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China extends crypto ban to stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets

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China extends crypto ban to stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets

Mainland China widens its crypto ban to cover RMB-pegged stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets, even as Hong Kong pushes ahead with a licensed stablecoin regime.

China’s central bank and top regulatory authorities have extended the country’s cryptocurrency ban to include tokenization of real-world assets and stablecoins, according to a new regulatory notice.

China issues new stablecoin guidance

The People’s Bank of China and the China Securities Regulatory Commission, along with other agencies, released the notice to prevent and resolve risks associated with virtual currencies. Virtual currencies and mining remain completely prohibited in China under the expanded framework.

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The notice requires prior authorization for the issuance of stablecoins tied to the renminbi outside the country. Domestic businesses and foreign entities under their control cannot issue virtual currencies worldwide unless they have obtained necessary permits from relevant authorities in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, the notice stated.

The regulatory framework emphasizes that monetary sovereignty is affected by stablecoins related to legal tender since they perform certain functions in circulation and usage. No entity or individual, domestic or foreign, can issue any RMB-pegged stablecoin outside the country without appropriate authorizations, according to the notice.

The notice reiterates the prohibition of virtual currency-related companies and the need to continue regulating virtual currency mining. The National Development and Reform Commission and relevant agencies will continue implementing stringent regulations on mining operations, the document stated.

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Regulatory concerns include organizations appearing to be data centers but actually engaged in mining, managers moving equipment between areas to avoid local oversight, and correlation between some mining operations and speculation and trading in virtual currencies, according to the notice.

The notice establishes ground rules for tokenization of real-world assets, including compliance criteria. Regulators defined tokenization as using encryption and distributed ledger technology for the issuance and trading of rights to ownership, income, and other interests in assets.

Providing intermediary or technology services for RWA tokenization activities in China, as well as engaging in such activities, may be considered unlawful financial operations, the notice stated. The framework forbids the illegal sale of tokenized securities, the sale of securities to the public without proper authority, the trading of criminal securities or futures, and the solicitation of funds without a proper license.

The notice indicates possible exclusions for commercial operations carried out using specified financial infrastructure and with approval of relevant authorities under current laws and regulations. The entity with actual control over underlying assets is required to file a report with the CSRC before participating in related operations, according to regulatory guidelines.

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Overseas issuance paperwork must describe the domestic filing company, underlying assets, token issuance strategy, and related details in depth, along with other relevant documentation, the notice stated.

Despite mainland opposition to cryptocurrency activity, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority is planning to grant an initial set of stablecoin licenses in March. Eddie Yue, chief executive of the HKMA, said in a Legislative Council meeting that a decision was hoped for by March.

The government is evaluating dozens of applications submitted by stablecoin issuers. The HKMA began accepting applications after Hong Kong passed a Stablecoins Ordinance requiring permits for entities that issue stablecoins in the territory or link them to the Hong Kong dollar.

Stablecoins are digital currencies designed to maintain steady values by being linked to assets such as traditional currencies or gold. The HKMA has discussed regional uses including tokenized deposit systems for foreign banks and cross-border payments, according to reports.

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Ant Group and JD.com have expressed interest in Hong Kong’s licensing framework, according to the Financial Times. Preparations in Hong Kong were halted after Chinese authorities, notably the People’s Bank of China, raised reservations, the Financial Times reported.

China’s regulatory framework on cryptocurrency tightened from 2013 onward, and concerns about volatility and illegal activity led to a total ban on cryptocurrency transactions in 2021.

Recent research indicates that stablecoins were used by organized crime to move illicit funds, with daily transfers facilitated by complex networks, according to reports. Beijing’s concerns include the growing role of the US dollar in the digital asset market, especially dollar-tied stablecoins.

At a recent Senate Banking Committee hearing, the US Treasury Secretary said he “would not be surprised” if Hong Kong’s digital asset program were seen as an attempt to establish an alternative to American financial leadership.

