A drive by Türkiye ‘s government to modernize the country’s tax system will seek to boost revenue by tackling tax avoidance and scrapping incentives that are no longer needed rather than raising the overall burden, the finance minister said on Monday. Mehmet Simsek said, however, that preliminary draft proposals being discussed within the government envisioned … Read more
More than billion worth of cryptocurrency has moved into a new type of platform called EigenLayer, which offers rewards to investors in exchange for locking up their tokens.
The US SEC approved spot Ethereum ETFs on May 23rd, which is seen as a positive development for the crypto community. Michael Saylor believes that this approval could be particularly bullish for Bitcoin in terms of mainstream adoption. Rebel Satoshi Arcade, a new GameFi memecoin, is predicted to have a 65x jump after its market debut.
Cryptocurrency is a digital currency that operates on a decentralized system through a network of computers called nodes. It relies on blockchain technology and encrypted algorithms for security. There are various types of cryptocurrency, such as Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple, and Stellar, with fluctuating values. Trading in cryptocurrency can be done directly, through decentralized exchanges, or centralized exchanges. Cryptocurrency taxation varies by country, with earnings from mining or payments being taxable. Cryptocurrencies are typically treated as property for income tax purposes, resulting in potential capital gains taxes. The tax implications of cryptocurrencies are complex and evolving, requiring efficient tracking and verification tools. Regulatory attention is needed for anti-money laundering measures and know-your-customer procedures in the cryptocurrency market. Cryptocurrency is considered property and taxable like shares, with the industry rapidly evolving and becoming more complex.
Cyprus has improved its measures for tackling money laundering and combating financing of terrorism, according to the latest Moneyval report. The Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) sees this as a ‘vote of confidence’ in financial regulation, especially for cryptos. The report found Cyprus to have improved its compliance with the Financial Action Task Force’s Recommendations, particularly in relation to Crypto-Asset Services Providers. Moneyval also noted progress towards improving compliance with non-profit organizations. Cyprus has made progress in addressing technical compliance shortcomings and is expected to report back to Moneyval in May 2025 on further progress. The country has achieved compliance or large compliance on 37 out of the 40 FATF Recommendations. CySEC has implemented significant measures to assess and reduce risks in the field of crypto-assets and improve compliance among providers. The publication of the report follows legislative changes to align AML/CFT laws with Moneyval and FATF standards.
Cyprus plans to implement the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation by the end of this year or early 2025, aiming to protect investors and promote transformation in the crypto asset sector in the European Union. The MiCA framework, created by the European Commission, focuses on maintaining financial stability throughout the EU. Currently, there are no safeguards at the Union level for the crypto asset market, with only individual national legislation in place. The number of crypto-asset service providers increased from seven in 2022 to 11 by the end of that year, with a total of 16 applications pending so far this year. The Chairman of the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), Dr. George Theocharides, anticipates more CASP companies will emerge once MiCA is implemented. In 2023, CySEC conducted over 700 on-site and remote thematic inspections of supervised entities, assessed compliance with prudential supervision framework limits, and monitored Cypriot Investment Firms (CIFs) affected by Russia-Ukraine sanctions. CySEC also evaluated promotional material of over 35 CIFs, conducted investigations into CIFs, and imposed administrative sanctions totaling approximately EUR 2.2 million in 2023, with a total of EUR 6 million in administrative sanctions over the last three years. Additionally, 19 cases of CIFs had their operating licenses revoked or suspended. Dr. Theocharides highlighted the importance of the upcoming MiCA regulation for crypto-asset service providers, aimed at ensuring investor protection and market integrity. He urged investors to be cautious when investing in crypto-assets due to the associated risks. Despite challenges, the capital market in Cyprus remains of significant interest, with 82 entities receiving approval in 2023 and the number of supervised entities at 830 by the end of February 2024. CySEC also participated in events promoting financial literacy and issued warnings about entities posing as CySEC officials or imitating its website.