Mark Johnston
Based in Singapore, Mark is an experienced journalist and editor with over a decade of experience reporting on technology and business trends throughout Asia. Mark got his start as an engineer, graduating from the UK's Queen's University of Belfast with a Master's degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. As senior reporter for Regulation Asia, Mark focuses on regulatory changes impacting financial markets, with particular interest in fintech, cybersecurity and crypto markets.
Articles by Mark Johnston
AML / KYC
Binance.US Struggling to Secure Banking Services – Report
08/04/2023
Binance.US previously relied on either Signature Bank or Silvergate Capital to handle its customers’ cash deposits.
Securities / Derivatives
US SEC Asked for Views on Whether Loans are Securities
07/04/2023
Court’s request for SEC’s view has sparked concerns of increased regulation pressure on loan market.
Enforcement
UK Steel Traders Jailed for $500m Trade Finance Fraud
05/04/2023
Three senior executives of Balli Steel were sentenced to prison for using fake documents and contracts to obtain loans.
Sanctions
US State-Level Sanctions Imposed on Foreign Adversaries
04/04/2023
More than a dozen US states already restrict or prohibit foreign ownership of and investments in private agricultural land.
AML / KYC
EBA Drafts Amendments to AML Guidance to Account for Crypto Risks
29/03/2023
The amendments are part of efforts to implement MiCA, which is due to be voted on in April.
Enforcement
ESMA Fines S&P Global Ratings for Breaching CRA Rules
24/03/2023
S&P prematurely published credit ratings before securities were issued, failed to disclose decisions for discontinuing some credit ratings, and took too long to correct factual errors in reported data.
Crypto / Digital Assets
Gibraltar’s Xapo Bank to “Fully Integrate” with USDC Stablecoin
20/03/2023
Users can send USDC using USD funds in their Xapo Bank accounts, with no fees incurred. Any USDC received is instantly converted to dollars.
ESG / Sustainability
European Banks to Undergo Climate, Cyber Stress Tests
15/03/2023
European regulators have been asked to conduct a one-off climate risk scenario analysis. The ECB separately plans to launch a thematic stress test on cyber resilience.
Crypto / Digital Assets
Traders See Crypto Derivatives Market as Resilient: Acuiti
15/03/2023
New Acuiti report finds that 64 percent of surveyed crypto derivatives traders have concerns over proof-of-reserves quality.
Big Picture
IMF Proposes Global Marketplace for Trading Between CBDCs
14/03/2023
A global marketplace for trading tokenised money such as CBDCs would reduce the need for bilateral trust relationships and improve cross-border payments.
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