If there had to be a theme to tie all of January's regulator updates together, it would be that there is a general movement towards permissive environments. While few have come outright and endorsed the asset class, most now recognise it's down to them to provide a comprehensive framework within which they can operate.

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Global

70% of central banks involved in digital currency research, finds Bank of International Settlements. More →

OECD calls for regulators to keep ICOs legal to finance small business. More →

Bitcoin Proof of Work algorithm must be replaced, says Bank of International Settlements. More →

Europe

EU

European Banking Authority calls for pan-EU rules on crypto-assets. More →

European Securities and Markets Authority calls for clarity in cryptocurrency regulations. More →

Europe’s largest publishing house Axel Springer adds Stellar micropayments. More →

Austria

Capital Vienna develops public ‘reward token’. More →

Belarus

Traders now allowed to buy shares with Bitcoin. More →

Tokenised securities exchange opens at Belarus High Technologies Park. More →

Country’s largest bank planning crypto-asset exchange, chairman reveals. More →

Denmark

Skattestyrelsen tax agency given go-ahead to investigate three cryptocurrency exchanges. More →

Estonia

DX Exchange reportedly first to launch EU-regulated tokenised stock trading. More →

Germany

Six banks join Deutsche Börse blockchain securities lending platform. More →

Börse Stuttgart claims first regulated platform to trade cryptocurrency. More →

Georgia

Abkhazia state shuts down crypto-mining farms for winter electricity needs. More →

France

Paris tobacconists open Bitcoin ATMs despite regulator’s warning. More →

Former central bank chief joins board of blockchain settlements firm SETL. More →

Ireland

Ireland moves to limit cryptocurrency money laundering. More →

Italy

Senate defines blockchain, smart contracts in first regulatory steps. More →

Bankruptcy court rules hacked BitGrail exchange owner liable for 10m stolen NANO. More →

Netherlands

Central bank, financial markets authority propose registration for crypt-oasset services. More →

ING bank signs five-year deal for R3’s Corda Enterprise blockchain platform. More →

ABN AMRO bank tests popularity of personal cryptocurrency wallets. More →

Malta

Binance exchange adds credit card payments for cryptocurrency. More →

Zebpay exchange expands to five more European countries. More →

Poland

New regulations say cryptocurrency traders must report income, tax set at 19%. More →

Komisja Nadzoru Finansowego financial watchdog licences two crypto startups as payment providers. More →

Romania

Romania imposes 10% tax on cryptocurrency earnings. More →

Russia

State Duma to consider cryptocurrency regulation bill in March 2019. More →

No reason to ‘bury’ cryptocurrencies, says PM Medvedev. More →

Draft law proposes regulatory sandbox for crypto, blockchain companies. More →

Sweden

Riksbank central bank repeats warning that e-krona national cryptocurrency not yet for sale. More →

Switzerland

Investment bank Vontobel launches institutional crypto custody. More →

Falcon private bank debuts wallet with direct crypto transfers. More →

Swiss National Bank head sees cryptocurrencies as assets, not currency. More →

Dukascopy bank partners with Bitstamp for Bitcoin funding, withdrawals. More →

UK

HSBC confirms forex deals worth £194 billion settled on blockchain in 2018. More →

Coinbase hires new head of UK compliance. More →

London Stock Exchange tech to power Hong Kong’s AAX cryptocurrency exchange. More →

Financial Conduct Authority in 10-week consultation on long-awaited crypto-asset guidance. More →

Oxford man, 36, arrested over €10 million IOTA theft. More →

Ukraine

National Bank of Ukraine director says too much regulation will stagnate growth. More →

Liqui exchange shuts down to become first casualty of 2019. More →

Americas

Brazil

New president Jair Bolsonaro shutters ‘indigenous cryptocurrency’ plan. More →

Cameroon

Separatist rebels launch Ambacoin cryptocurrency to fund independence movement. More →

