What itBit's Banking Law Charter Really Means
Houman B Shadab is a professor of law at New York Law School. Here, he discusses what itBit's recent banking law charter means for other digital currency exchanges operating in the US and beyond. Since their inception, bitcoin exchanges have operated under a fog of legal uncertainty. Just one day after the New York-based exchange itBit announced it had obtained a banking law charter giving it the ability to operate in all 50 states, a California official called that into question. Almost every state has its own licensing requirements for traditional money transmitters that include payment....
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Today, international bitcoin exchange itBit announced it had been granted a trust charter by the New York Department of Financial Services (NYFDS) under New York State banking law. This is the first such charter granted to a digital currency company by the NYDFS. ItBit also announced the successful completion of a $25 million Series A funding round and the expansion of their board of directors. Under the charter granted to itBit by the NYFDS, itBit is now able to accept customers from all 50 U. S. states in full compliance with state and federal law. "We have sought to move quickly but....
ItBit becomes the first US regulated exchange, but the EU might be about to harmonize digital currency law for 500 million people. On Thursday, May 7, Ben Lawsky tweeted out the now signed charter for ItBit, confirming its status as a registered trust business. This move allows ItBit to operate an online currency exchange between USD or other fiat currencies, and something like Bitcoin. Addressing the move in a press release on Thursday, Lawsky explained how he saw the chartering of ItBit as an important step in legitimizing and harnessing the potential of digital currencies for investors....
In April, Bitcoin Magazine reported that Bitcoin exchange itBit had filed for a banking license in New York. Later in May, itBit was granted a trust charter by the New York Department of Financial Services (NYFDS) under New York State banking law, the first such charter granted to a digital currency company by the NYDFS. ItBit also announced the successful completion of a $25 million Series A funding round. On September 2, itBit announced the appointments of Daniel "Danny" Alter as the company's new general counsel and chief compliance officer, and Kim Petry as chief financial officer.....
New York bitcoin exchange itBit has closed $25m in Series A fundraising. The round drew support from a pool of new and existing sources including RRE Ventures, Liberty City Ventures and investor Jay W Jordan II. Raptor Capital Management chairman James Pallotta also participated in the round. ItBit further confirmed the addition of three new members to its board of directors: former Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation chairperson Sheila Bair; former New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley; and former Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) chairman Robert Herz. The three directors had....
Competition in the US bitcoin exchange market continued to escalate last week with the announcement by New York-based itBit that it would open to consumers in all 50 US states. The decision comes amid a time when many US exchange market participants appear to be jostling for position ahead of the release of the final BitLicense regulatory framework this May. Coinbase launched its exchange product to customers in 24 states in January, while the Winklevoss Capital-backed Gemini intends for its launch to coincide with the release of the BitLicense. Despite the number of entrants competing for....