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
Crypto / Digital Assets
BOE Calls for Clear Regulatory Framework for Crypto Assets
14/07/2022
BOE’s Jon Cunliffe said the extension of a regulatory framework to encompass crypto must be grounded in the iron principle of ‘same risk, same regulatory outcome’.
Crypto / Digital Assets
Bitcoin Consumes Less Energy than Classical Payments: Report
25/06/2022
Research report finds that the Lightning network enables a single Bitcoin transaction to become 194 million times more energy-efficient than a classical payment.
Fintech / Regtech
RBI 2025 Vision Targets Growth in Digital Payments
23/06/2022
The vision document outlines plans to introduce a framework for regulating all “significant intermediaries” in the payments ecosystem, as well as regulations for bigtech, fintechs and BNPL.
Crypto / Digital Assets
India: Crypto Exchanges Call on NPCI to Restore UPI Services
22/06/2022
Since April, Indian crypto exchanges have not been able to accept deposits via the UPI. BACC members are asking for a reversal of the decision.
Capital / Liquidity
Vietnam to Drive Bank Mergers to Enhance Competitiveness
21/06/2022
The government has approved a project that will require banks have a capital adequacy ratio of at least 10-11 percent by 2023 and 11-12 percent by 2025.
Crypto / Digital Assets
Korea: New FSC, FSS Chiefs to Prioritise Stability, Growth
20/06/2022
The FSS will be led by former prosecutor Lee Bok-hyun, while the FSC will be led by Kim Joo-hyun, who helped guide Korea through the 2008 crisis.
Enforcement
US SEC Penalises Online Broker Over Meme Stock Restrictions
01/06/2022
In January 2021, TradeZero America halted trading in three meme stocks for about 10 minutes, but later told investors it had resisted instructions from its clearing broker to do so.
Crypto / Digital Assets
Terra Collapse Sparks Regulatory Change, Lawsuits in Korea
26/05/2022
The FSC says thirteen relevant bills on digital asset investor protection are currently pending at the National Assembly.
AML / KYC
US Federal Court Declares Crypto Subject to Sanctions Laws
20/05/2022
A newly unsealed federal court opinion supports the DOJ’s first criminal prosecution involving the use of crypto for sanctions evasion.
Enforcement
ASIC Sets Out Expectations on Cyber Risk Management
19/05/2022
The guidance follows Australia’s first Federal Court judgment ruling that an AFS licensee breached its obligations on managing cyber risk.
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