International

Crypto / Digital Assets

US to Form Presidential Working Group on Digital Assets

By Manesh Samtani | 26/01/2025

The SEC also officially rescinded Staff Accounting Bulletin No 121, which made it more costly for firms to keep custody of digital assets on behalf of others.

Sanctions

US to Designate International Drug Cartels as Terrorist Organisations

By Editors | 25/01/2025

The US State Department will decide which cartels to designate. Three of Biden’s sanctions-related executive actions were rescinded.

Crypto / Digital Assets

FSB Publishes Work Programme for the Year Ahead

By Manesh Samtani | 25/01/2025

The work programme highlights digitalisation, climate change, and the shifting macroeconomic environment as key priorities

AML / KYC

TD Bank’s Global Anti-Money Laundering Officer Steps Down

By Thisanka Siripala | 24/01/2025

The change is said to be part of broader leadership changes at TD Bank, aimed at restoring trust and strengthening its regulatory standing.

Capital / Liquidity

EU Launches Stress Test Exercise to Assess Bank Resilience

By Mark Johnston | 24/01/2025

Banks submitting “overly optimistic” projections will face “additional scrutiny throughout the quality assurance phase, potentially including on-site visits”.

Big Picture

Climate-Linked Bonds Can Help Drive Net Zero Transition: ECB Paper

By Thisanka Siripala | 23/01/2025

Climate-linked bonds can encourage governments to proactively address climate change and help investors hedge against long-term climate risks

Market Infrastructure

ESMA Launches Governance Structure to Support Transition to T+1

By Nithya Subramanian | 23/01/2025

The new governance structure establishes committees and specialised groups to address the regulatory and legal implications of the transition.

Enforcement

Another US Court Rules Tornado Cash Sanctions Were Unlawful

By Editors | 23/01/2025

Court ruled that Tornado Cash smart contracts could not be classified as property IEEPA. A similar ruling was issued by a different court in November 2024.

ESG / Sustainability

FDIC Joins Federal Reserve in Withdrawing from NGFS

By Thisanka Siripala | 23/01/2025

The withdrawals are part of a broader trend of US organisations and financial institutions stepping back from climate-focused initiatives