<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Bits of Blocks, Blockchain & IT Law and Regulation]]></title><description><![CDATA[Updates on interesting legal and news in the Blockchain and IT space]]></description><link>https://www.bitsofblocks.io/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Sun, 11 Oct 2026 22:21:55 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.bitsofblocks.io/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Parliament Calls for Urgent Stablecoin Framework in Australia]]></title><description><![CDATA[The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics has released its report, A Level Paying Field, following its inquiry into payment schemes, digital wallets and innovation in the payments sector. While much of the report focuses on card payments, merchant fees and digital wallets, one recommendation stands out for the digital asset sector: Treasury should establish a framework enabling stablecoins to operate as an alternate payment rail within Australia's payments system "as a...]]></description><link>https://www.bitsofblocks.io/post/parliament-calls-for-urgent-stablecoin-framework-in-australia</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a507a5b372dc802292d585b</guid><category><![CDATA[Regulation]]></category><category><![CDATA[Stablecoins]]></category><category><![CDATA[Tokenization]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 08 Oct 2026 04:39:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/40fd7b_d47a8498085f447397ec7bc0c2551a74~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_795,h_530,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Contributors</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Tap out: Australia calls time on card surcharges]]></title><description><![CDATA[Australians will today kiss most card surcharges goodbye, following changes announced by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to remove its prohibition on “no-surcharge” rules. This change will be effective from 1 October 2026. How do the current rules work? Australia's card surcharging rules sit within a regulatory framework established under the Payment Systems (Regulation) Act 1998 (Cth) (the Act). Section 18 of the Act empowers the RBA to determine standards for participants in designated...]]></description><link>https://www.bitsofblocks.io/post/tap-out-australia-calls-time-on-card-surcharges</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6abc628ee432f576aac47017</guid><category><![CDATA[Payments]]></category><category><![CDATA[Regulation]]></category><category><![CDATA[Fintech]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 30 Sep 2026 20:43:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e163b6_69d6745aa6834a2caba161529b736158~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Contributors</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[No Cloture, No Clarity: Senate blocks crypto bill as SEC and CFTC vow to regulate without it]]></title><description><![CDATA[The US Senate has failed to clear the procedural threshold needed to advance the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act (H.R. 3633), with Tuesday's cloture vote falling short of the 60 votes required to move the bill forward. The result ends, for now, the closest the United States has come to a single statutory framework dividing crypto oversight between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and pushes the question of who regulates digital assets back...]]></description><link>https://www.bitsofblocks.io/post/no-cloture-no-clarity-senate-blocks-crypto-bill-as-sec-and-cftc-vow-to-regulate-without-it</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aa9b6ff9453ffbd41268ca2</guid><pubDate>Tue, 15 Sep 2026 21:22:31 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4aead1_f727eb0ac90148e4b383d06bd2bd44c0~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michael Bacina</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[No Harm, No Foul? SBF petitions US Supreme Court over fraud conviction and forfeiture]]></title><description><![CDATA[Sam Bankman-Fried has filed a petition for a writ of certiorari with the United States Supreme Court, seeking review of his 2023 conviction on seven counts of wire fraud, conspiracy and money laundering arising from the collapse of FTX, together with the US$11.02 billion forfeiture order that accompanied his 25-year sentence. The petition was filed on 10 September 2026 by Stanford law professor Jeffrey Fisher, and follows a Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in June that upheld both the...]]></description><link>https://www.bitsofblocks.io/post/no-harm-no-foul-sbf-petitions-us-supreme-court-over-fraud-conviction-and-forfeiture</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aa9b68ed7d2dc331685771c</guid><category><![CDATA[Litigation]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 15 Sep 2026 21:21:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d98828_ffbaa0b0bb0c4bea9014956ffd2ce5b3~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_740,h_740,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michael Bacina</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Through a glass darkly? Final Clarity Act draft is do or die]]></title><description><![CDATA[Senate Republicans have released what they are calling the final draft of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (H.R. 3633), the bill that would settle whether the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) regulates a given digital asset. The redraft folds in 126 changes sought by Senate Democrats and arrives alongside a set of ethics restrictions that President Trump has agreed to accept. A cloture vote is scheduled for Tuesday, 15 September,...]]