Announcements in December covered the whole gambit, from indictments to new policy frameworks. Fines were imposed, charges laid, charges dropped, class-action suits filed, and everything in between.

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GLOBAL

G20 agree to regulate crypto-assets in line with anti-terror rules. More →

UNICEF investing $100,000 in blockchain projects to combat global healthcare, vaccine problems. More →

Up to 80% of exchange volume is wash trading, report claims. More →

UN partners blockchain telemedicine app to expand free health services in East Africa. More →

Europe

EU

European Parliament adopts resolution on ‘forward-looking’ blockchain trade policy. More →

Belarus

Government expands cryptocurrency legal framework. More →

Belgium

Financial Services and Markets Authority adds 100+ sites to crypto blacklist. More →

Estonia

Financial Intelligence Unit regulator puts forward stiffer rules for licensed crypto companies. More →

France

Parliament should allocate $500bn to blockchain sector in next three years, government report finds. More →

Lawmakers propose lower taxes for cryptocurrency miners. More →

Parliament rejects four crypto-friendly tax amendments. More →

Georgia

Self-proclaimed state of Abkhazia drafting legal framework for cryptocurrency mining. More →

Gibraltar

eToro crypto arm eToroX wins Financial Services Commission trading license. More →

Netherlands

Dutch central bank DNB to issue licenses for cryptocurrency providers. More →

Liberium buys out Spanish football team for $4.9m. More →

Italy

Cross-disciplinary group to craft national blockchain strategy, regulations. More →

Malta

Country’s first crypto bank to open with OKEx investment. More →

Moldova

Transnistria plans 100MW cryptocurrency mining capacity to lure fintech business. More →

Romania

CoinFlux exchange CEO arrested on money-laundering charges, preparing for US extradition. More →

Russia

Largest blockchain elections see 40,000 votes for Youth Parliament. More →

Ministry of Internal Affairs arrest WEX exchange CEO Dmitry Vasilyev. More →

State Duma postpones adoption of Digital Assets Bill until spring 2019. More →

Citizens allowed to invest maximum $9,000 in ICOs, new bill proposes. More →

State-owned development bank Vnesheconombank offers legal help to crypto startups. More →

Switzerland

State Secretariat and Federal Council predict ‘remarkable’ future for blockchain sector, outline principles for regulation. More →

UK

JP Morgan investment manager Calastone shifting entire fund network to blockchain in May 2019. More →

MP proposes residents should pay council tax in Bitcoin. More →

Financial Action Task Force find UK cryptocurrency exchanges have ‘low risk’ of terror financing, money laundering. More →

UK-based Iranian students using Bitcoin to circumvent US banking sanctions. More →

HMRC releases first guidelines on taxing crypto-asset gains. More →

Visa buys Ripple payments partner Earthport for £198m. More →

Samsung seeks UK trademark for in-house cryptocurrency wallet. More →

Financial Conduct Authority investigating 18 cryptocurrency firms. More →

The Americas

Canada

Coinsquare exchange expands to 25 European countries. More →

Chile

BancoEstado, Itau challenge Supreme Court ruling forcing banks to reopen cryptocurrency exchange accounts. More →

Panama

Japanese exchange BitPoint launches crypto-to-fiat trading in Panama expansion. More →

United States

SEC’s next target: social media influencers who promote ICOs. More →

FinCEN regulator updates real estate reporting to include cryptocurrencies. More →

Department of Homeland Security seeks forensic analytics to trace ZCash, Monero transactions. More →

SEC delays Van Eck/SolidX ETF listing decision until Feb 2019. More →

Derivatives regulator CFTC begins formal ETH consultation. More →

Freedom of Information reveals 36 companies apply for New York’s BitLicense scheme. More →

First cryptocurrency bank sued by SEC settles for $2.3m. More →

Kraken preparing for $4bn IPO. More →

Security token issuer TokenSoft buys stake in SEC-regulated firm to operate as broker dealer. More →

