South Korean tax payers have declared some 131 trillion won (more than $ 98 billion) of crypto holdings in overseas accounts this year. The amount was announced by the country’s tax agency and it comes after the authorities in Seoul imposed a mandatory reporting requirement for financial assets held abroad. Almost 1,500 South Korean Firms and Individuals Declare Foreign Crypto … [Read more...]
South Korean Authorities Take Aim at Unregulated Crypto OTC Desks Amid Money Laundering Concerns
South Korean prosecutors and regulators are directing their attention toward reported issues concerning unregulated cryptocurrency-based over-the-counter (OTC) trading and deposit enterprises. During the third annual prosecutors’ conference, officials proposed the necessity for enhanced regulation in the crypto sphere, citing concerns that these enterprises facilitate … [Read more...]
South Korea Seeks to Freeze North’s Crypto Assets Under New Law
The government in Seoul intends to submit new legislation tailored to facilitate the tracking and freezing of crypto used to fund the weapons programs of North Korea. A bill has been drafted after extended consultations between ministries with the aim to make South Korean sanctions more effective and improve the country’s cybersecurity. South Korean Government Takes Aim … [Read more...]
Ramping up Blockchain Education Can Help Make South Korea the World’s Crypto Leader, Says Hashed CPO Edward Hong
According to Edward Hong, the chief platform officer (CPO) at the early-stage venture firm Hashed, South Korea’s decision to delay putting in place a comprehensive crypto regulatory framework seems to be more of a strategic move rather than hesitation. Hong insisted that the perceived delay helps to ensure that South Korea’s regulatory regime will be in sync with … [Read more...]
South African Crypto Premium Surge After Kraken Abruptly Starts Blocking Deposits by Local Residents
The premium on crypto assets listed on South African exchanges briefly surged to 3.5% after Kraken’s abruptly started blocking deposits from users based in the African country. Some South African crypto experts have linked Kraken’s decision to the Financial Action Task Force’s recent addition of the African country to its greylist. Impact of the FATF’s … [Read more...]
South African Official: Common Currency Requires Central Bank, Threatens Monetary Policy Independence
South Africa’s minister of finance has explained why he believes that no country is ready for a common currency, including a unified BRICS currency. “Setting up a common currency presupposes setting up a central bank, and that presupposes losing independence on monetary policies, and I don’t think any country is ready for that,” he emphasized. ‘I Don’t Think Any Country … [Read more...]
Over 40 Heads of State Will Attend BRICS Summit, South Africa Confirms
South Africa, the host of the BRICS summit this year, has confirmed that more than 40 heads of state will participate in the summit that will take place on Aug. 22-24. South Africa has also claimed that 23 countries have formally applied for BRICS membership. 40+ Heads of State to Participate in BRICS Summit Nelson Kgwete, the South African foreign ministry’s media liaison … [Read more...]
Morocco Denies South Africa’s Claim That It Has Applied to Join BRICS: Report
Morocco has reportedly denied the claim made by South Africa, the host of the BRICS summit this year, that it has formally applied to join the economic bloc. According to South African officials, over 40 countries are interested in joining the BRICS group, including 23 nations that have formally applied. Morocco Maintains Good Relations With 4 BRICS Countries, Will Not Attend … [Read more...]
US Dollar to Remain Major Global Currency, South Africa’s BRICS Sherpa Says
BRICS plans to discuss trade in national currencies at its summit but de-dollarization is not on the agenda, South Africa’s BRICS Sherpa stated. The talks in Johannesburg next week will also focus on the expansion of the bloc of emerging economies and the diplomat doesn’t see this as a challenge to any other organization. De-Dollarization Not on BRICS Summit’s Agenda, … [Read more...]
Report: Brazilian Court Fines Mastermind of South African Bitcoin Ponzi Scheme
A court in Brazil has found Johann Steynberg, the mastermind of the bitcoin ponzi scheme Mirror Trading International (MTI), guilty in a case in which he is accused of using a forged identity document. The court, however, commuted Steynberg’s three-and-a-half-year sentence to a fine of just over $ 31,000. Both Steynberg’s lawyers and the prosecution team have … [Read more...]
Bitcoin Miner Genesis Digital Assets Opens 3 New Data Centers in South Carolina
Genesis Digital Assets (GDA), one of the world’s largest bitcoin mining companies, has opened three new data centers in the western region of South Carolina. The facilities represent GDA’s continued expansion in the United States, where its data centers now account for over 2% of Bitcoin’s total hashrate. Genesis Digital Assets Reveals 3 New South … [Read more...]
Top 5 South Korean Crypto Exchanges Reveal Compliance Strategies to Curb Illicit Activities
According to a statement published by the South Korean Financial Services Commission (FSC), the entity’s Korea Financial Intelligence Unit held a meeting with virtual asset service providers (VASPs) in order to strengthen regulatory compliance. The top five South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges including Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and Gopax have created compliance … [Read more...]
South Africa’s Foreign Minister Hints at Expansion of BRICS Bloc With 3 New Members
In a recent interview published on July 26, South Africa’s foreign minister Naledi Pandor highlighted the BRICS group of economies’ commitment to peace, asserting that these nations do not aim to “weaponize the oceans.” Moreover, leading up to the much-anticipated 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg next month, Pandor indicated that an announcement … [Read more...]
Over 10,000 South African Retail Outlets Now Accept Momint Crypto Vouchers
Momint, a Web3 marketplace app, has said South African residents can now use cryptocurrency to purchase shopping vouchers which are accepted by over 10,000 retailers. The Momint app can also be used to send cross-border remittances at a fraction of the fees charged by regular money transfer companies. Vouchers Accepted by Popular Businesses Momint, a Web3 marketplace, has … [Read more...]
Deeper Ties With BRICS Should Not Jeopardize Relations With the West — South African Business Association Leader
South Africa’s economic well-being is dependent on trade relations with the West, and therefore attempts to bolster relationships with BRICS must not be at the expense of ties to the West, the leader of a South African business association has said. The leader also singled out the African country’s trade with China which she said is more aimed at maintaining the latter’s … [Read more...]
