Nikhilesh De

The U.S. government has imposed new sanctions on Russian entities, including several digital currency addresses, for their involvement in the SolarWinds cyber attack and election interference. Nik De breaks down what we know so far about the sanctions. Plus, Gary Gensler has been confirmed as SEC chairman. Here's what that means for the crypto space.

Apr 15, 2021

CoinDesk Managing Editor Nikhilesh De breaks down the updated Safe Harbor Proposal spearheaded by U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner Hester Peirce. Plus, whether or not the proposal is likely to be adopted by the SEC.

Apr 14, 2021

In a recent paper published by the Crypto Council for Innovation, Michael Morell, the former acting director for the CIA, pushed back against Janet Yellen and other government officials' concerns about the dangers of cryptocurrencies. Nikhilesh De breaks down the contents of Morell's paper on "First Mover."

Apr 13, 2021

There are signs in the Senate to suggest that Gary Gensler might soon be confirmed as chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), but why is it taking so long? Nikhilesh De joins "First Mover" to break down Gensler's confirmation process. Plus, an update on the nine active applications for ETFs.

Apr 12, 2021

Crypto analytics firm CipherTrace has created a new tool that will scan decentralized exchanges to help spot crypto wallet addresses on government watchlists. Will this move bring sanctions compliance to the DeFi space, and can the surveillance tool be evaded by creating new wallet addresses? Nik De breaks it down.

Apr 9, 2021

Mysterious filings in the state of Delaware indicate that an unknown actor is using Grayscale’s name and information to pump the value of two obscure altcoins, Theta and Nahmii. Both Grayscale and the developers of the altcoins have denied any involvement in the filings. Nik De breaks down the bizarre situation.

Apr 8, 2021

Ripple is granted access to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) documents on bitcoin and ether. CoinDesk Managing Editor Nikhilesh De explains the latest legal woes for XRP and how these documents might help in the ongoing battle with the SEC.

Apr 7, 2021

Coinbase, Fidelity, and Square have formed a lobbying group called the Crypto Council for Innovation, according to The Wall Street Journal. The group will work to lobby politicians and influence crypto regulations in Washington. Nik De breaks down what the formation of the council means for the crypto ecosystem and what sets this group apart from other crypto lobbying groups.

Apr 6, 2021

The IRS is seeking to know who is transacting in crypto and who isn't paying taxes on those transactions. The agency is now trying to get the names of Circle customers who made transactions over $20K. Nik De breaks down what's going on in the IRS as it relates to crypto. Plus, reaction to former SEC chairman Jay Clayton's comments that we should expect to see bitcoin regulations.

Apr 5, 2021

Bank of International Settlements General Manager Agustin Carstens pushed back against claims that China's digital yuan would give the country a "first mover advantage" in the world of CBDCs. Though Carstens didn't directly name China, his speech challenged "overblown" rhetoric that any one CBDC would become the world's reserve currency based on "digital nature alone." Nik De breaks it down.

Apr 1, 2021