1.Crypto Exchange HBUS Licenses ‘Huobi’ Brand
2.Marshall Islands Says Blockchain Expert Is Advising National Crypto Issuance
3.US State of Wyoming Passes Two New Blockchain, Crypto-Related Bills
1.Crypto Exchange HBUS Licenses ‘Huobi’ Brand
HBUS, which has been the exclusive US partner of giant Chinese crypto exchange Huobi, will now be called by the same name. The rebranding includes a change in domain names for both companies. Huobi’s global platform will move to hgb.com, while HBUS will use Huobi.com. This change will probably throw people off for some time.
CEO of HGB Leon Li said in a press release:
We feel very confident that the HBUS team will be excellent stewards of the ‘Huobi’ name as they become the top digital asset exchange in the U.S.
Huobi Global a world leading digital asset exchange, especially in Asia, and the name ‘Huobi’ is a powerful brand in the digital asset world, representing dependability, flexibility, and security for more than half a decade. Leveraging our enhanced partnership with Huobi Group, we’ll continue to operate the trading platform in a compliance-committed manner, offering wide token variety.
2.Marshall Islands Says Blockchain Expert Is Advising National Crypto Issuance
Blockchain expert Steve Tendon is advising and assisting the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) on the issuance of the Sovereign (SOV) cryptocurrency for the Pacific nation, according to a press release.
Officials in the RMI intend to launch the SOV to serve as “legal tender of the islands for all debts, public charges, taxes and dues.” The cryptocurrency would join the U.S. dollar as the official currency for the RMI.
The SOV’s Chief Economist, Dr. Peter Dittus, indicated that Tendon would assist “with the drafting and designing of regulations to develop a blockchain financial services economy out of the Marshall Islands.”
Tendon currently serves as the Managing Director of TameFlow Consulting/ChainStrategies, a firm that offers research and strategy development to entities looking to adopt or transition towards blockchain.
3.US State of Wyoming Passes Two New Blockchain, Crypto-Related Bills
The state legislature of the American state of Wyoming has reportedly passed two new house bills that aim to foster a regulatory environment conducive to cryptocurrency and blockchain innovation. The developments were reported by the president of the Wyoming Blockchain Coalition, Caitlin Long, in two tweets posted Jan. 10 and Jan. 11.
To press time, only the status of one of the bills — House Bill 62 — has been updated on Wyoming’s state legislature page, showing it passed 8-1 and has since been placed on general file. The official status of the second bill — House Bill 57 — has yet to be updated, with the last update on Jan. 8. Long’s tweet today, Jan. 11, reports that Bill 57 passed unanimously.
Entitled “Wyoming Utility Token Act-property amendments,” Bill 62 is significant in establishing a new asset class, defining “open blockchain tokens with specified consumptive characteristics [as] intangible personal property.” The definition notably means that said tokens do not require an exemption from federal securities laws. The bill clarifies that:
“The open blockchain tokens governed by this act do not constitute securities because a person who is sold a consumptive open blockchain token cannot receive a cash payment or share of profits from a developer or business, but will instead receive a fixed amount of consumable services, content or property.”
