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Netherlands seeks input on crypto tax monitoring laws to align with EU

The Dutch government wants to align its data collection rules for crypto service providers with the rest of the EU, saying it would “create more transparency.”

The Dutch government has asked for public input on proposed laws that would require crypto service providers, such as exchanges, to collect and share user data with the local tax authority — aligning with European Union rules.

“The aim of the bill is to create more transparency about the ownership of cryptocurrencies, which can prevent tax avoidance and evasion,” the Netherlands Ministry of Finance said in an Oct. 24 press release.

It added “nothing will change” for crypto owners under the proposed rules as they’re already required to file a tax return of their holdings to the country’s tax authority, the Belastingdienst.

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Kraken Announces New Acquisition of Dutch Crypto Broker in Continued European Expansion

Kraken Announces New Acquisition of Dutch Crypto Broker in Continued European Expansion

A leading US-based crypto exchange is establishing its European footprint by acquiring the Dutch crypto broker Coin Meester B.V. (BCM). In a new press release, Kraken says it has closed on a deal with BCM that will “strengthen” the crypto exchange’s presence in Europe. “With the acquisition of BCM, one of the Netherlands’ oldest and […]

The post Kraken Announces New Acquisition of Dutch Crypto Broker in Continued European Expansion appeared first on The Daily Hodl.

A Theoretical Look at What Could Happen If Trump Creates a US Bitcoin Reserve

Okx Launches Crypto Exchange and Wallet in the Netherlands

Okx Launches Crypto Exchange and Wallet in the NetherlandsGlobal crypto trading platform Okx has launched its centralized exchange and wallet in the Netherlands. Dutch customers can now engage in spot trading and convert services for over 150 cryptocurrencies, including more than 60 crypto-Euro pairs. The platform integrates with Ideal, a popular online payment system in the Netherlands, for instant, fee-free deposits, and offers […]

A Theoretical Look at What Could Happen If Trump Creates a US Bitcoin Reserve

Freedom of speech isn’t a ‘trump card’ for Tornado Cash developers

Does code as freedom of speech mean that developers aren’t responsible for how their creations are used?

Crypto industry advocates are locked in a debate with regulators over whether a protocol’s code constitutes free speech, and what that means for liability. 

Lawmakers have long accused the crypto industry of facilitating illicit activities, from money laundering to financing terrorism. This has led to several court cases, arrests and even incarcerations.

Recent high-profile examples include the arrests of developers who worked on crypto mixers Tornado Cash and Samurai Wallet, as well as the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SECs) planned enforcement action against decentralized exchange Uniswap.

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A Theoretical Look at What Could Happen If Trump Creates a US Bitcoin Reserve

Tornado Cash verdict has chilling implications for crypto industry

The conviction of Tornado Cash developer Alexey Pertsev reinforces a very broad interpretation of criminal liability, which has major repercussions for blockchain.

The conviction of Alexey Pertsev, a developer of coin-mixing protocol Tornado Cash, comes from a chilling interpretation of criminal liability likely to have wider ramifications for crypto.

The Dutch court’s guilty verdict means Pertsev must now serve a sentence of five years and four months for money laundering through Tornado Cash. This is despite the fact that Pertsev had no direct involvement in the laundering itself.

Andrew Balthazor, a litigator with the legal firm Holland and Knight, spoke with Cointelegraph to explain the implications of the verdict.

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A Theoretical Look at What Could Happen If Trump Creates a US Bitcoin Reserve

Dutch exchange Bitvavo taps Figment to expand staking services

Institutional staking platform Figment will become an additional infrastructure provider to Dutch exchange Bitvavo.

Update (May. 1 at 15h00 UTC): This article has been updated to include additional information about Figment's partnership with Bitvavo.

Netherlands cryptocurrency exchange Bitvavo will tap into staking platform Figment’s institutional-grade infrastructure to stake a variety of tokens on behalf of its users.

Figment, which attracted significant investments from the likes of Galaxy Digital in 2021, announced that it would provide staking infrastructure for the Dutch exchange. Bitvavo will stake user assets across multiple proof-of-stake protocols including Ethereum, Solana and NEAR.

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A Theoretical Look at What Could Happen If Trump Creates a US Bitcoin Reserve

Bitcoin ransomware Akira drains $42M from more than 250 companies: FBI

The U.S. FBI found that the Akira ransomware group has been targeting businesses and critical infrastructure entities in North America, Europe and Australia since March 2023.

Akira, a year-old ransomware group, breached more than 250 organizations and extracted approximately $42 million in ransomware proceeds, top global cybersecurity agencies alerted.

Investigations conducted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) found that Akira ransomware has been targeting businesses and critical infrastructure entities in North America, Europe and Australia since March 2023. While the ransomware initially targeted Windows systems, the FBI recently found Akira’s Linux variant as well.

The FBI, along with Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) and the Netherlands’ National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NL), released a joint cybersecurity advisory (CSA) to “disseminate” the threat to masses.

