The decentralized finance (DeFi) landscape is experiencing a significant loss of Total Value Locked (TVL) across major blockchain networks, including Ethereum, Solana, and Cardano, causing unease in the crypto market, while the Base blockchain network shows unexpected growth in TVL.
The U.S. Treasury Department's new proposal on digital asset taxes is facing criticism from the crypto industry, as it may capture decentralized operations that are difficult to comply with, although it may also provide a clear path for crypto investors to file their taxes.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the IRS have released proposed regulations on the sale and exchange of digital assets, requiring brokers to report certain transactions and helping taxpayers determine their tax obligations.
The past week in DeFi saw the developers behind Base and Optimism protocols collaborate on a revenue and governance sharing framework, while evidence emerged regarding the $1.5 billion Multichain hack and victims search for answers, and blockchain security provider Quantstamp introduced a new DeFi tool to detect flash loan attack vulnerabilities. Additionally, Shiba Inu's Ethereum layer 2, Shibarium, is preparing for a relaunch, and the DeFi market experienced a minor dip in total value locked.
The Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Patrick McHenry, criticized the Biden Administration's proposed crypto tax regulations, claiming that they aim to "kill" the digital asset industry in the U.S. and urged for clearer rules.
Hackers have targeted decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols almost 500 times since 2019, stealing a total of $6 billion, highlighting the vulnerabilities of the smart contracts that underpin DeFi platforms. The recent surge in hacks, along with declining market share and increasing interest rates, has led to the closure of several platforms and calls for regulations to prevent money laundering and enhance security measures.
The IRS has issued proposed regulations defining the term "broker" in relation to digital assets, including decentralized finance platforms, and outlining tax reporting requirements for cryptocurrency transactions, which could have implications for DeFi platforms and users.
The US Department of the Treasury and the IRS have proposed regulations that would require digital asset brokers to report gross proceeds and provide information on gains and losses from the sale of crypto assets starting in 2025.
Global securities regulators have outlined a blueprint to hold participants in decentralized finance (DeFi) accountable for their actions and protect market stability, as the sector has experienced significant shrinkage and is being used for money laundering; regulators are proposing a framework to ensure investor protection, risk management, and cross-border cooperation.
Binance CEO predicts that DeFi will surpass centralized finance in the next bull run, while the US CFTC takes regulatory action against three DeFi protocols for alleged registration failures; a report from the Bank for International Settlements argues that pure DeFi has little use case in the real world due to the need for oracles; Binance is refunding $1 million to users over a token incident, and the Shiba Inu ecosystem's layer-2 network, Shibarium, has reached over one million wallets but has yet to impact the price of SHIB token.
Decentralized finance (DeFi) projects in the US face significant regulatory risk, according to Synthetix founder Kain Warwick, who believes that US regulators are neglecting the advantages of transparent and open infrastructure in financial markets and that it will be left to the courts to resolve these issues.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's head of the Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit, David Hirsch, announced that the agency will continue to pursue crypto exchanges and DeFi projects for violating securities laws, similar to Coinbase and Binance, stating that they have several other businesses on their radar; however, the SEC's current litigation load is heavy and they are limited in their capacity to take action against all entities.
Exploits related to oracle networks have led to nearly a billion dollars in losses over the past three years, as decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols relying on oracles are vulnerable to manipulation due to unreliable real-world data.
Decentralized finance (DeFi) has the potential to revolutionize wealth building globally, and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) can address challenges such as liquidity, language barriers, regulatory compliance, and security to further enhance its adoption and growth.
Yield Protocol, a decentralized finance (DeFi) lending protocol, has announced its decision to shut down due to a lack of business demand and global regulatory pressures, including unfavorable crypto regulations in the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom.
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) released a report on decentralized finance (DeFi) and its risks to the EU market, highlighting the liquidity risk, counterparty risk, vulnerability to scams, and lack of recourse mechanisms as key concerns, although it concludes that DeFi currently does not pose significant risks to financial stability due to its small size and limited interconnectedness with traditional financial markets.
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has warned of the "serious risks" of decentralized finance (DeFi) despite its early stage, citing concerns over investor protection, operational vulnerabilities, and lack of a responsible party. ESMA plans to further investigate this nascent market that defies traditional regulatory frameworks for centralized entities like banks and exchanges.
The total amount of capital locked in decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols has dropped to its lowest point since February 2021 as traders seek higher yields and less risk in traditional finance products, leading to a decline in the DeFi sector during the ongoing cryptocurrency bear market.
The French Central Bank has concluded its consultation on the regulation of decentralized finance (DeFi), finding that it is more appropriate to refer to DeFi as "disintermediated" finance due to the persistence of centralization patterns and the operational risk of high concentration in blockchain infrastructure. The majority of respondents support continued deployment of DeFi on public blockchains, with regular auditing and regulation of intermediaries and smart contracts. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) also highlighted the benefits and risks of DeFi in a recent report.
The development of blockchain-based digital assets has created a challenge for legislators and regulators, who must create a legal framework that balances innovation and financial system integrity, with progress being made through the efforts of industry actors and advocacy communities despite regulatory hostility, lawsuits, and lack of clarity in existing rules.
Major financial regulators have issued new guidelines for decentralized assets, including proposals for assessing the suitability of management members in crypto firms, obliging banks to disclose data on exposures to crypto assets, designating cryptocurrency mixing as an area of money laundering concern, and imposing restrictions on digital currency products. Additionally, FTX's former general counsel testified in Sam Bankman-Fried's trial about the exchange's commingling of funds with Alameda Research, and Pennsylvania has removed a two-year mining moratorium from a bill regulating crypto mining. Furthermore, Gemini, Genesis, and Digital Currency Group are accused of defrauding investors through the Gemini Earn investment program.
The IRS's proposal for implementing new reporting requirements on cryptocurrency service providers is concerning as it establishes a baseline for reporting based on the ability to collect customer information, even if there is no need to do so, further expanding the framework of financial surveillance in the U.S.
