Alpaca Finance Institutional Newsletter #82
Highlights
- Kennedy Proposes Blockchain for U.S. Budget Transparency
- Stripe Revives Crypto Payments with Enhanced Features
- European Parliament Tightens Crypto Regulations
During a campaign rally in Michigan, U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. proposed the innovative idea of placing the entire U.S. federal budget on the blockchain. Kennedy argued that this move would significantly enhance transparency and accountability by allowing all Americans to access and review every budget item at any time. He emphasized the potential for public scrutiny, suggesting that the detailed visibility into expenditures could help detect and deter wasteful spending. The proposal received applause from cryptocurrency enthusiasts who believe this could mark a revolutionary step towards reducing governmental corruption. Critics, however, voiced concerns that Kennedy’s plan might lead towards a central bank digital currency, despite his previous statements opposing such a move.
Stripe, a leading payments processor, announced its plan to reintroduce cryptocurrency payments, focusing initially on the USDC stablecoin across the Solana, Ethereum, and Polygon blockchains. This decision comes six years after Stripe halted crypto payments due to the high volatility of bitcoin and its inefficiencies as a medium of exchange. The reintroduction, slated for later this year, was revealed by co-founder and President John Collison during a keynote at the Global Internet Economy conference. Collison emphasized the improvements in crypto technology, including faster transaction speeds and lower costs, which now make cryptocurrencies a viable option for transactions. This strategic shift reflects Stripe’s renewed commitment to harnessing the potential of digital currencies in the global payment landscape.
The European Parliament recently voted to implement a new package of laws aimed at enhancing due diligence measures for crypto asset service providers (CASPs), including centralized exchanges and gambling services. The laws, which will also mandate checks on customers’ identities and require the reporting of suspicious activities, are part of efforts to combat money laundering within the sector. According to Patrick Hansen, Circle’s EU Strategy and Policy Director, the legislation will formally be adopted by the Council of the EU and take effect three years later. These developments follow the introduction of the MiCA regulatory framework, underscoring the EU’s commitment to more stringent regulatory oversight of the crypto industry while dispelling rumors about the potential ban on anonymous crypto wallets and self-custodial payments.
News
RFK Jr. wants to put the entire US budget on a blockchain
FBI warning against crypto money transmitters ‘appears’ to be aimed at mixers
SEC charges Texas mining firm and co-founders for $5.6 million fraud scheme
‘Lost’ Yuga Labs restructures again, with layoffs, new executive
Products
Stripe Brings Back Crypto Payments Via USDC Stablecoin
Bitcoin payments app Strike rolls out services to European users
Franklin Templeton lists Ethereum ETF on DTCC
Hong Kong’s ‘in-kind’ spot bitcoin and ether ETFs to start trading April 30
Regulation
EU’s anti-money laundering bill passes final vote, here’s what’s next for crypto-asset service providers
Republic First Bank closed by US regulators — crypto community reacts
SEC delays decision on listing and trading spot bitcoin ETF options, asks for public comments
Philippines orders removal of Binance from Google and Apple app stores
Funding
Pantera Capital seeks $1B for a new crypto fund: Report
Movement Labs raises $38 million to build layer 2 blockchain on Ethereum with Facebook tech
Pantera Capital solely funds $8 million Series A for web3 gaming firm InfiniGods
AI and Web3 startup Inference Labs secures $2.3 million in pre-seed funding
