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The Luxembourg Competition Authority (“LCA”) announced that it is launching a market study into the “blockchain sector,” particularly the relationship between Web21 companies and Web32 projects.
Cryptocurrency had a rocky 2022. Bitcoin, often touted as a hedge against inflation, lost nearly 65 percent of its value. FTX, one of the most popular and well-known platforms for trading crypto, declared bankruptcy.
The crypto token asset class has grown substantially in the last couple of years, drawing the watchful eyes of regulators. While the emerging world of crypto has created more questions than answers, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC” or “Commission”) remains clear that investor protection remains at the forefront of its mission and that mission extends to where money is to be made in connection with the offer or sale of securities. To this end, the Commission has increased its regulation of crypto asset tokens, and crypto industry participants at all levels of engagement with this market should pay attention.
It has been over a year since the Colonial Pipeline cybersecurity incident, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration (“TSA”) continues to issue cybersecurity directives to owners and operators of critical pipelines and liquified natural gas facilities.
Earlier this month, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco spoke on cybersecurity developments at the International Conference on Cyber Security (“ICCS”); the same day, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) released its Comprehensive Cyber Review (the “Cyber Review”).
Enforcement of corporate crimes, which languished for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic, will grow more vigorous this year and may be accompanied by significantly tougher penalties, partners with Vinson & Elkins’ (“V&E”) Government Investigations & White Collar Defense practice say.
Speaking at the Munich Cyber Security Conference on February 17, 2022, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco announced that the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) plans to prioritize “cyber disruption,” foster international partnerships, and increase its investigative and deterrent capabilities to bolster its crypto-enforcement arsenal and to combat cyber threats.
On March 9, 2022, President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order on Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets that directs federal officials to consider the effects of “distributed ledger technology,” popularly known as “blockchain” or “crypto,” on a host of important policy areas such as data privacy, financial stability, and even climate change.