Japanese financial watchdog pushes new reserve rules for crypto exchanges 

Asian fund acquires majority stake in The BlockIn the wake of certain difficulties experienced following the FTX collapse, prominent crypto publication The Block has secured its future through a strategic sale to Singapore-based venture capital group Foresight Ventures.Taking to the X platform on Monday, The Block’s CEO Larry Cermak announced the acquisition, with Foresight Ventures taking a majority stake in the publication. The deal results in a valuation of the US media group at $70 million. Cermak stated:”This [transaction] gives The Block a fresh start ahead of the bull market and provides us with more capital to build out new exciting products and expand our footprint into Asia and the Middle East.”Cermak also thanked New York-based investment bank Moelis & Company for its help in running the process.Photo by Kelly Sikkema on UnsplashFTX controversyThe sale should allow the firm to move on from a difficult situation which saw it implicated in the activities of convicted fraudster and former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF). The fallout from the collapse of the FTX exchange in November of last year included the revelation that The Block had relied on undisclosed loans from SBF to sustain its operations.Michael McCaffrey, the former CEO of The Block, resigned last December after it was disclosed that he had borrowed $43 million from SBF’s Alameda Research, a crypto trading company. This financial arrangement was allegedly aimed at supporting the media company and facilitating property acquisitions.Following the conviction of SBF on charges of fraud and money laundering in New York earlier this month, The Block faced challenges and turned its focus towards building a more robust institutional customer base. The media group has been actively engaged in compiling industry deals and offering subscription-based news services.McCaffrey had taken loans totaling $27 million to buy out shareholders and support the media group, with an additional $16 million used for property acquisition in the Bahamas. The financial arrangement with Alameda was undisclosed to the broader team at The Block, as revealed by Bobby Moran, the company’s chief revenue officer at the time.It’s still unclear if McCaffrey has repaid these loans to the FTX Debtor that is currently managing the FTX business. FTX filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November 2022 and with that, it is in the process of being restructured.$56 million investmentAs part of the deal, Foresight Ventures will invest $56 million, securing an 80 percent stake in The Block, according to a source cited by the Financial Times (FT). The investment is a strategic move, especially considering the recent slowdown in venture capital investment in the crypto market.While investors injected approximately $30 billion into crypto projects in both 2021 and 2022, the figure plummeted to $7 billion by the end of September of this year, according to PitchBook.Foresight Ventures CEO Forest Bai confirmed to the FT that The Block will continue to operate as an independent business. Bai stated: “We think The Block is one of the crown assets in the crypto media space. Our view is that the media aspect will continue to drive education and adoption in the space.”

KuCoin affiliate applies for license in Hong Kong amid identity mix-upIn a recent development on the Hong Kong crypto scene, VAEXC Limited, a cryptocurrency exchange, has submitted an application for a crypto trading license. The move had sparked a misunderstanding as some reports suggested the application was submitted by a Binance-linked company when in fact, it turns out to be a KuCoin-affiliated entity.Photo by Stella P on UnsplashReporting confusionA report published in October by the South China Morning Post (SCMP) asserted that a newly established crypto exchange named HKVAEX appeared to be connected with global crypto platform Binance.In the meantime, it emerged more recently that an application for a trading license had been submitted by the similarly named VAEXC Limited. While many reports confused this entity with what is believed to be a Binance-linked company, subsequent reports have emerged to confirm that the application pertains to an entity associated with the Seychelles-incorporated cryptocurrency exchange, KuCoin.In response to these initial wayward reports, a HKVAEX spokesperson confirmed that the company is in the process of preparing a licensing application in Hong Kong but that it has yet to do so. The spokesperson stated:“We are still in the preparatory stages for the application” . . . “VAEXC is an entirely separate applicant, and our operations are completely independent.”Leveraging KuCoin technologyThe SFC updated the list of virtual asset trading platform applicants on Nov. 27, disclosing that Hong Kong VAEXC Limited submitted its application on Nov. 25. Operating under the name VAEX, the exchange places a strong emphasis on security and regulatory compliance, positioning itself as a next-generation, trusted virtual asset exchange.Backed by a team with extensive industry expertise and leveraging KuCoin Tech, VAEX aims to offer a secure, reliable, stable and user-friendly platform for crypto asset trading and management. In celebration of VAEX’s launch, KuCoin conducted a public testing campaign, featuring a 15,000 USDT prize pool for eligible KuCoin users and participants.Despite the recent scandals in Hong Kong’s crypto scene — including an alleged fraud at the JPEX crypto exchange and more recently still, an alleged Ponzi scheme orchestrated by unlicensed crypto exchange Hounax — the regulatory stance in Hong Kong remains unwaveringly positive where digital assets are concerned.Introduced in June, regulations in Hong Kong mandate cryptocurrency exchanges to apply for a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license from the SFC by June 2024 or face de-registration. Notably, unregistered exchanges are permitted to operate during the interim transition period.KuCoin’s investment arm, KuCoin Ventures, has also been active in Hong Kong. In March, the firm led a $10 million investment in CNHC, a Hong Kong-based stablecoin issuer. Three months later, amid a changing regulatory environment in 2023, the platform confirmed a tightening of its compliance procedures with the introduction of mandatory know-your-customer (KYC) identity checks.Meanwhile, it’s unclear as to what plans Binance has to expand in Hong Kong if any. The leading global exchange is facing very challenging legal issues in the United States currently. That could have a bearing on its plans in Hong Kong, while it remains unclear as to what level of involvement it has with HKVAEX.

