– Sony is developing blockchain-based software for digital rights management and intellectual property protection
– Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) is exploring ways to regulate cryptocurrency exchanges
– Venezuela’s citizens will have to pay fees for passport issuance in the country’s cryptocurrency petro
– Roger Ver plans to buy or develop his own cryptocurrency exchange
– Ex-Coinbase executive will join Bakkt
Japanese corporation Sony announed it is developing blockchain-based software for digital rights management and intellectual property protection.
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Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) is exploring ways to regulate cryptocurrency trading platforms already operating in the city to tighten investor protection.
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The Vice President of Venezuela announced that citizens will have to pay fees for passport issuance in the country’s cryptocurrency, petro.
A new passport will cost two petros, around 7,200 bolivars (~$115), or four times the national monthly minimum wage.
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Bitcoin Cash evangelist Roger Ver, who owns digital wallet provider Bitcoin.com, plans to buy or develop his own cryptocurrency exchange that would use BCH as base currency.
According to Ver, the upcoming crypto trading platform will be placed on the Bitcoin.com website, which is expected to generate a great amount of traffic via various services such as wallet transactions and news.
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The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) said it was examining every initial coin offering (ICO) to see whether it should be regulated.
Steven Maijoor, the chairman of the ESMA, said he was examining how ICOs fit into existing regulation and how they affect competition in the wider capital raising sector.
“Some of these ICOs are like a financial instrument. Once it is a financial instrument it comes under a whole regulatory framework,” Maijoor said. “The subsequent question is what do we do with those ICOs that are outside the regulatory world. We will assess that as a board. We expect to report by the end of the year.”
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Adam White, ex-Coinbase executive and the person who led the development of its institutional exchange GDAX, is joining Bakkt, the cryptocurrency trading platform at the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), according to the people familiar with the matter.