Australia’s budget 2017-18 removes GST on bitcoin purchases

After the Australian government’s recent indication towards eliminating bitcoin double taxation issue, the country’s national budget 2017-18 shows that the government is, in fact, removing goods-and-services tax (GST) on digital currency purchases, effective 01 July 2017.

Florida lawmakers seek to criminalize bitcoin money laundering

Florida legislators have passed a bill last week that seeks to bring the laundering of virtual currencies under the state’s Money Laundering Act, Miami Herald reported. Sponsored by House Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, R-Miami, the Florida House Bill 1379 was crafted with help from Miami-Dade cybercrime prosecutors and first filed in March this year.

Vermont passes bill to include digital currency as permissible investment

Vermont Governor signed a bill into law last week that updates the state’s money transmission rules to include a definition for “virtual currencies”, CoinDesk reported. The Vermont House Bill 182 was first introduced in February. With this law in place, money transmitters can now hold digital currencies as a kind of "permissible investment", but "only to the extent of outstanding transmission obligations received by the licensee in identical denomination of virtual currency".

Delaware Senators seek legal recognition for blockchain stocks and records

Senators in Delaware last week introduced a bill that aims to legally recognize electronic databases, including those created on distributed ledgers or blockchain, for the creation and maintenance of stock ledgers and other business records. According to CoinDesk, the measure includes a corporation’s ‘stock ledger’, an accounting record that keeps track of all issuances and transfers of stocks.

French government launches blockchain working group

France Stratégie, also called the Commissariat-General for Strategy and Foresight, has announced the launch of a working group that will explore various aspects of blockchain technology. According to the details provided by the commission, the working group will, in particular, delve into the characteristics, potential, and benefits of the technology; explore existing variants and potential improvements; as well as examine how the government can support its development.

South Korea to ease equity capital requirements for bitcoin-mediated foreign currency transfer

According to reports by a Korean media agency, the South Korean government has planned to simplify and ease equity capital requirements for fintech companies to provide foreign currency transfer service. The decision aims to boost bitcoin-mediated foreign currency transfer market.

Russian ministry expects adoption of blockchain regulations in 2019 – Report

The Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation is expecting that regulations directed towards legalizing the use of blockchain and distributed ledger technologies in the country would come into effect in 2019. TASS reported that the comments have been made in the draft program "Digital Economy of the Russian Federation", developed by the Ministry of Communications.

Conferences/ Events:

Token Summit to delve into emerging blockchain token-based economy on May 25

Digital Currency/Blockchain research studies:

Using blockchains invokes shifts in society: EU Parliament report

Hong Kong’s FSDC releases two reports on fintech and DLT to foster development

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants publishes professional accountant’s guide to blockchain

Factom and Gnosis among Gartner’s ‘Cool Vendors in Blockchain Application’

Consortium News, partnerships and more:

Equibit Development Corporation joins Agentic Group blockchain consortium

Countr POS embraces blockchain payments with Coinify partnership

Dash partners with BlockCypher to drive cryptocurrency adoption

Blockchain project Fermat partners with Cicada

Blockchain project Cosmos partners with BOScoin

Equifax, TransUnion join Canadian blockchain identity network trial

Bitcoin lending platform Bitbond secures €5M debt commitment

Citi joins blockchain firm Axoni’s Series A funding round

Blockchain fund TaaS secures $7.9M via ICO

Blockchain trials and initiatives:

Citadel, XTX team up with global banks for blockchain FX venture ‘Cobalt’

PokitDok, Intel to advance healthcare transactions with blockchain solution

Nova LifeStyle to integrate blockchain to enhance brand recognition and business

AST, NuArca partner to offer blockchain-based system for proxy voting

BitCAD develops decentralized solution for biometric identification

Deloitte Luxembourg develops blockchain PoC ‘KYCStart’ to perform customer onboarding

Energy firms partner to foster blockchain deployment in energy industry

Buzzbike, Blockpool partner to offer blockchain reward scheme for advertising