Earlier this week, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) published its examination priorities for 2019, which include notable references to cryptocurrency market and trading surveillance. The CFTC monitors regulatory compliance for registrants of the Division of Market Oversight (DMO), Division of Swap Dealer & Intermediary Oversight (DSIO) and Division of Clearing & Risk (DCR). The DMO's 2019 Examination Priorities include "cryptocurrency surveillance practices" as the first item in its list of "topics for in-depth examination." On the state front, the Texas State Securities Board (SSB) issued its 2018 Enforcement Report, which reported a total of 16 orders against various entities and persons suspected of orchestrating cryptocurrency scam investments in 2018. According to the report, the SSB continues to partner with local law enforcement to crack down on illegitimate cryptocurrency schemes.
In international news, late last week the Mauritian Financial Services Commission (FSC) announced plans to establish a regulatory framework for digital asset custodian services. Through the new framework, the country aims to enhance the safety of custodian services for digital assets. The new regulation requires custodian services to adhere to AML/CFT international best practices. Meanwhile, Turkish police arrested 24 suspects in connection with the theft of 13 million liras' worth of cryptocurrency held in bitcoin, ether and XRP. The suspects reportedly communicated via a popular online multiplayer game: PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. After conducting raids of the suspects' homes, Turkish authorities recovered 4,000 liras in cash and 1.3 million liras' worth of cryptocurrency.
For more information, please refer to the following links:
- CFTC's First Published 2019 Examination Priorities Reveal Major Cryptocurrency Focus
- CFTC Divisions Announce Examination Priorities
- Texas Securities Regulator Reveals 16 Orders Issued to Suspect Crypto Investments in 2018
- Mauritius Regulators to Approve Digital Asset Custodian Licensing Framework
- Turkish police catch suspects who stole TL 13 million in cryptocurrency while playing PUBG
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