced; IRS Trains Ukraine on Crypto; FATF Voices Crypto AML Concerns

By Robert A. Musiala, Amos Kim, Christopher Lamb and Joanna F. Wasick on May 22, 2023 Posted in Blockchain

In this issue: • Product Integrations and Data Indicate Increased Interest in DeFi• Fintech Firms and BIS Pursue CBDC Initiatives• Blockchain Applications Announced for DAO Voting, Oracles and Data Security• SEC Brings Crypto Fraud Charges, IRS Trains Ukraine on Crypto Investigations• FATF Chief Urges End to ‘Lawless Crypto Space’ Product Integrations and Data Indicate Increased … Continue Reading

ETH Staking Data Published; USDC Transfer Protocol Launches; OFAC Adds Public Keys to SDN List; DOJ Targets Crypto Market Manipulation

By Robert A. Musiala, Joanna F. Wasick, Christopher Lamb and Amos Kim on May 1, 2023 Posted in Blockchain

In this issue: • ETH Staking Data Published, USDC Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol Launches• IRS Modifies 2014 Virtual Currency Guidance• OFAC Adds 20 Cryptocurrency Public Keys to SDN List• DOJ Actions Target Crypto Market Manipulation and Money Laundering ETH Staking Data Published, USDC Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol Launches By Joanna F. Wasick New data reflects that the … Continue Reading

New Crypto and DeFi Products Launch; SEC Charges Crypto Exchange; States Bring Enforcement Actions; Bitcoin Public Key Added to SDN List; Hacks Continue

By Robert A. Musiala, Lauren Bass, Christopher Lamb and Joanna F. Wasick on April 24, 2023 Posted in Uncategorized

In this issue: • European Bank Launches Stablecoin; Financial Firms Expand Crypto Products• Ethereum ‘Unstaking’ Data Published; New DeFi Products Launch• SEC Charges U.S. Crypto Exchange with Multiple Securities Law Violations• States Bring Crypto Enforcement Actions, Assess Supervisory Costs• OFAC Adds New Bitcoin Public Key to SDN List• DeFi Protocol Hacked for $7.4M; Wallet Attack … Continue Reading

U.S. Treasury Dept. Publishes Risk Assessment Addressing Illicit Finance Risks of DeFi

By Robert A. Musiala, Teresa Goody Guillén, Joanna F. Wasick, Kevin Edgar, Adam Gale, Jonathan A. Forman, Veronica Reynolds and Christopher Lamb on April 20, 2023 Posted in Alert

Background and Scope The Assessment was drafted by Treasury’s Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes (“TFFC”), in consultation with multiple U.S. agencies, including the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, and State; the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”); Office of the Comptroller of the Currency; and the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The TFFC also … Continue Reading

CBDC Pilot Announced; Ethereum Upgrade Completed; U.S. Treasury Department Addresses DeFi Risks; Studies Analyze Crypto Taxation, Crime; Hacks Continue

By Robert A. Musiala, Joanna F. Wasick, Keith R. Murphy, Christopher Lamb and Lauren Bass on April 17, 2023 Posted in Blockchain

In this issue: • Montenegro Announces CBDC Pilot, BIS Compares CBDCs to Stablecoins• Ethereum Network Completes ‘Shanghai’ Upgrade• U.S. Treasury Publishes DeFi Risk Assessment; Banque De France Analyzes DeFi• Study Analyzes 2022 Crypto Tax Compliance Across Various Countries• EU Report Analyzes Cryptocurrency Use on Darknet Markets• Hackers Drain Millions from Crypto Exchanges and DeFi Protocol … Continue Reading

U.S. Exchange Closes, Swiss Bank Expands Crypto Offerings; NFA Issues Digital Asset Commodities Rule; Crypto Enforcement Continues; Market Data Published

By Robert A. Musiala, Joanna F. Wasick, Keith R. Murphy and Christopher Lamb on April 10, 2023 Posted in Blockchain

In this issue:• Crypto Exchange Ends U.S. Operations, Swiss Bank to Expand Crypto Offerings• National Futures Association Rule Addresses Digital Asset Commodity Activities• DOJ, Courts and State Securities Regulators Cripple Cryptocurrency Frauds• Cryptocurrency Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Report Published Crypto Exchange Ends U.S. Operations, Swiss Bank to Expand Crypto Offerings By Joanna F. Wasick Late … Continue Reading

