#applications

The U.S. Senate is considering a new bill aimed at imposing strict anti-money laundering (AML) rules on decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols. The Crypto-Asset National Security Enhancement Act of 2023 targets entities controlling DeFi protocols or providing their applications. It requires customer vetting, AML programs, and reports of suspicious activities. In absence of a controlling entity, anyone investing over $25 million in a protocol's development would be responsible.

On Friday, Fidelity Investments and several other firms submitted revised applications for spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) after the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) deemed the initial filings inadequate. The companies, including Invesco, VanEck, 21Shares, and WisdomTree, are part of a group of eight firms aiming to launch the first wave of US spot Bitcoin ETFs. BlackRock kickstarted the trend with its unexpected filing in mid-June. In the latest filings, all five firms indicated that Coinbase Global Inc. will provide market surveillance for their ETFs, a detail that was missing from their previous applications.