Global Regulation

On 12 December 2024, the Australian Federal Court, in its judgment Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Bit Trade Pty Ltd 2024 FCA 1422, ordered Bit Trade Pty Ltd, the Australian operator of the Kraken cryptocurrency exchange, to pay AUD 8 million in penalties. The decision followed legal proceedings initiated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), which found Bit Trade unlawfully issued a margin trading product to over 1,100 retail clients without meeting critical regulatory obligations under the Australian Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).

On 5 December 2024, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) released an information paper to provide good practices for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Generative AI risk management in banking. Based on findings from a thematic review conducted in mid-2024, the paper outlines governance frameworks, risk management systems, and development protocols that banks and financial institutions are encouraged to adopt for responsible AI deployment.

On 6 December 2024, the Hong Kong Government announced the publication of the Hong Kong Stablecoins Bill in the Gazette.

On 16 October 2024, BaFin published a study examining the influence of financial influencers on investment decisions among adults aged 18 to 45.

On 7 November 2024, Latvijas Banka announced updates to its Guidelines on the Establishment of the Internal Control System for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Terrorism and Proliferation Financing and Sanctions Risk Management.

On 28 October 2024, HKMA announced a collaboration with Banco Central do Brasil to drive cross-border tokenisation innovation.

On 30 October 2024, MAS introduced updates to Singapore’s Payment Services Act under its National Anti-Money Laundering strategy.

On 22 October 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued a Default Notice concerning procedural non-compliance by Ripple Labs’ legal team.

On 10 October 2024, Gary Gensler, Chair of the US SEC, addressed the growing risks of fraud in relation to AI and its application in finance.

On 4 October 2024, US CFTC issued a supplemental no-action letter to KalshiEX LLC and Kalshi Klear LLC, exempting them from specific regulatory requirements as they transition their clearing operations from LedgerX LLC to Kalshi Klear LLC.

On 6 September 2024, the UAE Cabinet issued Cabinet Decision No. 100 of 2024, amending the UAE’s Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017 on Value Added Tax. These amendments discuss the VAT treatment of virtual assets such as cryptocurrencies and provide clear guidelines for businesses involved in virtual asset transactions. The new regulations will be effective from 15 November 2024 and requires businesses handling virtual assets to ensure compliance with the updated tax laws.

On 25 September 2024, the Singapore High Court, presided over by Judicial Commissioner Kristy Tan, held a moratorium hearing via Zoom regarding Zettai Pte. Ltd. Numerous creditors raised concerns about Zettai’s financial practices, transparency, and fairness in the proposed moratorium, which the company, connected to cryptocurrency platform WazirX, sought to address financial fallout from a significant hack. Creditors voiced opposition to the moratorium and raised allegations of manipulation and mismanagement by both Zettai and WazirX.