></description><link>https://www.bitsofblocks.io/post/through-a-glass-darkly-final-clarity-act-draft-is-do-or-die</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aa89cc6f448a9cd17bcb217</guid><category><![CDATA[Regulation]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 15 Sep 2026 01:18:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d98828_7eaea2454c5040b08916d66c3f77f8ae~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michael Bacina</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[No small change: Italy pushes for a fee-free digital euro under €10]]></title><description><![CDATA[Italy has proposed exempting digital euro payments under €10 from merchant fees altogether, with an EU diplomat describing the plan as a merchant service charge cap of up to €0.02 for low-value transactions, such as espresso, with Italy open to a "net zero" fee for that band. The proposal is understood to have the backing of the European Central Bank and arrives as EU institutions negotiate the final terms of the Digital Euro Regulation, with the next round due on 10 September 2026. If the...]]></description><link>https://www.bitsofblocks.io/post/no-small-change-italy-pushes-for-a-fee-free-digital-euro-under-10</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6aa89cf9f448a9cd17bcb29a</guid><category><![CDATA[Regulation]]></category><category><![CDATA[Global]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2026 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4aead1_447ca40f881c4821b8f1edf4dc430b80~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michael Bacina</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[G20 chart "clear pathways" for digital assets]]></title><description><![CDATA[The G20 Chair recently released a statement following the finance ministers' and central bank governors' meeting held in Asheville, North Carolina from 31 August to 1 September 2026, committing members to: advancing responsible and effective regulatory and supervisory frameworks that preserve financial stability, support economic growth, and establish clear pathways for sound digital financial and digital assets innovation. The statement frames digital financial innovation as capable of...]]></description><link>https://www.bitsofblocks.io/post/g20-chart-clear-pathways-for-digital-assets</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a9f2cc3b373966c3b5ea90b</guid><pubDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2026 21:30:47 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d98828_1d3010128cc04a9cb1a3842f9541e116~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_740,h_740,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michael Bacina</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Show Your Work: courts start ordering expert witnesses to produce their AI prompts]]></title><description><![CDATA[Together with lawyer misusing generative AI, expert witnesses are now increasingly finding out that the use of generative AI exposes them to more potential criticism than they might have thought in the moment when they sought AI's help. Experts are using tools like ChatGPT and Claude to sort discovery documents, survey literature, and draft sections (or in some cases significant parts) of their reports. Courts in a number of jurisdictions are now exploring whether the record of that process...]]></description><link>https://www.bitsofblocks.io/post/show-your-work-courts-start-ordering-expert-witnesses-to-produce-their-ai-prompts</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a83d6493a73f167659cf799</guid><category><![CDATA[Litigation]]></category><category><![CDATA[artificial intelligence]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2026 03:50:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d98828_4ef4068a68b248b3b189060ae6598a82~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_740,h_740,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michael Bacina</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hold-up: Brazil's central bank orders a 24-hour delay on outbound crypto transfers]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Banco Central do Brasil (BCB) has published rule requiring virtual asset service providers (VASPs) in Brazil to hold-up certain crypto transfers for up to 24 hours before they execute the transfer. It amends an earlier Resolução BCB nº 142, the BCB's existing fraud-prevention rule for payment services, and brings VASPs directly within that rule for the first time. The BCB states the change targets the fast movement of funds obtained through financial scams. The rule takes effect on 1...]]></description><link>https://www.bitsofblocks.io/post/hold-up-brazil-s-central-bank-orders-a-24-hour-delay-on-outbound-crypto-transfers</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a779c037e238b0b8ae16052</guid><category><![CDATA[Regulation]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 08 Aug 2026 21:16:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d98828_e68b70f3d26d4d3cbd26bf2fe04cc2a2~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_740,h_740,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michael Bacina</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[High Court endorses expansive financial product definitions in Block Earner appeal]]></title><description><![CDATA[The High Court of Australia has ruled in favour of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) against Web3 Ventures Pty Ltd, trading as Block Earner. In the judgment delivered on 17 June 2026, the High Court of Australia found in favour of ASIC, holding that Block Earner’s fixed‑yield ‘Earner’ product fell within Chapter 7 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). The decision overturns the earlier Full Federal Court decision which found that the offering was not a financial...]]