Weekly Crypto Report — 05.09.18
Due to circumstances beyond our control we were unable to upload the report on its usual Tuesday slot, but here it is, a day late but still a fountain of great information for you to enjoy!
• Yahoo Finance Integrates Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin on iOS App:
Yahoo Finance has integrated BTC, ETH, and LTC on its iOS app this week, with a version briefly appearing and disappearing on its desktop version despite Yahoo noting that the desktop, mobile web, and Android version won’t be available for several weeks. A Yahoo Finance press release notes that users that wish to trade crypto on Yahoo Finance will have to link a broker account via integrated third party service TradeIt.
https://cointelegraph.com/news/yahoo-finance-integrates-bitcoin-ethereum-and-litecoin-trading
• “Operation Cryptosweep” Produces More Than 200 Crypto-Related Investigations:
The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) announced this week that their “Operation Cryptosweep,” which is a probe into potentially fraudulent crypto investment programs that was introduced in may, has resulted in over 200 investigations of ICOs and crypto-related investment products. The NASAA noted that investors should perform their own due diligence before investing in crypto-related projects, and stated that any project qualified as a security should be registered with the appropriate regulatory agencies or apply for an exemption from registration.
https://cointelegraph.com/news/operation-cryptosweep-results-in-200-crypto-related-investigations
• JPMorgan CIO Thinks Blockchain Will “Replace Existing Technology” in Short Time:
Lori Beer, the chief information officer at JPMorgan, believes that blockchain tech will eventually replace the current technology in the span of a few years. According to an Argentinian media source, Beer noted that JPMorgan uses blockchain technology to “simplify the payment process and to store customers’ information related to KYC (Know Your Customer) policy.” Beer also added that the bank currently only supports what is regulated in terms of cryptocurrencies, and has specialists who are “evaluating what is happening.”
https://cointelegraph.com/news/jp-morgan-cio-blockchain-will-replace-existing-technology
• Poland Introduces New Crypto Legislation for Consideration:
Polish legislators have introduced a long-awaited new bill to clarify the current crypto taxation policy, which the local crypto community had resisted earlier this year. The bill, which defines cryptocurrencies in terms of the Act on Counteracting Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing as a “digital representation of money,” notes that crypto-to-crypto transactions performed on the stock exchange or individually will be tax free, while income from selling services, property, and goods will be treated like revenue for taxation purposes.
https://cointelegraph.com/news/poland-introduces-new-bill-to-clarify-crypto-taxation
• OpenFinance Launches Regulated Alternative Trading System For Security Tokens:
OpenFinance, a security token trading platform, has launched a regulated alternative trading system (ATS) for security tokens, according to information shared with Cointelegraph this week. An ATS, defined in the U.S. and Canada, is a non-exchange trading venue that matches buyers and sellers to find counterparties for transactions.
• Report: CBOE Considers Launching Ethereum Futures:
According to a report by Business Insider, CBOE Global Markets, the owner of the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) and one of the world’s largest exchange holding companies, is looking to launch futures for Ethereum (ETH) by the end of 2018. According to sources, CBOE will reportedly base its ETH futures on Gemini’s underlying market. Business Insider wrote that the exchange is waiting on approval from the CFTC before officially launching.
https://cointelegraph.com/news/report-cboe-to-launch-ethereum-futures-trading-later-this-year
• Llyod’s of London is Insuring a Crypto Custody Services Firm:
This is after the Murray, Kentucky-based cryptocurrency custody firm announced that it had obtained insurance coverage for the digital assets it holds via the marketplace of Lloyd’s of London. Currently, Kingdom Trust boasts of US$12 billion of assets in its custody and more than 100,000 clients.
https://www.ccn.com/covered-llyods-of-london-is-insuring-a-crypto-custody-services-firm/
• Russian Watchdog is Developing a Cryptocurrency Tracking Tool:
The Russian watchdog requires the addition of a crypto-tracking tool to an anti-financial crime system. The method as a whole would allow the money police to arrange suspicious financial activities into a thread of investigable data. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin that governments perceive as safe and anonymous tools to fuel financial crimes would become the subject of continuous auditing, per Moscow’s indication to curb crypto-related crimes.
https://www.ccn.com/russian-watchdog-is-developing-a-cryptocurrency-tracking-tool/
• Microsoft Is Slowly (But Surely) Connecting Blockchain to Main Products:
The software giant has quietly been building bridges between its blockchain services and other, widely used infrastructure and platforms, such as Office 365 Outlook, SharePoint Online, Salesforce, Dynamics 365 CRM Online, SAP, and even Twitter, according to Matt Kerner, the general manager of Microsoft Azure. The idea is to allow Microsoft customers to port their data from these platforms into the cloud, and from there onto a blockchain.
And of course, as always, our handy market charts:




