Roland Guirdonan
Roland is a Public Relations & Communications guru with an immense passion for the blockchain and crypto industry. A fusion of his expertise and passion led to the dawn of Optimisus in 2020.
Articles by Roland Guirdonan
1 year ago
1 min read
The New York state Department of Financial Services (DFS) has released guidelines for regulated banks looking to engage in activities with virtual currency. The 11-page document explains the application process and “summarizes the types of information the Department considers relevant” for obtaining the agency’s approval. Approval is required 90 days before engaging in activities, and approval for past activities “does not constitute general consent” for other activities. Institutions already engaged in virtual currency activities were told to contact their points of contact at the agency immediately. New York is known for its strict regulation of the crypto industry and has
1 year ago
1 min read
MetaMask, a crypto wallet developed by ConsenSys, has announced a partnership with PayPal that will allow most US users to purchase Ethereum through their wallet using the payment service. This partnership makes MetaMask the first Web3 platform to offer such a service through PayPal, and the service will be available to all US users except those in Hawaii. ConsenSys plans to roll out the service nationwide in the coming weeks. This integration will enable US users to easily purchase crypto through MetaMask and explore the Web3 ecosystem, according to Lorenzo Santos, a product manager for MetaMask. Web3 refers to the
1 year ago
0 mins read
According to the Financial Times, Ashley Alder, the next chair of the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority, has called for stricter regulations on cryptocurrency platforms. Alder reportedly made the comments during a speech to members of parliament, where he argued that such regulations are necessary because crypto companies are “deliberately evasive” and facilitate money laundering. This comes after the FCA conducted anti-money laundering tests that disqualified 85% of the firms that applied. It is expected that the UK Treasury will introduce regulations that protect consumers, limit foreign sellers, and restrict advertising for cryptocurrency products.
1 year ago
1 min read
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a claim against eight individuals associated with the Discord-based forum Atlas Trading. The defendants are accused of violating the Securities Act and Securities Exchange Act, through a stock manipulation scheme that generated more than $100 million in illegal profits. In addition, the SEC is seeking a permanent injunction to prevent the defendants from engaging in similar practices in the future. The defendants include co-founder Edward Constantin and CEO Perry Matlock, as well as YouTube channel “Goblin Gang” hosts Thomas Cooperman and Gary Deel, podcast hosts Mitchell Hennessey and Daniel Knight,
1 year ago
1 min read
Jack Dorsey, the co-founder and CEO of Twitter, recently announced that he will donate $1 million per year to the encrypted messaging app Signal. In addition, Dorsey said that this donation is part of his broader effort to promote open internet development and ensure that social media is not controlled by a single entity or group of entities. In a blog post, Dorsey also voiced his concerns about the current state of Twitter and its lack of resilience to corporate and government influence. Furthermore, he also criticized the harassment of Twitter’s staff and said that more grants like the one
1 year ago
1 min read
A judge in the Bahamas refused to grant bail to Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the now-defunct crypto exchange FTX, on December 12, following an indictment by US prosecutors that included eight counts. His legal team proposed a $250,000 bail, to no avail, as the Bahamas prosecutors pointed to a treaty with the US requiring that defendants be detained pending extradition proceedings. A hearing to consider extradition has been set for February 8. The US Department of Justice, the SEC, and the CFTC have also filed lawsuits against Bankman-Fried over purported securities and commodities fraud. The Bahamas government is carrying
1 year ago
1 min read
Reddit’s tokenized avatar project on the Polygon network has reached a new milestone, with over 5 million collectibles minted. The milestone was reached in the previous day, according to data aggregated from the blockchain and shown on a Dune dashboard. Moreover, the project has over 4.25 million distinct wallets, indicating that the NFTs are not concentrated among high-value collectors. Reddit announced in July that it would offer NFT avatars using the Ethereum sidechain network Polygon to distribute both free and premium avatars. Most NFTs created so far have been free avatars given out to users of the site. The announcement
1 year ago
1 min read
Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder and former CEO of the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has been charged with fraud by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The agency alleges that Bankman-Fried violated anti-fraud laws by concealing the transfer of FTX customer funds to his trading firm, Alameda Research LLC, while raising over $1.8 billion from equity investors. The SEC added that Alameda was given special treatment by FTX through a “virtually unlimited line of credit,” while the exchange failed to disclose its exposure to Alameda’s risky holdings of “overvalued, illiquid assets.” In addition, the complaint also alleges that Bankman-Fried used
1 year ago
1 min read
The recent crisis surrounding FTX and Alameda has had a drastic effect on the entire market, resulting in all businesses and sectors connected to the crypto space being negatively affected. Alameda and Genesis were the creditors of Genesis Global for a certain time period, and the current bankruptcy of FTX could potentially lead to Genesis and its subsidiary, Digital Currency Group (DCG), filing for bankruptcy as well. According to Ryan Selkis, the founder of Messari, the close relationship between Genesis and Alameda as crypto borrower-lender is the main cause of Genesis’ potential bankruptcy. A representative of Genesis declared in a
1 year ago
1 min read
On Monday, Sam Bankman Fried, the founder and ex-CEO of the now bankrupt FTX.com exchange, was apprehended and detained by the Royal Bahamas Police at the request of the United States, according to a tweet from Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. The Southern District of New York issued a sealed indictment that will become public on Tuesday in the U.S., resulting in the arrest of someone associated with FTX, Williams said. Prime Minister Philip Davis of The Bahamas expressed his commitment to bringing those allegedly responsible for any wrongdoing to justice, as reported
1 year ago
1 min read
South Korean financial regulators are reportedly debating whether companies should be required to obtain approval from authorities to list their digital currencies on domestic crypto exchanges, according to The Herald Business on Monday. In South Korea, a proposed bill may be included in the upcoming Digital Asset Basic Act, which would require the country’s regulators to approve new token listings on crypto exchanges instead of the exchanges themselves, The Herald Business reported. Though it is believed that this would reduce risks and losses for investors, there is debate among regulators regarding the suggestion. After WEMIX, the native token of South
1 year ago
2 mins read
Disagreements among U.S. Department of Justice prosecutors are causing the investigation into Binance, the world’s biggest crypto exchange, to be drawn out, according to four people familiar with the matter. The probe, which started in 2018, is focused on Binance’s adherence to U.S. anti-money laundering laws and sanctions. Reuters reported that two of the sources shared that some of the at least half dozen federal prosecutors have argued that the evidence already presented is enough to take action against the exchange and bring criminal charges against Changpeng Zhao, the founder, while others have suggested waiting to review more evidence. The
