#office

Roman Storm, co-founder of the controversial crypto mixer Tornado Cash, is pushing to have criminal charges against him dropped. This follows a landmark appellate court ruling that found the actions of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) against the platform to be an overreach of authority.

On December 17, the Bitcoin Policy Institute announced the completion of a draft executive order proposing the inclusion of Bitcoin as part of the United States’ strategic reserve assets. The order could take effect immediately upon being signed by President Donald Trump on his first day in office.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will close its regional office in Salt Lake City, and two of its attorneys have resigned. This decision follows the regulator's defeat in court against the mining company Digital Licensing and its DEBT Box project, which began in July 2023.

The Ethereum Name Service (ENS) has filed a petition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to challenge the validity of a patent held by the competing blockchain domain name project, Unstoppable Domains (UD).

JPMorgan bank analysts suggest that the US Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) may wield certain influence over Tether, the issuer of the USDT stablecoin. For example, it could enforce compliance with sanctions and restrictions regarding various projects, individuals, and nations.

The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office has reported that a court has imposed a seizure on the cryptocurrency assets of the State Special Communications Service's former chief.

In a report dated October 31, the Office of the Ethics Counsel highlighted the issue, noting that “many well-qualified candidates hold crypto assets, which, according to the office’s findings, would disqualify them from working on specific matters related to crypto assets.”

The French Data Protection Agency (CNIL) has conducted inspections at Worldcoin's Paris office due to concerns about the company's biometric data collection practices. Worldcoin, co-founded by ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman, scans users' irises in exchange for a digital ID and the promise of free cryptocurrency. The Worldcoin Foundation, incorporated in the Cayman Islands, has expressed its willingness to undergo the review and affirms its commitment to complying with regulatory requirements.

El Salvador’s Bitcoin Office has revealed the country’s latest Bitcoin acquisition, adding 11 more coins to its reserves. The purchase, valued at approximately $1,071,422, was made at an average price of $97,402 per coin.

The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office has accused Steven Kramer, a political consultant for the Democrats, of orchestrating the robocalls that utilized artificial intelligence to imitate President Biden's voice. Kramer was employed by Dean Phillips, who is competing against the sitting president in the primary elections.

Analysts from the U.S. Copyright Office (USCO) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) suggest that existing U.S. copyright laws don't require adjustments to regulate the non-fungible token (NFT) industry. Instead, they recommend focusing on education and enhancing transparency within NFT products.

The legal team at Polygon Labs is advocating for DeFi to be classified as critical infrastructure in the United States, warranting oversight by the Department of the Treasury's Office of Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection (OCCIP).

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) has clarified its stance on decentralized finance, intending to impose capital gains tax on virtually any standard user activity.

Hong Kong police have arrested Joseph Lam, a crypto influencer and former lawyer, in connection with the ongoing investigation into cryptocurrency exchange JPEX. Lam, who has over 190,000 Instagram followers, was arrested today and his office was raided. The arrest follows the Securities and Futures Commission's warning against JPEX for misleading statements about its licensing status. The police have received at least 83 complaints involving JPEX, with virtual assets worth about HK$34 million ($4.3 million) reported.