Taiwan’s FSC to Release Cryptocurrency Guidelines for Banks in September

Crypto Titans Clash on Elon Musk’s XA subtle panel discussion photo posted by Andrei Grachev of Singapore’s DWF Labs turned into a war of words among crypto trading titans on Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter).Photo by Marek Piwnicki on UnsplashDWF vs GSRGrachev, who is a Managing Partner at the market maker and Web3 investment firm, thanked his fellow panelists in the post. However, the tone quickly soured as Cristian Gil, Co-Founder of rival market-making giant GSR, took offense to Grachev’s presence on the panel and voiced his disapproval on the platform.Gil didn’t mince his words, stating: “[Andrei Grachev] had absolutely no business to be on that panel. It’s insulting to [GSR] , [OKX] and [Wintermute] to be in the same room as [DWF Labs].”DWF vs WintermuteHis remarks received a “Like” from Evgeny Gaevoy, the CEO of market maker Wintermute. In response, Grachev defended his presence, asserting that DWF was superior in technology, trading, and business development compared to its rivals, going so far as to suggest to Gil: “Yeah, if I were you — I would be also crying all the time.”The exchange continued with Grachev claiming that DWF was capturing market share from Wintermute, and Gaevoy responded with a nonchalant “lol,” challenging Grachev to invest more if he believed DWF posed a threat.DWF Labs’ rapid growthWhile the exchange consisted of mere words, it shed light on DWF Labs’ sudden rise to prominence earlier over recent months. The company has featured prominently in an array of investments in Web3 startups and blockchain networks over the course of 2023. Prominent among them have been investments in EOS, the Algorand ecosystem, and the TRON ecosystem.Recently appearing on the BlockBeats podcast, Grachev defended the company, outlining that it was not involved in market manipulation in response to recent assertions to the contrary.“We do not engage in any manipulative behavior,” Grachev stated. “Of course, we have the futures market, which is a tool for hedging positions and trading clubs. We are completely different from directional traders,” he added.Gaevoy added some humor to the mix by sharing a meme, raising questions about the maturity level of these prominent figures in the crypto industry. The spat provoked a broad array of commentary from the crypto community.Crypto immaturityThe very public clash raises concerns about how traditional Wall Street firms, currently making bold moves into the crypto space, might perceive such behavior. Notably, firms like BlackRock have been involved in Bitcoin ETF applications, signaling a growing interest in cryptocurrency among mainstream financial institutions. In response to Gaevoy and Grachev, one commentator wrote: “The institutions are never coming back.”While it would appear that there’s no love lost between DWF, GSR, and Wintermute, it also seems evident that both market makers can agree on Singapore as being an appropriate location from where to operate a crypto business. While Wintermute is London-based, it revealed recently that it was expanding its operations in Singapore. Like Wintermute, GSR is primarily based in London although it too maintains a presence in Singapore to service Asia-centric business.