></description><link>https://www.bitsofblocks.io/post/high-court-endorses-expansive-financial-product-definitions-in-block-earner-appeal</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a38d6091640018cc8c3cc0d</guid><category><![CDATA[Cryptocurrency]]></category><category><![CDATA[Blockchain]]></category><category><![CDATA[Regulation]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2026 02:04:49 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3d2fed_152ea18c913944b98d84fb4678680f25~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Contributors</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[ASIC hits Pause: No-action relief for digital asset businesses extended to 30 September 2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[On 25 June 2026, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) issued an updated class no‑action letter extending both the scope and deadline of its transitional relief for certain digital asset businesses to 30 September 2026. ASIC’s no‑action relief provides a transitional policy position not to take enforcement action against certain unlicensed digital asset businesses, provided they lodge an AFSL (or variation) application by 30 September 2026, enter into another recognised...]]></description><link>https://www.bitsofblocks.io/post/asic-hits-pause-no-action-relief-for-digital-asset-businesses-extended-to-30-september-2026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a41c52069b2dfbbf1271e44</guid><pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 03:18:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3d2fed_b2b19c7b88fa4b8c97ddf334242fd263~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Contributors</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ready or not: Australia’s Travel Rule starts on 1 July]]></title><description><![CDATA[What is changing? Australia’s Travel Rule starts on 1 July 2026. It is the next phase of Australia’s AML/CTF reform journey, and the point where policy turns into practice. From that date, reporting entities involved in transfers of value, including virtual asset transfers, will need to collect, verify and, where required, pass on information about the payer and payee, unless an exemption applies. For Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs), such as crypto exchanges, custodial wallet...]]></description><link>https://www.bitsofblocks.io/post/ready-or-not-australia-s-travel-rule-starts-on-1-july</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4201de7353421c545207ca</guid><category><![CDATA[AML/KYC]]></category><category><![CDATA[Regulation]]></category><category><![CDATA[AUSTRAC]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 03:07:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/40fd7b_e3a40ac42c19401c85b00df55c2fb902~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_917,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Contributors</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Crunchtime: crypto regulatory deadlines converge in Australia, Europe, and the US]]></title><description><![CDATA[Four major crypto regulatory deadlines are clustering within a 30-day window — a rare alignment that leaves little room for businesses that have been watching and waiting. Australia's ASIC no-action relief expires soon. The EU's MiCA transition period closes July 1. The US Treasury's stablecoin BSA rulemaking is in its final phase with a final rule expected by July 18. And in Washington, a Senate floor vote on the CLARITY Act, the bill that would define the division of jurisdiction between...]]></description><link>https://www.bitsofblocks.io/post/crunchtime-crypto-regulatory-deadlines-converge-in-australia-europe-and-the-us</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a39198a3c8a482719bcc605</guid><category><![CDATA[Regulation]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 2026 11:31:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4aead1_80a7330247a74733a20c6d9dec9c24c6~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michael Bacina</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Undress Code: EU bans AI Systems which create nudes as US Senate clears the NO FAKES Act]]></title><description><![CDATA[Within the space of four days, two major jurisdictions have moved to regulate AI-generated non-consensual imagery with different approaches. On 14 June 2026, the European Parliament formally approved amendments to the EU AI Act through the so-called Digital Omnibus on AI package, including a new prohibition on apps and AI systems that generate or manipulate non-consensual intimate imagery. On 18 June 2026, the US Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously advanced the NO FAKES Act (S.4591), a...]]></description><link>https://www.bitsofblocks.io/post/undress-code-eu-bans-ai-systems-which-create-nudes-as-us-senate-clears-the-no-fakes-act</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a36abd8c68e7cecf1e02fce</guid><category><![CDATA[Regulation]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 20 Jun 2026 15:04:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d98828_2ac3cc95588645fab9cfb71dddcc9350~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michael Bacina</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Tokyo stock-take: Japan passes law to make crypto assets financial instruments]]></title><description><![CDATA[Japan's parliament has passed legislation bringing crypto assets under the country's Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (FIEA), placing them on the same regulatory footing as stocks and other financial products. The bill, which was approved by Cabinet in April 2026, completes a deliberate shift in Japan's regulatory approach — moving crypto from its longstanding home under the Payment Services Act, where it was treated primarily as a means of payment, to a securities-style framework...]]