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  • Arkansas defines blockchain technology

    State Issues

    On April 16, the Arkansas governor signed HB 1944, which defines blockchain technology under the state’s Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA). Under the act, “blockchain technology” is defined as “a shared, immutable ledger that facilitates the process of recording one or more transactions and tracking one or more tangible or intangible assets in a business network.” The act also provides definitions for “blockchain distributed ledger technology” and “smart contract” under the UETA. The act takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the legislature.

    State Issues Digital Assets State Legislation Blockchain Virtual Currency

  • Utah says blockchain tokens are not money transmissions

    State Issues

    On March 26, the Utah governor signed SB 213, which, among other things, defines and clarifies blockchain technology-related terms and exempts from the state’s Money Transmitter Act certain persons who facilitate the “creation, exchange, or sale of certain blockchain technology-related products.” Specifically, the amendments state that blockchain tokens are not money transmissions. The amendments take effect 60 days after adjournment of the legislature.

    State Issues Digital Assets State Legislation Blockchain Fintech

  • Wyoming is second state to create fintech sandbox

    Fintech

    On February 19, the Wyoming Governor signed HB 57, which creates a fintech sandbox program in the state for companies to test innovative financial products and services. Wyoming is the second state to introduce a regulatory sandbox program, following Arizona’s sandbox introduction last March. (Previously covered by InfoBytes here.) Under the “Financial Technology Sandbox Act” (the Act), the state’s sandbox will be open to innovative financial products and services, including those focused on blockchain and cryptocurrencies, and will allow testing of these products for up to two years with the possibility of an additional 12 month extension before requiring participants to apply for formal licensure. Additionally, under certain conditions, the Act—which grants various supervisory and enforcement power to the state banking commissioner and the secretary of state, including revocation and suspension rights—will authorize (i) limited waivers of specified statutes or rules, and (ii) reciprocity agreements with other regulators. The Act takes effect January 1, 2020.

    Fintech Digital Assets State Issues State Legislation Regulatory Sandbox Blockchain Cryptocurrency Licensing

  • D.C. Mayor establishes sandbox and innovation council

    Fintech

    On February 11, the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking announced the formation of the District of Columbia Financial Services Regulatory Sandbox and Innovation Council. The Council, which will examine the feasibility of implementing a financial services regulatory sandbox in the District, will also “develop a blockchain and innovation regulatory framework to facilitate financial services innovation in the District.” D.C. Mayor Bowser, who established the Council in January, has directed the advisory group to review barriers that fintech, insurtech, regtech, and other technology companies face when attempting to bring innovative services to the District, and to evaluate how these impediments can be mitigated or eliminated to foster innovation, including making recommendations for ways to reduce the regulatory burden on financial services providers that impede innovation. Among other things, the Mayor also has tasked the Council with studying the potential dangers regulatory sandboxes pose to consumers and the possible safeguards to such dangers. The Council—whose membership will include a cross section of professionals from the insurance, securities, banking, and lending industries; consumer representatives; technology industry members; and individuals specializing in financial services regulation and the captive insurance industry—will report legislative, programmatic, and policy recommendations to the Mayor within the first six months after its initial meeting.

    Fintech Digital Assets Regulatory Sandbox Blockchain

  • New York governor creates task force to study digital currency industry

    State Issues

    On December 21, the New York governor signed A08783, which creates a digital currency task force to conduct a comprehensive review related to the regulation of cryptocurrencies in the state. The act requires the task force to issue a report by December 15, 2020, with recommendations to “increase transparency and security, enhance consumer protections, and to address the long-term impact related to the use of cryptocurrency.” The report will also contain a review of laws and regulations on digital currency, including those used by other states, the federal government, and foreign countries.

    State Issues Digital Assets State Legislation Virtual Currency Cryptocurrency Blockchain

  • Arizona approves two more participants in fintech sandbox program

    State Issues

    On November 1, the Arizona Attorney General announced the approval of two more participants in the state’s fintech sandbox program. The first company, which is based in New York, will test a savings and credit product, enabling Arizona consumers to obtain a small line of credit aimed at providing overdraft protection. If a consumer agrees to a repayment plan recommended by the company’s proprietary technology, the APR may be as low at 12 percent; if a consumer adopts a different repayment plan, the line of credit will have a standard APR of 15.99 percent. The company intends to report transactions under the payment plan to national credit bureaus to enable the building of credit histories. The second company, an Arizona-based non-profit, will test a lending product using proprietary blockchain technology, which has an APR cap of 20 percent.