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Crypto World

Former FTX engineer Nishad Singh agrees to $3.7M penalty in CFTC settlement

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Former FTX engineer Nishad Singh agrees to $3.7M penalty in CFTC settlement

Former FTX head of engineering Nishad Singh has agreed to pay a $3.7 million fine to resolve his case with the US commodities regulator.

Summary

  • Nishad Singh agreed to pay $3.7 million in disgorgement to settle CFTC charges tied to FTX’s collapse and misuse of customer funds.
  • The settlement includes a five-year trading ban and an eight-year registration ban, with regulators citing his cooperation in limiting further penalties.

Singh will pay a disgorgement of $3.7 million as part of a supplemental consent order for his role in the collapse of FTX and the misappropriation of user funds, according to an April 1 statement from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

As part of the supplemental consent order, he has also been handed a five-year ban on trading in markets and an eight-year registration ban that blocks him from obtaining a license to operate within the sector.

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CFTC enforcement director David Miller ruled out additional restitution or civil monetary penalties for now and said the current resolution reflects Singh’s cooperation with authorities.

“The defendant engaged in, and aided, significant violations of the Act and CFTC regulations as the former FTX head of engineering, and the consent orders reflect the severity of these violations,” Miller said.

A Bloomberg report noted that attorneys representing Singh said he was grateful the matter had been resolved and added that the regulator recognized his limited role in the underlying conduct.

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Singh was accused of personally misappropriating millions of dollars in assets as part of FTX’s collapse. The commission charged the former executive with two counts of fraud by misappropriation and aiding and abetting fraud.

Subsequently, he entered into the consent order and agreed to cooperate with the commission’s investigators.

As previously reported by crypto.news, Singh was also spared from prison and received three years of supervised release.

In the meantime, FTX founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried has filed a pro se motion seeking a new trial in his federal fraud case.

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Bankman-Fried is currently serving a 25-year sentence on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy but has argued that key witness testimony was missing from his 2023 trial.

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Alabama Passes DUNA Act Granting DAOs Legal Status

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Law, DAO

The US state of Alabama has become the second US jurisdiction after Wyoming to grant decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) legal status under the DUNA Act.

The Decentralized Unincorporated Nonprofit Association (DUNA) Act (Senate Bill 277) was introduced in February by Republican Senator Lance Bell. The House passed it 82-7 with 16 abstentions on March 17, and has now been signed by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, according to a16z Crypto.

Speaking about the bill’s passage, a16z Crypto’s head of policy and general counsel, Miles Jennings, said on Wednesday that “decentralized governance is essential to crypto’s future — it’s one of the core constructs in market structure legislation.”

The bill provides legal status and limited liability protections to DAOs, solving a long-unresolved question in crypto: How DAOs exist from a legal standpoint in the real world. 

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It gives decentralized communities “the certainty to build, govern, contract, and scale in the real world,” added Jennings. 

Full legal entity status for DAOs

To qualify, a DAO must have at least 100 members joined for a common nonprofit purpose, such as governing a blockchain network or smart contract system.

Governance can operate entirely through blockchain technology and smart contracts, and voting, proposals and consensus mechanisms can all be stored onchain.

These organizations will have full legal entity status, they can own property, sue and be sued, and enter into contracts, while individual members and administrators will be shielded from personal liability. 

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Related: Aave DAO backs V4 mainnet plan in near-unanimous vote

“As federal crypto market structure legislation moves closer to becoming law, builders need effective domestic legal structures,” added Jennings. 

West Virginia DUNA Act awaits approval 

A similar DUNA bill (HB 5060), introduced by Representative Tristan Leavitt in February, passed the House on March 4 and is awaiting the governor’s signature in West Virginia. 

Wyoming’s DUNA Act was signed into law by Governor Mark Gordon in March 2024. The state approved the first legally recognized DAO in the United States in July 2021. 

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Over 13,000 DAOs exist worldwide with collective treasury assets under DAO control surpassing $24.5 billion as of 2025, according to CoinLaw. The average DAO treasury size is around $1.2 million, and Ethereum and its layer-2 networks host over 85% of DAOs, reported PatentPC in March.

Law, DAO
DAO treasury composition. Source: CoinLaw

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