></description><link>https://www.bitsofblocks.io/post/tokyo-stock-take-japan-passes-law-to-make-crypto-assets-financial-instruments</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2b1e0716a9a8229e029ab8</guid><category><![CDATA[Regulation]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 2026 20:44:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d98828_6485e940e1a246b2ad91bb1b69b350a3~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michael Bacina</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Cite Unseen: Courts requiring lawyers to certify AI-cited cases actually exist]]></title><description><![CDATA[Within the last year, a serious problem has emerged in the legal system: lawyers submitting briefs and other documents containing hallucinated cases, quotes and made up legal arguments.  As courts becomes increasingly frustrated by the problem, we are seeing amendments to the rules of court to make very clear what the lawyer on record for a matter has to deliver up to the court. ChatGPT - Double check my citations! One of the most widely reported instance remains the case of Mata v. Avianca,...]]></description><link>https://www.bitsofblocks.io/post/cite-unseen-courts-requiring-lawyers-to-certify-ai-cited-cases-actually-exist</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a27cb0699361b5d20d3bec2</guid><category><![CDATA[Regulation]]></category><category><![CDATA[artificial intelligence]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 09 Jun 2026 08:46:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d98828_5fa0f8740967482099fca880cfa3ae2a~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michael Bacina</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Tokenisation, tested: Australia drops Project Acacia report]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has announced the findings of Project Acacia, a collaborative research initiative between the RBA and the Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre (DFCRC) that sought to explore the role of tokenised finance in Australia’s wholesale asset market.   The final report provides a detailed and practical exploration of how tokenised finance could reshape wholesale markets in Australia. Drawing on 20 industry-led use cases, the report demonstrates that while...]]></description><link>https://www.bitsofblocks.io/post/tokenisation-tested-australia-drops-project-acacia-report</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a0ebbbfb2731dece7524837</guid><category><![CDATA[Stablecoins]]></category><category><![CDATA[Tokenization]]></category><category><![CDATA[Smart Contracts]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 20:39:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3d2fed_e7de252796c24846ace29208a4d3f879~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Contributors</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ramp and Rails: AUSTRAC steps up VASP supervision]]></title><description><![CDATA[AUSTRAC has recently launched two supervisory campaigns targeting virtual asset businesses as new AML/CTF reforms come into effect. One of these initiatives, the “ramps and rails” campaign, specifically targets over-the-counter crypto-to-cash operators. The other targets local digital currency exchange operators. This follows the transition from the “digital currency exchange” regime to the expanded “virtual asset service provider” (VASP) framework earlier this year. The VASP framework was...]]></description><link>https://www.bitsofblocks.io/post/ramp-and-rails-austrac-steps-up-vasp-supervision</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a0e64ffb2731dece7519927</guid><category><![CDATA[Regulation]]></category><category><![CDATA[Crime]]></category><category><![CDATA[AML/CTF]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 20:09:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1c8c03_be76b304869a4ca19dee913fb4a258d5~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Contributors</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Pardon the interruption - the ATO enters bitcoin property debate]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Australian High Court’s docket does not often feature bitcoin as a central character. That was until recently, when the High Court granted special leave to Adam Poulton in a dispute with Jeff Conrad, who paid Poulton to invest $10,000 in bitcoin on his behalf. On 7 May 2026, the Federal Commissioner of Taxation filed submissions seeking leave to intervene in the matter (Poulton v Conrad (H1/2026)), a Hobart Registry appeal that raises a direct question at the boundary of private law and...]]></description><link>https://www.bitsofblocks.io/post/pardon-the-interruption-the-ato-enters-bitcoin-property-debate</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a066aee7326fc782b550a76</guid><category><![CDATA[Cryptocurrency]]></category><category><![CDATA[Tax]]></category><category><![CDATA[Blockchain]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 00:51:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e163b6_6e77124a41d64a53a1b35d4a4a5135a7~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Contributors</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[ASIC no-action deadline looms]]></title><description><![CDATA[ASIC issued a press release this week emphasising that digital asset businesses should move quickly to determine whether they are required to apply for an Australian financial services licence (AFSL), or a variation to an existing AFSL before ASIC’s no-action position expires on 30 June 2026. ASIC’s no‑action relief is a transitional position under which ASIC has indicated it does not intend to take enforcement action in respect of certain unlicensed financial services involving digital...]]></description><link>https://www.bitsofblocks.io/post/asic-no-action-deadline-looms</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69fd1722ff1f3255572b4cf5</guid><category><![CDATA[Regulation]]></category><category><![CDATA[Cryptocurrency]]></category><category><![CDATA[Government]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 07 May 2026 23:43:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3d2fed_d53a3810b50243e68927f7ed0e840db4~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Contributors</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>