Bitget Exec Speaks to Utility of Enhanced KYCCrypto continues to undergo significant transformation as regulatory authorities across Asia tighten their grip on the industry. In response to these regulatory changes, Seychelles-headquartered Bitget has joined KuCoin and OKX, which have recently bolstered their Know Your Customer (KYC) measures to ensure compliance and safeguard their operations.In a recent interview with Cointelegraph, Bitget Managing Director Gracy Chen spoke to the utility of KYC measures, stating that KYC is useful in filtering out illegitimate users, particularly those engaged in activities such as money laundering.Photo by Pixabay on PexelsMeeting Asian regulatory requirementsThe Seychelles-based exchange with ties to China and Singapore recently announced updates to its KYC protocols. These changes come in the wake of the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) directives, which advise financial institutions, including cryptocurrency exchanges, to implement robust risk management procedures. The MAS has taken a stringent stance, shutting down certain digital payment token service providers to prevent them from facilitating lending and staking activities by retail customers.Starting from October 1, Bitget will require users who have not completed level 1 KYC verification to be restricted from creating new trading orders. This move aims to ensure that users comply with the newly updated guidelines and maintain the integrity of the exchange’s operations.Following industry peersKuCoin and OKX, two other prominent exchanges which, like Bitget, have their corporate headquarters in Seychelles and a strong presence in Asia, have also revamped their KYC policies. While KuCoin initially introduced KYC in 2018, the exchange has strengthened its identity verification procedures, requiring users to upload documents and complete face checks.Furthermore, in July, it announced a mandatory KYC requirement, in line with anti-money laundering (AML) regulations. While the mandatory KYC requirement is already in force, the other changes are set to take effect at the end of the month.OKX, on the other hand, has implemented stringent requirements, including the submission of a government-issued ID selfie for users to access all its services. The exchange recently set a deadline for service users to complete KYC.Bitget’s Chen highlighted that its decision to embrace KYC measures was driven by a commitment to serving the market responsibly. She acknowledged that while some users may have reservations about KYC, it is a necessary step to maintain the integrity of the exchange and prevent illicit activities. Speaking at the fringes of the firm’s EmpowerX Summit in Singapore, Chen said:“I’m pretty sure if the user is a financially healthy user, such as, like, if they’re not doing something illegitimate, such as money laundering, they should be pretty comfortable with the KYC process.”Tightening regulationThe tightening of regulations in Asia is not limited to Singapore alone. Japan has also taken steps to enhance anti-money laundering measures related to cryptocurrency transactions, responding to international calls for stricter oversight. Additionally, South Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) has announced plans to require companies to disclose details about their cryptocurrency holdings, expected values, and related business models in their financial statements, aligning crypto accounting with conventional financial reporting.These regulatory developments signify a broader trend in the region, with cryptocurrency service providers proactively adapting to the changing landscape. As governments and regulatory authorities take steps to address the potential risks associated with cryptocurrencies, exchanges are prioritizing compliance to ensure their longevity and continued growth.