U.S. Crypto Industry Sees Victory, Asia Considers Stricter Regulations The U.S. and Asia are both experiencing shifts in the crypto industry, with the U.S. recently celebrating a significant victory while South Korea's Financial Services Commission reviews regulations for virtual asset mixers. Mixers, initially designed to protect user privacy, have raised concerns for both countries, with suspicions of being used for money laundering and the difficulty of tracking funds once they have been processed through a mixer. The urgency of regulating these mixers was highlighted when a domestic blockchain company, Ozzie, suffered a hacking incident involving $81 million in virtual assets. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of the Treasury Department in the U.S. also announced legislative notices last year to regulate mixers as "money laundering services." South Korea's approach to crypto regulatory measures underscores a stringent stance towards digital asset management, evident in their caution against permitting the brokerage of U.S. spot Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). South Korea is striving to maintain stability in its financial sector and refraining from allowing investment in virtual assets by financial institutions, showcasing a regulatory divergence between South Korea and the U.S. regarding crypto ETFs. The country's strict regulatory framework excludes crypto from the scope of underlying assets for investment contract securities. The convolutions in the crypto industry are expected to continue in the coming months, reflecting the ongoing developments in both U.S. and Asian economies.