Crypto News Roundup for January 17th, 2020

Bitcoin gaining today after two straight days of declines, up 1.3 percent to around $8800

The Block reports that Grayscale Investments, a unit of Digital Currency Group, which is the owner of CoinDesk, raised more than $600 million from investors last year. And that’s up from 66% in 2018.

The Libra Association, working under the auspices of Facebook to create a digital currency, has designated the leadership of a committee that will coordinate the token’s proposed design

And crypto tax legislation is getting a new life in U.S. congress

Some investors at a crypto conference this week in Switzerland say that the U.S. may be entering a new cold war with China - over the future of money

Back in North America, The Block reports that most Canadian crypto exchanges will likely fall under the country’s securities laws following new guidance published Thursday

And just a day after reports emerged that the Malta-based crypto exchange Binance will soon restrict access to Japanese residents, the exchange now says it’s eyeing the launch of a new trading platform for the Asian market

Patrick McDonnell, 47, was sentenced to 33 months on Thursday and ordered to pay $224,352 to victims, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York