Malta’s ‘Wild West’ Approach: Regulators Claim $70 Billion in Crypto Passed T...
The island country of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea has been known to be friendly toward cryptocurrency solutions and blockchain technology for years now. According to a regional report, government sources say more than $70 billion moved through the country over past years while regulations were lax. Furthermore, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) was critical of Malta at a recent confidential meeting. Members of a Confidential FATF Meeting Critical of Malta “Sources privy to [a] confidential FATF meeting,” said that the financial regulator is concerned about Malta,....
Related News
The industry body has accused the government of leaning into narratives about malicious actors and scams, rather than engaging with the blockchain space to establish fit-for-purpose regulation. Blockchain Australia, an association representing the local crypto industry, has warned that the country has fallen behind on the regulatory front due to the undue persistence of a dismissive “wild west” narrative.The association has been proactive in its engagement with the state in recent months, as the government continues to review the future of blockchain and fintech and regulation in the....
Recently, there’s been much regulatory activity around crypto; anyone whose business deals with digital assets will need to pay attention. The entire cryptocurrency industry is waking up to a new reality. Politicians and regulators have decided to wade into the space, which had flown mainly under their radar until now. A House committee chair is launching a working group; the Securities and Exchange Commission is seeking new authorities to regulate digital assets as securities; and the Senate-passed infrastructure bill includes $28 billion in tax revenues from crypto transactions.This last....
The Financial Action Task Force, a membership body of 37 jurisdictions and two regional organizations, has flagged Malta’s initial push to attract cryptocurrency business as “problematic.” Malta’s strategy to become a global enclave for digital assets appears to be working, though lax regulatory oversight has raised concerns over money laundering and other financial crime. Roughly $71 billion, or 60 billion euros, worth of cryptocurrencies have passed through Malta since the tiny Mediterranean state first adopted its “blockchain island” strategy in 2017, the Times of Malta reported Sunday.....
The Markets in Crypto-Assets passed the Tripartite negotiations, while the European Union anticipates a new body for AML regulation. According to the European parliament member and rapporteur for the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation Stefan Berger, the deal on landmark pan-European Union regulation had been finally struck amid the Tripartite negotiations. It “will put an end to the crypto wild west,” as French Minister for the Economy Bruno Le Maire hopes. Still, while raising a modest optimism among some stakeholders, MiCa’s final draft will surely make life harder for others. A....
Malta’s plan to become a"‘blockchain island" appears to have stalled, with few retail banks indicating a willingness to work with crypto firms. Malta’s Finance and Employment Minister, Clyde Caruana, has revealed that the nation’s plan to become a “blockchain island” is floundering due to the unwillingness of local banks to work with innovative firms.Speaking to local media outlet Lovin Malta, Caruana noted that few local businesses have been able to secure banking partners, asserting: “Traditional banks have written off blockchain at its early stages.”“The banks must be convinced that....