2014-04-01 Crypto-Timeline

Here is a log with relevant legal, regulatory, law enforcement and business risk milestones in the race of crypto-currencies to maturity with links to trusted sources.

Phew.  Short month, but no shortage of shocking news in February!

The  Key MARCH 2014 Crypto-Events were:

• 3/3/2014 – UK to cancel VAT on bitcoin trading
• 3/4/2014 – Bitcoin bank Flexcoin shuts down after theft
• 3/6/2014 – Russia’s anti-Bitcoin stance may be softening, reports say
• 3/7/2014 – Japanese government says Bitcoin “not a currency,’ forms investigation committee
• 3/10/2014 – Philippines regulator issues warning on digital currencies
• 3/10/2014 – French minister calls for EU action on Bitcoin regulation
• 3/11/2014 – New York starts accepting licence applications for digital currency exchanges
• 3/11/2014 – Bank of Mexico restricts banks from Bitcoin use, reports suggest
• 3/11/2014 – Luxembourg opens dialogue with Bitcoin businesses in new statement
• 3/13/2014 – Singapore to regulate bitcoin exchanges and ATMs
• 3/13/2014 – Bank of England: digital currencies are similar to commodities
• 3/17/2014 – Texas regulators warn about risks of ‘trendy’ digital currencies
• 3/17/2014 – Dutch official downplays law enforcement need for Bitcoin ban
• 3/17/2014 – Bundesbank board member warns agains ‘highly speculative’ Bitcoin
• 3/18/2014 – Bank of Thailand suggests Bitcoin illegal but warns against its use
• 3/19/2014 – Danish Central Bank compares bitcoins to ‘glass beads’
• 3/25/2014 – IRS says bitcoin, other convertible virtual currency to be taxed like stock
• 3/25/2014 – UK cash-for-bitcoin service ZipZap suspends BTC transactions
• 3/25/2014 – European Central Bank: Bitcoin shouldn’t be ignored or dismissed
• 3/25/2014 – UAE Department of Economic Development officials debunk Bitcoin ATM speculation in Dubai
• 3/25/2014 – Denmark declares bitcoin trades are tax-free
• 3/26/2014 – Colombia stops short of Bitcoin ban, bars banks from industry
• 3/27/2014 – Study finds Mt Gox may have lost just 386 BTC due to transaction malleability
• 3/28/2014 – Isle of Man welcomes digital currency exchanges ‘No License Required’
• 3/28/2014 – Bitcoin prices tank on rumors of China ban
• 3/29/2014 – Court grants order to freeze Hashfast’s bitcoin wallets 

For ease of tracking I’ve decided on the following discrete categories to classify all events:

1. Banking: Refers to decisions made or stances taken by banks and other traditional financial institutions with respect to crypto-ventures, including adopting a digital currency strategy and banking operators
2. Businesses: Includes decisions made by operators and businesses as a result of regulatory pressure or other risks facing them, as well as overall market-related news
3. Enforcement Actions: Includes actual law enforcement actions on virtual currency operators anywhere in the world
4. Rules & Regs: Refers to decisions made or stances taken by regulators, supervisors and policy-makers around the world

Please point me to any events that you consider important and would like to see on the log.