Senate Financial News

Blockchain forensic firm Elliptic says there’s “no evidence” that Hamas is receiving a significant volume of cryptocurrency donations to fund its attacks against Israel.

In the Nov. 5 races, 48 out of 48 candidates backed by crypto’s biggest political action committees were declared winners as of midday Friday morning. In eight races where votes are still being counted, the PACs’ preferred candidate is ahead in all but three.

A group of bipartisan United States lawmakers have introduced a bill to the Senate aimed at preventing terror organizations and their financial enablers from accessing financial aid in fiat and digital assets in the country.

The United States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion received an education in the uses of blockchain technology in a hearing titled “Crypto Crime in Context: Breaking Down the Illicit Activity in Digital Assets.” The meeting began with a discussion of Hamas’s use of crypto for fundraising. However, the committee’s Chair, Representative French Hill, declared that as “phone and the internet aren’t to be blamed for terror financing,” crypto shouldn’t be either. The witnesses, including representatives from Consensys and Chainalysis, spoke about the need for international and public-private collaboration in stopping the misuse of digital assets, the need for well-crafted legislation and the intricacies of blockchain sleuthing.

Following October’s tragic events in Israel, a narrative linking Hamas funding to cryptocurrencies emerged from The Wall Street Journal in an Oct. 10 story authored by the paper’s Angus Berwick and Ian Talley. It fueled Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s crusade against the crypto sector. Subsequent insights from Chainalysis and Elliptic cast serious doubt on the claims, demanding a more judicious examination of the accusations levied against the crypto industry.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is at it again. With mainstream press outlets including Germany’s Deutsche Welle running sensationalist headlines — “How cryptocurrency fueled Hamas’ terrorist attack” — Warren is using Hamas’ attack on Israel to fuel her own war on cryptocurrency.

United States Representative and crypto-friendly lawmaker Patrick McHenry has been appointed as interim House Speaker after the high-profile ousting of U.S. House speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Bitcoin’s (BTC) price bull run towards $28,000 on Oct. 1 was partially fueled by the uncertainty regarding the United States debt limit. However, the U.S. President Joe Biden signed the spending bill just hours before the Sept. 30 deadline, avoiding a government shutdown. 

Nine United States Senators have added their support to Senator Elizabeth Warren’s Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Act, according to a statement from Warren’s office. 

Last week, two United States senators unveiled a bipartisan blueprint for artificial intelligence (AI) legislation. The framework put forward by Senators Richard Blumenthal and Josh Hawley advocates for mandatory licensing for AI firms and makes it clear that technology liability protections will not shield these companies from legal action.

Federal Reserve governor Philip Jefferson has won confirmation from a majority of members of the United States Senate, placing him in position to become the Fed's next vice chair.

Crypto-friendly Senator Cynthia Lummis has filed an Amicus Brief supporting Coinbase’s motion to dismiss the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's lawsuit against the firm.

On July 25, the United States Senate backed bipartisan legislation mandating U.S. companies to report any investments in Chinese technologies. 

Last week was marked by two new legislative initiatives for the crypto industry in the United States. Senator Jack Reed sponsored a bipartisan bill that would tighten Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations and sanctions requirements for decentralized finance (DeFi). The bill would subject DeFi operations to the same requirements as “other financial companies, including centralized crypto trading platforms, casinos, and even pawn shops.” 

United States Senate Financial Services Committee Chair Ron Wyden and ranking member Mike Crapo released an open letter to the digital asset community on July 11 asking for input on the taxation of digital assets. The senators are looking for solutions to highly complex taxation issues, so much so that they offered background reading from the Joint Committee on Taxation to prepare respondents.

Senators in the United States will be briefed by the White House regarding artificial intelligence (AI) as lawmakers continue to mull over regulations for the technology. 

The United States majority Senate leader Chuck Schumer plans to call for “comprehensive legislation” regarding safety measures for artificial intelligence (AI). 

U.S. Senators Josh Hawley, a republican from Missouri, and Richard Blumenthal, a democrat from Connecticut, introduced a senate bill on June 14 that would eliminate special protections afforded to online computer services providers under the Communications Decency Act of 1996.

Ava Labs CEO Emin Gün Sirer will be calling on United States officials to “nurture” and “support” responsible blockchain innovation, warning that they face “disastrous consequences” if they don't.

United States Rep. Warren Davidson has introduced the “SEC Stabilization Act” into the House of Representatives, announced on June 12. One of the bill’s main provisions is to fire Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler. 

Billionaire investor Mark Cuban has become one of the latest industry figures to call out the United States securities regulator for purportedly failing to provide cryptocurrency firms with a clear registration process.