Canada

Chat app Kik to fight SEC over ICO action. More →

QuadrigaCX exchange goes offline in wake of founder’s death - amid claims he had sole access to cold storage keys. More →

QuadrigaCX files for creditor protection, confirms loss of cold storage. More →

Chile

Exchanges win lengthy legal battle forcing banks to unfreeze accounts. More →

From April 2019 cryptocurrency gains are subject to income tax. More →

United States

Georgia state senator jailed over faked cryptocurrency mining theft. More →

Biotech billionaire pays SEC $5.5 million for Riot Blockchain fraud. More →

New York becomes first state to launch crypto task force. More →

Retail giant Overstock tells investors it will be first to pay state taxes in Bitcoin. More →

Kraken exchange reveals disclosures up 200% as UK, Japanese regulators weigh in. More →

Nevada government using blockchain for public records. More →

Winkelvoss twins’ Gemini exchange runs full-page New York Times ad calling for regulation. More →

Texas banking regulator proposes stablecoin regulation. More →

NANO faces class action lawsuit for allegedly violating US securities law. More →

Colorado senators file bill to exempt cryptocurrencies from securities law. More →

Florida Congressman Darren Soto says most cryptocurrencies not securities. More →

Goldman Sachs-backed Circle lobbies for end to ‘painful’ tax on crypto-to-crypto transactions. More →

Minnesota Congressman reintroduces Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act to legislative slate. More →

Vermont rolls out blockchain captive insurance pilot. More →

Wyoming senators file bill to allow companies to issue tokenised stock certificates. More →

Lights go off at major Washington crypto-mining firm GigaWatt. More →

Daily darknet Bitcoin transactions doubled in 2018. More →

Wyoming bill would classify crypto-assets as property, pave way for bank custody. More →

Cboe BZX Exchange drops VanEck, SolidX ETF proposal. More →

US government shutdown forced VanEck ETF withdrawal, CEO claims. More →

Pennsylvania says cryptocurrency exchanges don’t need Money Transmitter Licence. More →

New Hampshire bill put forward to allow state agencies to accept taxes, payments in crypto. More →

New York town councillor crusades to end cryptomining ban. More →

Highly anticipated security token exchange tZERO goes live. More →

Chainalysis launches stablecoin KYT/AML compliance product. More →

New York State hands virtual currency BitLicenses to crypto trading app Robinhood, Bitcoin ATM provider LibertyX. More →

Bitwise, NSYE Arca file paperwork for Bitcoin ETF. More →

IRS ready to pounce on cryptocurrency reporting failures. More →

Chainalysis: $1bn in crypto stolen in 2018. More →

Congress passes FIND Act to track crypto use in sex, drug trafficking. More →

Chicago adds 30 more Bitcoin ATMs. More →

Fidelity planning March launch for Bitcoin custody service. More →

Nasdaq now working with seven cryptocurrency exchanges. More →

Cboe resubmits VanEck Bitcoin ETF. More →

Cottonwood Bitcoin ATM provider wins New York BitLicense. More →

Uruguay

Central Bank of Uruguay completes Central Bank Digital Currency trial of 20 million e-peso. More →

Marshall Islands

Swiss firm to produce physical banknotes for SOV national cryptocurrency. More →

Venezuela

Crypto companies will pay taxes in cryptocurrency, Maduro decrees. More →

Country files WTO complaint over US sanctions on Petro cryptocurrency. More →

Citizens offered 10% discount on property if paying with Petro. More →

Bitcoin ATMs booming in face of currency collapse. More →

Bitcoin trading explodes with political instability as bolivar, Petro fail. More →

Middle East & North Africa

Iran

Authorities treat Telegram ICO as ‘threat to national security’. More →

Sanction-led ban on SWIFT interbank payments may hasten state-backed cryptocurrency. More →

Financial heads tout talks with Germany, UK ahead of possible rial stablecoin. More →