New Initiatives Launch in Staking, DeFi, DAOs; IRS Issues NFT Guidance; White House Report Criticizes Crypto; SEC and DOJ Crypto Enforcement Continues

By Robert A. Musiala, Christopher Lamb, Nicholas C. Mowbray, Joanna F. Wasick, Keith R. Murphy and Lauren Bass on March 27, 2023 Posted in Blockchain

In this issue: • Staking Market Launches, ‘Defi Cover’ Data Published, DAO Buys Golf Course• IRS Issues Guidance on Non-Fungible Tokens• Economic Report of the President Criticizes Digital Assets• SEC Charges Crypto Entrepreneur and Celebrities; DOJ Targets Crypto Fraudster• U.S. Crypto Exchange Receives SEC Wells Notice, Publishes Staking Analysis• Moscow Money Mules and Hackers: Digital … Continue Reading

NFTs Used to Serve Complaint; Treasury Official, SEC Chairman Address Crypto Compliance; NYAG Sues Crypto Exchange; DOJ Takes Down Crypto Mixer

By Robert A. Musiala, Christopher Lamb and Joanna F. Wasick on March 20, 2023 Posted in Blockchain

In this issue:• NFT Integration Software Released; NFTs Used to Serve Complaint in Civil Action• US Treasury Official Signals Forthcoming DeFi Illicit Finance Risk Assessment• SEC Chairman Comments on Crypto Activities, NYAG Sues Crypto Exchange• US and International Law Enforcement ‘Takedown’ Crypto Mixing Service• Hackers Use ‘Flash Loan Attack’ to Steal $199 Million from DeFi … Continue Reading

Australia and BIS Address CBDCs; OCC, PCAOB and U.S. Senators Address Crypto Risks; SEC, DOJ and USSS Continue Crypto Enforcement Actions

By Robert A. Musiala, Amos Kim, Keith R. Murphy, Joanna F. Wasick and Lauren Bass on March 13, 2023 Posted in Blockchain

In this issue: • Reserve Bank of Australia and BIS Commence Efforts to Advance CBDCs• Acting Comptroller of the Currency and PCAOB Address Crypto Risks• Binance and Binance.US Face Inquiry from U.S. Senators• SEC and DOJ Continue Enforcement Actions Targeting Crypto Fraud Schemes• Bitcoin ATM Operators Arrested, Charged with Criminal Violations Reserve Bank of Australia … Continue Reading

U.S. District Court Signals That In Certain Cases, NFTs May Qualify as Securities

By Teresa Goody Guillén, Christopher Lamb, Robert A. Musiala, Veronica Reynolds, Michelle Tanney and Joanna F. Wasick on March 9, 2023 Posted in NFTs

Dapper Labs was founded in 2018 shortly after the debut of its first NFT collection, “CryptoKitties,” which was so successful it created a bottleneck of transactions on the decentralized Ethereum Network. Seeking faster transaction throughput, Dapper Labs later launched its own decentralized “Flow Blockchain” and native FLOW token. In 2019, Dapper Labs launched the NBA … Continue Reading

DOJ, CFTC and SEC Bring Separate Actions for the Same Conduct: Alleged Digital Asset Manipulation and Fraud Scheme on Mango Markets Platform

By Teresa Goody Guillén, Joanna F. Wasick, Veronica Reynolds and Sydney Park on March 1, 2023 Posted in Enforcement

Mango Markets is a decentralized cryptocurrency exchange that allows users to purchase and borrow cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency-related financial products. Mango Markets is run by the Mango Decentralized Autonomous Organization (Mango DAO), which has its own crypto token named MNGO. Holders of MNGO tokens can vote on changes to Mango Markets and other issues related to … Continue Reading

PoS Principles Published; Crypto Market Analysis and POC Announced; Court Interprets NFTs Under Howey; SEC, CFTC and DOJ Continue Crypto Enforcement

By Robert A. Musiala, Amos Kim, Christopher Lamb, Keith R. Murphy and Joanna F. Wasick on February 27, 2023 Posted in Blockchain

