la liberté avant tout
A key Fannie Mae policy change could unlock bitcoin-based mortgages and expand financial access for millions of Americans. For those of us who save in bitcoin, use it on a daily basis, and are hopeful about its future, we recognize more than most the regulatory barriers and societal taboos that limit how we are able…
Memcoining is legal. Or at least they’re not securities. On February 27th, the Securities and Exchange Commission stated in its latest staff statement that memecoins are not necessarily securities. “Although the offer and sale of meme coins may not be subject to the federal securities laws, fraudulent conduct related to the offer and sale of meme coins may…
Not more than three days after Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler resigned from his post, one of his signature policies was nuked from existence. Issued on January 23, 2025, Staff Accounting Bulletin 122 rescinds SAB 121, originally issued by Gensler in March 2022. The previous bulletin provided guidance for financial entities and custodians holding any…
Yaël Ossowski is a consumer and technology advocate, policy analyst, and writer. He is deputy director at the Consumer Choice Center and a Fellow at the Bitcoin Policy Institute. In this webinar we discuss privacy, financial surveillance, debanking, the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, and other recent policy developments.
Bitcoin’s potential to thrive as a medium of exchange has been unnecessarily hindered by its current tax treatment in the U.S. Introducing a de minimis exemption could help address this issue. With a new administration coming into office next month, and a slew of Bitcoin-related policy proposals on the table for Day One, it is…
Reforming the Bank Secrecy Act would empower Bitcoin innovation, protect user privacy, and foster a better balance between regulatory compliance and financial sovereignty. Though Bitcoin was born in the world of computers and code, it was destined to eventually face-off with the legacy banking system. The first block ever mined on the blockchain, Satoshi’s Genesis…
In the corridors of power in board rooms, lecture halls, and legislative chambers, Bitcoin is no longer an enigma resigned to just technology or economics enthusiasts. After a decade of gradual adoption, Bitcoin is an innovation invoked in political debates, presidential speeches, quarterly earnings reports, and is now the most recognized “crypto” by anyone with…
A video of my panel session at the 2024 Bitcoin Policy Summit on the current landscape of state and local bitcoin policies:
The backlash against the UCC’s Article 12 has led to a firestorm among politicians who believe they are rejecting CBDCs. But these reforms represent a boon to Bitcoin, protecting self-custody and giving Bitcoin legal clarity in commerce and lending. In dramatic fashion earlier this month, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem wielded her red-hot branding iron…
In this article, BPI Visiting Fellow and Consumer Choice Center Deputy Director Yaël Ossowski illuminates the evolution of state level Bitcoin policy. As legislators focus on Bitcoin, they attempt to balance policy with various entrenched interests. Because it separates state from money, Bitcoin is inherently a political animal. Bitcoiners may not want to interact with…