    As previously covered by InfoBytes, the Arizona governor signed legislation in March creating the first state sandbox program for companies to test innovative financial products or services without certain regulatory requirements. In October, the Attorney General announced the first sandbox participant, a mobile platform company (InfoBytes coverage available here).

    State Issues Digital Assets Regulatory Sandbox Fintech Blockchain Overdraft State Attorney General

  • SEC launches FinHub to facilitate fintech innovation

    Fintech

    On October 18, the SEC announced the launch of its Strategic Hub for Innovation and Financial Technology (FinHub). According to the SEC, FinHub will assist in facilitating public engagement on fintech-related topics, including blockchain/distributed ledger technology, digital marketplace financing, automated investment advice, and artificial intelligence/machine learning. Through FinHub, industry participants and the public will have the opportunity to engage directly with the SEC to discuss and test innovative ideas and technological developments. FinHub will also act as a clearinghouse for SEC staff to access and disseminate fintech-related information throughout the agency, and will “[s]erve as a liaison to other domestic and international regulators regarding emerging technologies in financial, regulatory, and supervisory systems.”

    “FinHub provides a central point of focus for our efforts to monitor and engage on innovations in the securities markets that hold promise, but which also require a flexible, prompt regulatory response to execute our mission,” SEC Chairman Jay Clayton announced.

    Fintech SEC Blockchain Distributed Ledger Digital Assets

  • California to appoint “blockchain” working group

    State Issues

    On September 28, the California governor signed AB 2658, which requires the Secretary of the Government Operations Agency to appoint a blockchain working group by July 1, 2019. (The act defines blockchain as “a mathematically secured, chronological, and decentralized ledger or database.”) The working group is charged with evaluating, among other things, (i) the risks and benefits associated with the use of blockchain by state government and California-based businesses; (ii) the legal implications of the use of blockchain; and (iv) best practices for enabling blockchain technology to benefit the state and its businesses and residents. The act, which has a sunset date of January 1, 2022, requires the working group to provide a report to the legislature by July 1, 2020.

    State Issues Digital Assets State Legislation Blockchain Fintech

  • Ohio governor enacts legislation recognizing blockchain transactions as enforceable electronic transactions

    State Issues

    On August 3, the governor of Ohio signed into law SB 220, which codifies that records or contracts and signatures secured through blockchain technology are enforceable electronic transactions. Specifically, SB 220 amends Ohio’s Uniform Electronic Transactions Act to state that “a record or contract that is secured through blockchain technology is considered to be in an electronic form and to be an electronic signature” and that a “signature that is secured through blockchain technology is considered to be in an electronic form and to be an electronic signature.” The amendments also create an affirmative defense or “safe harbor” to tort actions against businesses alleged to have failed to implement reasonable information security controls leading to a data breach of personal or restricted information. To qualify for the safe harbor, a business must implement and comply with a written cybersecurity program that contains specific safeguards for either the protection of personal information or the protection of both personal and restricted information.

    State Issues Digital Assets State Legislation Blockchain Bitcoin Virtual Currency Electronic Signatures

  • Bitcoin and ether not considered securities by SEC

    Securities

    On June 14, the Director of the SEC Division of Corporation Finance, William Hinman, stated that the SEC does not consider the cryptocurrencies bitcoin and ether to be securities. In his remarks at the Yahoo Finance All Markets Summit, Hinman emphasized a number of factors that are considered when assessing whether a cryptocurrency or ICO should be considered a security. These factors include, primarily, whether a third party drives the expectation of a return—the central test used by the Supreme Court in SEC v. W.J. Howey Co.. According to Hinman, bitcoin’s and ether’s networks are decentralized without a central third party controlling the enterprise and, thus, applying the disclosure rules of federal securities laws to these cryptocurrencies would add little value to the market. Hinman did note that whether something is considered a security is not static and emphasized that if a cryptocurrency were to be placed into a fund and interests were sold, the fund would be considered a security.

    Securities Digital Assets Virtual Currency Blockchain SEC Cryptocurrency

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