In this issue:• Proof of Stake Alliance Publishes Analysis, Advocates for Industry Standards• BIS Analyzes Crypto Market Data, Digital Asset PoC and Consultation Announced• U.S. District Court Denies Motion to Dismiss Claims that NFTs Are Securities• SEC and CFTC Actions Pursue Crypto Misrepresentation and Fraud Actions• DOJ and New York State Actions Target Crypto Fraud … Continue Reading

DeFi Protocols Announce Updates; FSB Addresses DeFi Risks; Museum to Host NFT Exhibit; Crypto Enforcement Continues; Crypto Crime Reports Published

By Robert A. Musiala, Christopher Lamb, Joanna F. Wasick and Amos Kim on February 17, 2023 Posted in Blockchain

In this issue: • DeFi Protocols Announce Updates, US Bank Introduces Deposit Token Concept• Financial Stability Board Addresses DeFi Risks in New Report• French Museum to Host NFT Exhibit, New Report Provides 2022 NFT Market Data• SEC Proposes to Expand Scope of Custody Rule to Cover All Crypto Assets• DFS Orders End to BUSD; US, … Continue Reading

Crypto Market Data Published; Digital Assets RFI Issued; BIS Addresses DeFi; NY DFS Issues Crypto Guidance; SEC Brings Crypto Actions; FBI Addresses Hacks

By Amos Kim, Veronica Reynolds, Lauren Bass, Christopher Lamb, Robert A. Musiala, Teresa Goody Guillén and Joanna F. Wasick on January 27, 2023 Posted in Cryptocurrency

In this issue: Reports Address Crypto Ownership, Stablecoins and Dapp Adoption By Amos Kim Recent reports provide new data on various areas of the digital asset market. In one report, a survey published by a cryptocurrency trading platform found “a significant rise in crypto ownership among young women.” Among other things, the survey found that … Continue Reading

US Crypto Exchange Consents to $100M DFS Settlement for AML Compliance Failures

By Jonathan A. Forman, Teresa Goody Guillén, Christopher Lamb, Keith R. Murphy, Robert A. Musiala, Veronica Reynolds and Joanna F. Wasick on January 23, 2023 Posted in Blockchain, Cryptocurrency

On January 4, 2023, the New York State Department of Financial Services (“DFS”) announced that Coinbase, Inc., a major U.S. cryptocurrency exchange, will pay a $50 million penalty and invest an additional $50 million in its compliance function over the next two years to remediate significant violations of the New York Banking Law and the … Continue Reading

Paper Touts DeFi FX Benefits; New Stablecoin Launched; DAO Toolkit Published; BIS Addresses Crypto Risk; SEC, FinCEN, and DOJ Bring Enforcement Actions

By Robert A. Musiala, Teresa Goody Guillén, Christopher Lamb, Amos Kim, Keith R. Murphy and Joanna F. Wasick on January 20, 2023 Posted in Blockchain

In this issue:• Paper Explores Benefits of DeFi for FX; Australian Bank Launches Stablecoin• World Economic Forum Publishes DAO Toolkit; ETH Staking Continues to Grow• New BIS Bulletin and Thailand SEC Regulations Address Digital Asset Risks• SEC Charges U.S. Crypto Lender and Exchange with Securities Law Violations• FinCEN and DOJ Bring Parallel Actions Against Foreign-Based … Continue Reading

Data Published on Crypto Exchange Volume, NFT Royalties, Crypto Crime; Crypto Adoption Continues; DOJ and CFTC Bring Multiple Enforcement Actions

By Robert A. Musiala, Amos Kim, Joanna F. Wasick, Teresa Goody Guillén and Christopher Lamb on January 13, 2023 Posted in Blockchain

In this issue:• New Data Published on 2022 Crypto Exchange Trading Volume, NFT Royalties• Blockchain Development Firm Integrates Avalanche with Major Cloud Provider• Governments of El Salvador and Nigeria Take Steps Toward Crypto Adoption• DOJ Enforcement: NFT Rug Pull, Insider Trading, Crypto Fraud and Theft• CFTC Action Alleges Digital Asset Market Manipulation on DeFi Exchange• … Continue Reading

Crypto Products Launch; NFTs Allowed for Political Fundraising; Bank Regulators Address Crypto Risk; DOJ/SEC Target Crypto Fraud; Scams Continue

