Tag: crypto

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EUROPE: Gains from crypto trading are taxable, German Court decides
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AUSTRALIA: Treasury Releases Token Mapping Consultation Paper
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United States: A Record Year: SEC FY 2022 Enforcement Actions Bring Big Penalties
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Australian Regulatory Update – 7 November 2022
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United States: SEC vs. Wahi: An Insider Trading Action with Surprising Impacts on the Investment Management Industry

EUROPE: Gains from crypto trading are taxable, German Court decides

By Hilger von Livonius

In a recent decision of 14 February 2023, the Federal Fiscal Court (Bundesfinanzhof, BFH), the highest German tax court, has ruled that privately held cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) and Monero (XMR) are – notwithstanding the fact that there are no physical goods in which a traditional form of legal ownership can be established – taxable assets for German income tax purposes. As a consequence, any gains from their acquisition (against fiat currency or otherwise) and sale (or exchange) within a one-year period will be taxable (at the owner’s personal tax rate); if, however, the relevant cryptocurrency has been held for more than one year, any gains will be tax exempt. For these purposes, the holder of the “private key” will be considered as legal owner of the cryptocurrency. The tax treatment of a realization of an increase in value of cryptocurrencies is therefore, in Germany, substantially the same as for fiat currency.

AUSTRALIA: Treasury Releases Token Mapping Consultation Paper

By Daniel Knight and Oliver Herrmann

New licensing requirements for crypto service providers are coming, following a series of consultations launched last week by Treasurer, Jim Chalmers. The Government approach focuses on strengthening enforcement, bolstering consumer protection and ultimately establishing a new licensing framework.

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United States: A Record Year: SEC FY 2022 Enforcement Actions Bring Big Penalties

By: Keri E. Riemer, Michael W. McGrath, Neil T. Smith, Hayley Trahan-Liptak, and Christopher F. Warner

On 15 November 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced its enforcement statistics for its 2022 fiscal year (FY 2022), noting that it filed 760 total enforcement actions — a 9% increase over fiscal year 2021.  This total was comprised of 462 new actions, 169 “follow-on” actions, and 129 actions for delinquent filings.  Money obtained in SEC actions, comprising civil penalties, disgorgement, and pre-judgment interest, totaled a record-breaking $6.439 billion (compared to $3.852 billion in fiscal year 2021).  Civil penalties, totaling $4.194 billion, were also the highest on record.

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Australian Regulatory Update – 7 November 2022

By Jim Bulling and Anabelle Weinberg

1.           ASIC Annual Forum

The ASIC Annual Forum was held on 3 – 4 November 2022 with a number of significant announcements being made.

Firstly, ASIC has for the first time announced their enforcement priorities for 2023. ASIC now intends to do this on an annual basis.

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United States: SEC vs. Wahi: An Insider Trading Action with Surprising Impacts on the Investment Management Industry

By: Richard F. Kerr and Keri E. Riemer

The SEC has made a new crypto move – and its impact is broad.

As described in our FinTech Law Watch blog published on 29 July 2022, the SEC recently declared that 9 crypto assets were “securities” in a complaint relating to insider trading violations (Wahi Complaint).

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