Central bank preparing to axe Bitcoin for payments. More →

State launches gold-backed Peyman cryptocurrency. More →

Israel

Record year for ICOs with $1bn raised but startups flounder on lack of regulatory clarity. More →

Oman

Victim claims £1.2m cash, 3000 BTC theft in home invasion. More →

Saudi Arabia

Customs officials complete trial on cross-border blockchain supply chain payments. More →

Joint Saudi-UAE ‘Pilot cryptocurrency’ launches to test cross-border payments. More →

Central Asia

Eurasian Economic Commission report paves way for ‘barrier-free’ regulation in Armenia, Belarus, Russia, Kasakhstan, Kyrgyzstan. More →

South Asia

India

Reserve Bank of India puts national cryptocurrency plans on hold. More →

RBI appoints Nandan Nilekani chair of new digital payments board, will report every 3 months. More →

Kotak Mahindra bank forcing customers to sign anti-cryptocurrency pledge. More →

Banking Research Institute issues blockchain use guidelines. More →

Consortium of 11 banks launch blockchain-based SME funding. More →

East Asia & Pacific

Australia

Australia Securities and Investments Commission regulator freezes assets of prominent Bitconnect promoter. More →

China

People’s Bank of China warns over cryptocurrency use even as cash declines. More →

China Banking Association release blockchain trade finance platform. More →

Canaan mining chipmaker plans US IPO. More →

Telecoms and internet regulator sets strict blockchain rules. More →

TRON hires SEC veteran as first head of compliance. More →

Hong Kong

BitMEX dropping US, Canadian customers because of regulatory pressure. More →

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing head tells Davos crypto exchanges need ‘stability’ ahead of multi-billion dollar IPOs. More →

Japan

Self-regulatory virtual currencies group expands to 21 exchanges. More →

Financial Services Agency will regulate unregistered crypto investment companies. More →

Coincheck exchange - hacked for $500m - wins Financial Services Agency approval. More →

‘No plans’ for Bitcoin ETF, futures listing, says Financial Services Agency head. More →

Malaysia

Regulation to treat cryptocurrencies, ICOs as securities begins. More →

Securities Commission orders halt to all existing ICOs. More →

New Zealand

Cryptopia exchange suspends trading amid hack reports. More →

National police call for help finding $16m of ETH stolen from Cryptopia. More →

Cryptopia suffers second hack with 1,675 ETH stolen. More →

Phillippines

Securities and Exchange Commission postpones final ICO regulations. More →

Singapore

Law Ministry warns cryptocurrencies ‘not legal tender’ in wake of growing business interest. More →

South Korea

Two thirds of exchanges fail government cybersecurity standards. More →

Komid exchange bosses jailed for fake volume, wash trading scam. More →

Coinzest exchange rolls back servers after accidental $5m Bitcoin airdrop. More →

Bitthumb, Upbit, Coinone and Korbit exchanges launch anti-money laundering hotline. More →

Bank of Korea says no immediate need for Central Bank Digital Currency. More →

Taiwan

15 arrested in $8m cryptocurrency investment scam. More →

Thailand

Blockchain voting in the works in time for general election. More →

Finance Ministry issues three digital asset exchange licences, one broker-dealer licence. More →

SET bourse asks for permission to trade crypto-assets. More →

Caribbean

Jamaica

Jamaica Stock Exchange to list security tokens. More →

Africa

Ghana

Securities and Exchange Commission warns public ‘you’re on your own’ if you buy, trade cryptocurrencies. More →

Kenya

IMF appoints BitPesa exchange CEO as co-chair of Global Blockchain Council. More →

South Africa

Government sets up regulatory group dedicated to cryptocurrency and blockchain. More →

Reserve Bank of South Africa pledges to track all cryptocurrency transactions in 2019. More →

Laissez-faire South African cryptocurrency regulation ends as Reserve Bank gets serious. More →