You'd be forgiven for thinking August is a quiet month for civil servants, but this August was incredibly busy across Europe and the Americas with some rather prominent decisions unfolding.

Europe

The EU

Financial regulator CySEC launches fintech innovation hub for blockchain, crypto-payments. Read more

Cyprus

Ministers to hold fresh talks on pan-European cryptocurrency regulations in September. Read more

Hungary

Finance Ministry hints at hardline stance on cryptocurrencies. Read more

Germany

Boerse Stuttgart developing ICO platform, MTF for crypto trading. Read more

Offshore bank Valens signs up Stockholm crypto mining team’s cryptocurrency trading tool. Read more

Foreign Minister Heiko Mass urges EU to end US SWIFT payment monopoly with new system. Read more

Italy

Seria C team Rimini becomes first to be bought with cryptocurrency. Read more

Norway

KriptoVault Bitcoin mine to be shut down after breaking regulatory noise permissions. Read more

Russia

Moscow council using Ethereum for transparency in street-level trading. Read more

Federal Financial Monitor Service watchdog developing cryptocurrency tracking tool. Read more

Crypto miners should be registered self employed, argues Russian Association of Blockchain. Read more

Switzerland

Maerki Baumann is second Swiss bank to agree to form partnerships with cryptocurrency firms. Read more

United Kingdom

Bitcoin Bank inching closer as Coinbase adds GBP for UK traders. Read more

eToro to pay Premier League football sponsorship deal in Bitcoin. Read more 

Bitcoin wallet Wirex wins e-money licence from Financial Conduct Authority. Read more

HSBC, Barclays continuing to block business accounts for trading crypto. Read more

Pilot underway in Her Majesty’s Court Tribunal Service on blockchain court data. Read more

Coinbase UK CEO: Lack of regulation ‘biggest problem in industry’. Read more

Lloyds Bank to provide insurance for $12bn cryptocurrency storage firm. Read more

Ukraine

Regulators will recognise cryptocurrencies as financial assets. Read more

Americas

Brazil

260,000 cryptocurrency investor details leaked in Atlas Quantum hack. Read more

Canada

Global lack of regulation is hurting industry, reports Blockchain Research Institute. Read more

Joint Canada-US securities investigation yields 200 ICO cases to cover. Read more

Canada postpones blockchain, cryptocurrency regulation until late-2019. Read more

United States

SEC launches sweeping probe into cryptocurrency brokers. Read more

Think tank Coincenter releases updated framework. Read more

Finance giant Northern Trust opens doors to cryptocurrency hedge funds. Read more

New York Stock Exchange creates ‘Bakkt’ crypto ecosystem with Microsoft. Read more

National Futures Association will require more disclosure from brokers, advisors dealing with cryptocurrencies, crypto-derivatives. Read more

California open to crypto political donations. Read more

Ohio congressman invites 32 exchanges, crypto lobbyists to discuss ‘light-touch’ ICO regulation. Read more

SEC cracks down on cryptocurrency airdrops, bounty campaigns. Read more

Senate committee on Energy and Natural Resources proposes government blockchains. Read more

SEC to review 9 Bitcoin ETF rejections. Read more

St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank report: ‘Bitcoin is cool’. Read more

California passes Assembly Bill 2658 to define blockchain, smart contracts in state insurance code. Read more

Venezuala

Pensions, salaries will be pegged to Petro national cryptocurrency, country confirms. Read more

Maduro orders banks to adopt Petro. Read more

Petro ‘not accepted anywhere in Venezuela’, could be scam, warns Reuters special report. Read more

US Patent and Trademark Office grants Square patent on crypto-payments system. Read more

Middle East & North Africa

Saudi Arabia

Cryptocurrency trading declared illegal. Read more

Iran

State-backed cryptocurrency ‘is ready’ says Cyberspace Centre as central bank ready to declare new laws. Read more

UAE

Dubai Multi Commodities Centre to launch Canada-built blockchain trade financing model. Read more

First Sharia-compliant cryptocurrency exchange launches with backing of Islamic scholars. Read more

Central Asia

Armenia

Minister of Economic Development issues decree on new free economic zone to lure cryptocurrency firms. Read more

South Asia

India

Reserve Bank of India quietly opens blockchain division while cryptocurrency faces Supreme Court battle. Read more

Two West Bengal governments to issue birth certificates on blockchain. Read more

East Asia & the Pacific

Australia

World Bank raises $80m on Commonwealth Bank-built institutional blockchain bond. Read more

Scientists devising Australian National Blockchain with IBM. Read more

China

Zheshang Bank issues $66 million in securities on blockchain. Read more

Five regulators including central bank issue joint warning against crypto-trading, ICOs, IEOs. Read more

Government blocks access to 124 foreign cryptocurrency exchanges. Read more

Self-regulatory organisation NIFA adds public reports to ICO complaints. Read more

Guangzhou follows Beijing in ban on all cryptocurrency promotional events. Read more

Hong Kong

Forex Financial Commission launches blockchain committee, dispute resolution for crypto-traders. Read more

Blockchain, DLT experts will get expedited immigration status, government ‘Talent List’ shows. Read more

Japan

Self Regulatory Organisation repping 16 crypto exchanges petitions financial watchdog for official licence. Read more

Financial Services Authority regulator tightens rules on cryptocurrency exchanges. Read more

New head of FSA scolds ‘excessive’ crypto regulation, wants to see sector grow. Read more

National Police Agency to fund $315,000 crypto tracking tool. Read more

Myanmar

Rohingya refugees turn to blockchain to solve stateless ID fears. Read more

Singapore

Stock exchange SGX and Monetary Authority will settle tokenised assets with Nasdaq tech. Read more

Joint development fund backed by China offers capital for blockchain projects. Read more

South Korea

Resort island province Jeju pushes for ‘Blockchain Island’ status with new economic zone. Read more

Crypto exchanges will lose juicy tax breaks in new law. Read more

Government allocates $880 million for blockchain development. Read more

Judges form Blockchain Law Group to consider token sale, cryptocurrency law. Read more

Thailand

20 crypto exchanges have applied for digital assets licences. Read more

Bank of Thailand partners R3 for proof of concept on Corda Central Bank Digital Currency, sets March 2019 launch. Read more

Caribbean

British Virgin Islands

BVI now second-largest cryptocurrency market in the world, according to exchange data. Read more

Bahamas

Students now graduating on blockchain-based data system. Read more

Curaçao

Centrale Bank ven Curaçao en Sint Maarten signs MOU for Central Bank Digital Currency. Read more

Jamaica

Jamaica Stock Exchange launches crypto trading. Read more

Africa

Fear of crypto crash is behind Africa’s lack of crypto regulation. Read more

Virtual Crypto payments firm signs up Southern African regions. Read more

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