By Robert A. Musiala, Christopher Lamb, Keith R. Murphy, Joanna F. Wasick, Amos Kim and Lauren Bass on January 6, 2023 Posted in Blockchain

In this issue:• Crypto Apps Launch New Features, Custody Firm Achieves CCSS Certificate• NFTs Permitted for Political Fund Raising; Analysis Details NFT Wash Trading• US and International Regulators Address Crypto Risk Factors for Banks• Treasury Dept. and IRS Issue Transitional Digital Assets Guidance for Brokers• DOJ and SEC Actions Target Crypto Fraud and Unregistered Securities … Continue Reading

Disclosing Cryptocurrency Risks: SEC Comment Letter Puts Companies On Notice

By Jonathan R. Barr, John J. Carney, Jimmy Fokas, Teresa Goody Guillén, Robert A. Musiala, Joanna F. Wasick and Lauren Bass on December 21, 2022 Posted in Cryptocurrency

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Division of Corporation Finance (CorpFin) recently issued guidance (Guidance), including a “Dear Issuer” Sample Letter (Sample Letter) to assist companies in meeting their statutory disclosure obligations in light of the recent crypto downturn. Read the full Alert.… Continue Reading

Crypto Payment Products, DeFi Networks and Price Indices Launch; CBDC Report and NFT Royalty Data Published; FinCEN, FTC Address Crypto Regulation

By Shade Quailey, Joanna F. Wasick, Amos Kim, Keith R. Murphy and Veronica Reynolds on December 9, 2022 Posted in Blockchain

In this issue: Payments Firms Launch Crypto Products, New DeFi Price Indices Announced By Shade Quailey A U.S. fintech company recently announced the launch of a fiat-to-crypto on-ramp, which facilitates fiat-to-crypto payments using “a customizable widget that developers can embed directly into their DEX, NFT platform, wallet, or dApp.” According to a blog post, the … Continue Reading

Crypto Research Published; USPTO Seeks NFT Input; SEC and FINRA Address Digital Assets; OFAC Settles with Exchange; DOJ Enforcement Continues

By Robert A. Musiala, Lauren Bass, Sydney Park, Teresa Goody Guillén, Joanna F. Wasick, Amos Kim and Christopher Lamb on December 2, 2022 Posted in Blockchain

In this issue: • New Research and Surveys Address CBDCs, Institutional Crypto Investment• NFTs: Government Agencies Seek Comments on NFT IP; New Marketplaces Open• Crypto DEX and Wallet Providers Reveal User Data Collection Practices• SEC Commissioner Addresses Digital Assets and Investor Protection Concerns• SEC Institutes Proceedings Against DAO; FINRA Examines Crypto Advertising• New York State … Continue Reading

US District Court Finds LBRY Tokens Are Securities

By Teresa Goody Guillén, Joanna F. Wasick, Adam Gale, Kevin Edgar, Robert A. Musiala, Veronica Reynolds and Sydney Park on November 11, 2022 Posted in Alert

In 2016, crypto startup LBRY launched the LBRY network and the LBRY protocol, described by LBRY as a decentralized content sharing and publishing protocol that supports the creation of community-run digital marketplaces. The same year, LBRY offered and sold native LBC tokens to the public for the purported purpose of allowing LBRY users to compensate … Continue Reading

CBDC Report Published; Crypto and NFT Initiatives Launch; OFAC Redesignates Tornado Cash; SEC and CFTC Target Crypto Fraud; FTX Files for Bankruptcy

By Robert A. Musiala, Veronica Reynolds, Amos Kim, Joanna F. Wasick and Christopher Lamb on November 11, 2022 Posted in Blockchain

In this issue: • CBDC Report Published, Blockchain Settlement and Payment Initiatives Launch• NFT World Cup Initiative Launched, Market Actors Launch NFT Royalty Solutions• OFAC Redesignates Tornado Cash, Mixer Receives Hacked Crypto• SEC, CFTC Bring Enforcement Actions Involving Fraudulent Crypto Trading Bots• FTX Files Bankruptcy Amid Binance’s FTT Selloff and Incoming DOJ Probe CBDC Report … Continue Reading