Korea Bolsters Crypto Oversight and Anti-Fraud EffortsThe Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) is planning to build a system that allows for the swift suspension of wallet addresses on Binance, the giant global cryptocurrency exchange, during criminal investigations, according to a report by news outlet Edaily. This move comes as Binance is in the process of acquiring Gopax, one of the five major crypto exchanges in South Korea.Photo by Pixabay on PexelsPolice and crypto exchangesThe KNPA met today with these exchanges (Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and Gopax) and Binance to discuss this matter. In October last year, the KNPA signed a business agreement with the five exchanges to establish a crypto exchange compliance management system.The system serves as a tool for the police to search wallet addresses that are under investigation and determine which of the five exchanges is managing them. Operating 24 hours a day, the hotline enables them to swiftly request freezes and execute warrants. As of May of this year, the system has been utilized by 2,086 investigators.The police are currently working on expanding the system to incorporate Binance. Hence, the focus of today’s agenda is to introduce additional functionalities to the system that would allow the police to thoroughly examine wallet addresses on Binance and initiate freezes when necessary. Until now, the police have been making verbal requests via the hotline before issuing formal letters.In addition to addressing the integration of Binance into the system, the police will engage in discussions regarding enhancements to the compliance system for crypto exchanges and the management of the hotline. Looking ahead, their goal is to extend the application of the compliance system to encompass all 36 crypto exchanges operating in Korea at present.Financial authority bolsters probe unitMeanwhile, the Korean Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) held a press conference today to announce its plan for enhancing its capacity to combat the escalating prevalence of unfair trade practices. Particularly rampant in unregistered investment entities and social media chat rooms, these practices have prompted the FSS to take decisive action.To address this pressing issue, the FSS has devised a plan to bolster its investigative prowess. It intends to augment the manpower of its three investigation units, increasing the number of investigation officers from the current 70 to 95. Furthermore, the establishment of three additional teams is on the horizon, further strengthening the FSS’s investigative capabilities.The Special Investigation Team will fully dedicate its efforts to combating severe unfair trading practices that have the potential to cause substantial losses for investors. The Information Collection Team will employ a multifaceted approach to gather pertinent information. Through both in-person interactions and online activities, this team will diligently collect data essential to uncovering and addressing unfair trade practices. The Digital Investigation and Response Team will delve into the intricacies of emerging digital assets, including cryptocurrencies and security tokens. Their primary objective is to develop and refine investigative techniques specifically tailored to these novel forms of digital assets.In order to enhance its responsiveness to unfair trading practices, the FSS will introduce a new system for sharing investigative information with cryptocurrency exchanges. This collaborative effort aims to foster closer cooperation between the FSS, the prosecution, and the police, ensuring swift and effective responses to any instances of misconduct.The Korean financial authority has affirmed its commitment to working closely with relevant agencies to strengthen investor protection and promote transparency in the capital market. Additionally, it has warned investors to exercise caution and avoid falling victim to investment frauds or engaging in excessive leveraging that may result in substantial losses.

Cross Trading of LUNA Tokens Uncovered on Three Korean Crypto ExchangesAccording to a report by the Maeil Business Newspaper on Wednesday, it was discovered that cross trading of LUNA tokens took place on three South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges: Bithumb, Coinone, and GoPax.Three crypto exchangesAn indictment by the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office against Terraform Labs co-founders Do Kwon and Daniel Shin, along with interviews conducted within the cryptocurrency industry, revealed that Bithumb, Coinone, and GoPax were involved in cross trading LUNA tokens with a combined value of $598 million. Specifically, Bithumb accounted for $224 million, Coinone for $299 billion, and GoPax for $74 billion.The prosecution has confirmed that cross trading continued until the end of February 2022, a period marked by significant demands for virtual asset legislation from both the market and academia. Despite widespread calls for regulations to curb unfair trading practices, these instances of cross trading went undetected.Classification of LUNAMoreover, it is reported that legal punishment for the $598 million worth of cross trading is challenging unless LUNA tokens are officially recognized as securities by the court. Under the Korean Capital Markets Act, only cross trading involving tokens identified as securities can be subject to penalties as a form of market manipulation.During a plenary session of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon made a statement suggesting that LUNA tokens could be considered securities due to their backing by real-world assets. However, he said that this distinction might not apply to other tokens.On April 25, the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Shin and others as accomplices to Kwon, assuming that LUNA tokens were indeed securities. This case now revolves around whether the prosecution can successfully establish the classification of LUNA tokens as securities during the trial, making it the central issue in the case.Photo by Kanchanara on UnsplashCrypto investor protection legislationLast Thursday, the National Assembly’s National Policy Committee approved a bill known as the “Virtual Assets User Protection Act,” signaling an accelerated legislative process. However, there are arguments suggesting that the definition of cross trading should be further clarified in either the legislation or enforcement decree.A representative of a law firm specializing in virtual assets stated that the implementation of the User Protection Act would take another year even after its promulgation, making it challenging to retrospectively penalize cross trading practices that had already occurred.