Photo of Ethan G. Ostroff

Ethan’s practice focuses on financial services litigation and compliance counseling, as well as digital assets and blockchain technology. With a long track record of successful litigation results across the U.S., both bank and non-bank clients rely on him for comprehensive advice throughout their business cycle.

On April 28, U.S. District for the Southern District of New York Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil issued an order, enjoining three named sheriffs in New York from enforcing the recently enacted New York Fair Consumer Judgment Interest Act (Act) on a retroactive basis and directs the plaintiffs to deliver notice of the same to

Like most industries today, Consumer Finance Services businesses continue to be significantly impacted by COVID-19. To help you keep abreast of relevant activities, below find a breakdown of some of the biggest legislative and regulatory events at the federal and state levels to impact the Consumer Finance Services industry this past week:

Federal Activities

State

On March 31, Idaho Governor Brad Little signed HB 583, the Digital Asset Act. The bill amends Title 28 of the Idaho Code, which governs commercial transactions generally, to include a new chapter dedicated to regulation of digital assets. The bill goes into effect on July 1. Idaho’s bill is multifaceted:

(1) It distinguishes

Like most industries today, Consumer Finance Services businesses continue to be significantly impacted by COVID-19.

To help you keep abreast of relevant activities, below find a breakdown of some of the biggest legislative and regulatory events at the federal and state levels to impact the Consumer Finance Services industry this past week:

Federal Activities

State

On March 31, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 121 (Bulletin), noting that a company safeguarding or exerting custody over cryptocurrency on behalf of its platform users must clearly report the users’ assets as liabilities on the company’s financial statement, along with the risks consumers face by entrusting the company

On April 6, Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) released a draft of his proposed stablecoin legislation titled, Stablecoin Transparency of Reserves and Uniform Safe Transactions Act, or the Stablecoin TRUST Act. Toomey, the ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee, has been a vocal proponent of blockchain innovation, and his recent bill calls for a deft

On March 31, a New York federal court dismissed a proposed securities class-action lawsuit filed against Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. The lawsuit, one of a host of similar actions brought against cryptocurrency exchanges in 2020, was filed by token buyers who purchased cryptocurrency on Binance’s platform.

The plaintiffs asserted that Binance had violated

Like most industries today, Consumer Finance Services businesses are being significantly impacted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Troutman Pepper has developed a dedicated COVID-19 Resource Center to guide clients through this unprecedented global health challenge. We regularly update this site with COVID-19 news and developments, recommendations from leading health organizations, and tools that businesses can

Several recent releases of draft legislation, reports, and speeches highlight the federal government’s efforts in the first quarter of 2022 to address the rapidly developing digital asset marketplace and its regulatory landscape.

Congressional Legislative Activity

On February 15, Representative Warren Davidson (R-OH) introduced the “Keep Your Coins Act,” which is intended “[t]o prohibit

The fiscal year 2022-2023 budget for New York, which takes effect in two months, includes requiring the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) to charge a new “assessment” to all virtual currency businesses licensed in New York in order to “defray operating expenses.”

The legislation, signed by New York Governor Kathy Hochul on