Brazil Leads Global Standard as VERT Merges Ripple’s Blockchain with Finance

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The post Foreigner’s Lou Gramm Revisits The Band’s Classic ‘4’ Album, Now Reissued appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. American-based rock band Foreigner performs onstage at the Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, Illinois, November 8, 1981. Pictured are, from left, Mick Jones, on guitar, and vocalist Lou Gramm. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images) Getty Images Singer Lou Gramm has a vivid memory of recording the ballad “Waiting for a Girl Like You” at New York City’s Electric Lady Studio for his band Foreigner more than 40 years ago. Gramm was adding his vocals for the track in the control room on the other side of the glass when he noticed a beautiful woman walking through the door. “She sits on the sofa in front of the board,” he says. “She looked at me while I was singing. And every now and then, she had a little smile on her face. I’m not sure what that was, but it was driving me crazy. “And at the end of the song, when I’m singing the ad-libs and stuff like that, she gets up,” he continues. “She gives me a little smile and walks out of the room. And when the song ended, I would look up every now and then to see where Mick [Jones] and Mutt [Lange] were, and they were pushing buttons and turning knobs. They were not aware that she was even in the room. So when the song ended, I said, ‘Guys, who was that woman who walked in? She was beautiful.’ And they looked at each other, and they went, ‘What are you talking about? We didn’t see anything.’ But you know what? I think they put her up to it. Doesn’t that sound more like them?” “Waiting for a Girl Like You” became a massive hit in 1981 for Foreigner off their album 4, which peaked at number one on the Billboard chart for 10 weeks and…

New York’s top financial regulator urged banks to adopt blockchain analytics, signaling tighter oversight of crypto-linked risks. The move reflects regulators’ concern that traditional institutions face rising exposure to digital assets. While crypto-native firms already rely on monitoring tools, the Department of Financial Services now expects banks to use them to detect illicit activity. NYDFS Outlines Compliance Expectations The notice, issued on Wednesday by Superintendent Adrienne Harris, applies to all state-chartered banks and foreign branches. In its industry letter, the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) emphasized that blockchain analytics should be integrated into compliance programs according to each bank’s size, operations, and risk appetite. The regulator cautioned that crypto markets evolve quickly, requiring institutions to update frameworks regularly. “Emerging technologies introduce evolving threats that require enhanced monitoring tools,” the notice stated. It stressed the need for banks to prevent money laundering, sanctions violations, and other illicit finance linked to virtual currency transactions. To that end, the Department listed specific areas where blockchain analytics can be applied: Screening customer wallets with crypto exposure to assess risks. Verifying the origin of funds from virtual asset service providers (VASPs). Monitoring the ecosystem holistically to detect money laundering or sanctions exposure. Identifying and assessing counterparties, such as third-party VASPs. Evaluating expected versus actual transaction activity, including dollar thresholds. Weighing risks tied to new digital asset products before rollout. These examples highlight how institutions can tailor monitoring tools to strengthen their risk management frameworks. The guidance expands on NYDFS’s Virtual Currency-Related Activities (VCRA) framework, which has governed crypto oversight in the state since 2022. Regulators Signal Broader Impact Market observers say the notice is less about new rules and more about clarifying expectations. By formalizing the role of blockchain analytics in traditional finance, New York is reinforcing the idea that banks cannot treat crypto exposure as a niche concern. Analysts also believe the approach could ripple beyond New York. Federal agencies and regulators in other states may view the guidance as a blueprint for aligning banking oversight with the realities of digital asset adoption. For institutions, failure to adopt blockchain intelligence tools may invite regulatory scrutiny and undermine their ability to safeguard customer trust. With crypto now firmly embedded in global finance, New York’s stance suggests that blockchain analytics are no longer optional for banks — they are essential to protecting the financial system’s integrity.