$133m Basis stablecoin shuts down amid securities regulatory issues. More →

Bitcoin ransom bomb threats turn out to be hoax. More →

New bill seeks to sanction Iran for developing national cryptocurrency. More →

Bitcoin-friendly payments app Square reapplies for US banking license. More →

Telegram, Discord being used for criminal pump and dump schemes, study shows. More →

Lawmakers put forward Token Taxonomy Act to change definition of cryptocurrencies, securities. More →

Senators alert SEC over Robinhood checking account debacle. More →

SEC’s definition of securities unlawful when it includes cryptocurrencies, research finds. More →

Department of Defence eyes blockchain for troop movements. More →

Wall Street giants backing out of crypto. More →

NVIDIA hit with class action lawsuit for mining losses. More →

Crypto price crash offers investors chance for tax write-offs. More →

Bank of America submits patent for blockchain cash handling improvements. More →

SEC $1bn ICO crackdown yields just $36m so far. More →

Federal Reserve says no to central bank digital currency. More →

Venezuela

President Maduro raises Petro value by 150% amid ongoing inflation. More →

Government paying pensions in Petro cryptocurrency without workers’ consent. More →

The Middle East & North Africa

Bahrain

Central Bank of Bahrain issues draft cryptocurrency regulations. More →

Israel

Bank of Israel issues call for joint team to consider DLT, blockchain regulation. More →

Iran

Government officials admit blockchain can improve Iranian economy. More →

Kuwait

National Bank of Kuwait adds RippleNet for cross-border payments. More →

Saudi Arabia

Blockchain liquidity tools being developed for Islamic banking overhaul. More →

UAE

Central bank governor declares joint UAE-Saudi Arabia project for fiat-backed cross border payments. More →

UAE Exchange, Ripple to start cross-border payments in Q1 2019. More →

Securities and Commodities Authority regulator to finalise ICO regulations in mid-2019. More →

Central Asia

Kazakhstan

Government department signs MOU with South Korean firm for blockchain financing of infrastructure projects. More →

South Asia

India

Zebpay exchange expands to 20 countries across Europe. More →

Facebook developing stablecoin for WhatsApp currency transfers in India. More →

Joint central bank committee favours lifting cryptocurrency ban in favour of strong regulations. More →

Exchanges report record volumes despite regulatory uncertainty. More →

East Asia & the Pacific

Australia

Fallout from new anti-encryption laws could cripple crypto industry. More →

China

Chip producer Bitmain allegedly lost $740m from Bitcoin Cash hash war. More →

People’s Bank of China declares security token offerings are illegal. More →

Industrial Bank spending $1bn with China Telecom to develop crypto apps. More →

Hong Kong

Tighter cryptocurrency rules planned as digital assets come under Securities and Futures Commission oversight. More →

Asian exchanges struggling with lack of regulatory clarity, crypto insurance options. More →

Japan

Financial Services Agency to issue ICO investment limits. More →

Coincheck exchange to win license despite $500m hack. More →

Banking group Mizuho plans March 2019 launch of digital currency for cashless payments. More →

FSA dealing with 190 cryptocurrency exchange applications. More →

Malaysia

Central bank, Securities Commission collaborating on ICO and trading regulation framework. More →

Singapore

Central bank updates ICO guidelines. More →

$78k lost to Bitcoin investment scams. More →

Huobi exchange derivatives trading passes $1bn. More →

Thailand

SEC fintech director clarifies treatment of utility tokens. More →

First licensed ICO portal delayed until early 2019. More →

SEC looks to relax ICO presale and private sale regulations. More →

South Korea

Startup files constitutional appeal against blanket ICO ban. More →

Upbit exchange accused of fraud, inflating volume with $228bn fake orders. More →

Bithumb acquitted in ETH hacking lawsuit, court rules exchange ‘not a financial service provider’. More →

Caribbean

Bermuda

Bermuda Monetary Authority reveals draft cryptocurrency custody code. More →

Africa

Egypt

Sub-governor of Central Bank of Egypt confirms digital currency plan. More →

Kenya

IBM blockchain farming trial to begin in 2019. More →

Nairobi Securities Exchange to list Africa’s first cryptocurrency ETF. More →

Nigeria

Deposit insurance group monitoring risks from digital assets. More →