The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (“ASIC”) has released further guidance on initial coin offerings (“ICOs”) and cryptocurrency compliance through its updated Information Sheet 225 (“Info 225”). ICOs are a new form of internet based capital-raising using cryptocurrencies to purchase digital coins or tokens known as ‘crypto-assets’. With regulation struggling to keep pace with this growing area of the financial services market, Info 225 gives greater clarity on the legal status of ICOs and crypto-assets in Australia. Info…
Thailand has moved closer to being among one of the first jurisdictions in the Asia-Pacific region (and globally) to facilitate ICOs through targeted regulation. According to a member of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand (“SEC”), as reported by the Bangkok Post, five ICO projects are to be cleared by the regulator and permitted to move forward with their ICO plans (out of 50 ICO projects that applied for regulatory approval). This comes after…
The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) has recently published draft anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing rules (AML/CTF Rules) which are relevant to digital currency exchange service providers following the passage of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Amendment Act 2017 (Act) in December 2017. The new laws are scheduled to come into effect on 13 June 2018. Tthe Act introduces new laws to regulate digital currency exchange service providers in the same way…
Australia has introduced new laws to regulate digital currency exchange service providers in the same way as providers of traditional currency exchange services. Businesses providing digital currency exchange services (for example, services converting money into bitcoin and vice versa) will need to be registered with the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) and comply with anti-money laundering requirements, following the passage of Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Amendment Bill 2017 last month. This follows…