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A Theoretical Look at What Could Happen If Trump Creates a US Bitcoin Reserve

US-Based Crypto Exchange Cracks Into Europe’s Fifth-Largest Economy With VASP Registration

US-Based Crypto Exchange Cracks Into Europe’s Fifth-Largest Economy With VASP Registration

A prominent US-based crypto exchange platform is venturing into Europe’s fifth-largest economy after acquiring the proper registration. In a new press release, crypto trading platform Kraken announced that it has obtained VASP (Virtual Asset Service Provider) registration from the Dutch Central Bank (DCB), allowing it to expand its services into the Netherlands. VASP licenses give crypto […]

The post US-Based Crypto Exchange Cracks Into Europe’s Fifth-Largest Economy With VASP Registration appeared first on The Daily Hodl.

A Theoretical Look at What Could Happen If Trump Creates a US Bitcoin Reserve

Dutch exchange Bitvavo cleared to operate in France

The Dutch cryptocurrency exchange Bitvavo is slowly expanding its reach after gaining regulatory approval in Austria and France.

Netherlands-based cryptocurrency exchange Bitvavo is set to expand its services to French users after successfully registering as a digital asset service provider with France’s Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF).

The expansion into France comes just weeks after Bitvavo secured regulatory approval to offer its services in Austria. The exchange expanded its offering to Italy in 2022 and has filed registration applications for other major European markets. 

“Securing registration with the French AMF marks a pivotal moment for us. We are excited about bringing our consumer-focused offering to the French market,” CEO Mark Nuvelstijn said in a statement.

The exchange also highlighted an interesting trend that underpins its efforts to expand into France. A recent AMF survey of French investors indicates that more of its citizens own cryptocurrencies (9%) than conventional stocks (7%) and bonds (2%).

Related: FTX collapse, Binance’s US settlement provide strong case for MiCA regulations

Bitvavo currently serves around 1.5 million customers across the Benelux region. In a recent one-on-one interview with Cointelegraph at the European Blockchain Convention in Barcelona, Nuvelstijn highlighted the exchange’s focus on slow, measured expansion into new markets.

“Focus is key. You can try to get all of Europe at once, but that will set yourself up for failure. I think it’s really important to focus step by step. Our core focus areas are where we have a lot of traction, where we see that we have a lot of clients who are interested in our services,” Nuvelstijn said.

Another consideration is the application of the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulations, set to take effect through 2024 and onward. The Bitvavo CEO believes a synergized European crypto rulebook will force the market to mature.

“It will increase the bar of requirements, which is good for the sector because everybody needs to improve their business models. Secondly, it will open up the European market. So, you no longer need a license per country. The regulation will become more harmonized, due to which you can easily do cross-border business,” he explained.

French bank Société Générale grabbed headlines in July 2023 as it became the first mainstream financial firm in the country to obtain a license to offer cryptocurrency services in France. The likes of Bitstamp also secured regulatory approval to offer its services in the country in February 2023.

Meanwhile, Binance’s French arm continues to operate within the country despite reportedly being under preliminary investigation by local authorities for alleged Know Your Customer and Anti-Money Laundering shortcomings.

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5 nations challenge crypto experts and investigators to target tax crimes

The J5 generates significant leads through events, which, in the past, has helped uncover multimillion-dollar crypto Ponzi schemes, such as the BitClub Network.

The Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), a global anti-tax fraud group, hosted investigators, cryptocurrency experts and data scientists in “The Cyber Challenge” event to track down individuals and organizations committing tax fraud.

The J5 members comprise the criminal intelligence communities from Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States, which collaborate in the fight against international and transnational tax crime and money laundering.

The group includes the Australian Taxation Office, the Canada Revenue Agency, the Dutch Fiscal Information and Investigation Service, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs from the U.K. and IRS-CI from the United States. Participants included experts from J5 countries, which were tasked with optimizing the usage of data acquired from a variety of open and investigative sources available to each country.

J5 members include criminal intelligence communities from Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States. Source: irs.gov

Since its inception in 2018, the J5 has hosted five such events. In 2022, the fourth event focused on nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and decentralized exchanges (DEX). Sharing details about the latest 2023 event, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service report stated:

“This is the first Challenge where Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) from each J5 country participated. Private sector was represented by blockchain analysis companies Chainalysis, BlockTrace, and AnChain making this the most collaborative Challenge to date.”

In the process, the J5 generated significant leads for further investigation, which, in the past, helped uncover multimillion-dollar crypto Ponzi schemes, such as the BitClub Network. John Ford, deputy commissioner of the Australian Taxation Office, stated:

“This collaboration between public and private specialists not only generates operational outcomes, but shares expert training, techniques and procedures, which is integral for the participants to remain proactive and effective in a rapidly evolving operating environment.”

Ryan Ryder from Chainalysis pointed out that crypto’s inherent transparency, coupled with international public and private sector experts, “can collaborate to identify and shut down illicit activity,” a task that remains impossible in traditional finance.

Related: G7 countries to launch AI code of conduct: Report

The Cointelegraph Innovation Circle recently featured seven crypto experts in an article to help Web3 companies prep for tax season. First and foremost, Web3 companies must constantly monitor the tax implications of their activities and diligently work to ensure they’re meeting their obligations.

In addition, the members of the Cointelegraph Innovation Circle recommended seven best practices to ensure adherence to tax formalities. Choosing a tax-friendly country while ensuring on-time payment is a top priority, in addition to avoiding shortcuts and finding an experienced crypto tax accountant.

Other key factors include accurate documentation of all activities, seeking expert legal counsel, automating transaction tracking and using specialized software.

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