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Part 3 of our series on the history of cryptocurrency regulation in America looks at the 2021 Bull Run. During this period, which culminated in Bitcoin reaching an all-time high of $68,000, disagreements continued over the classification of Ether as a commodity and calls for regulatory clarity grew louder.
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Regulation doesn’t happen without the technological tools and approaches regulators use to serve millions in a digital world.  

Part 3 of our series on the history of cryptocurrency regulation in America looks at the 2021 Bull Run. During this period, which culminated in Bitcoin reaching an all-time high of $68,000, disagreements continued over the classification of Ether as a commodity and calls for regulatory clarity grew louder.
Part 1 of our series on the history of cryptocurrency regulation in America looked at the burgeoning years of cryptocurrency – mainly Bitcoin – and the attempt to regulate it through criminal enforcement actions. In Part 2, GovTech and regulation lawyer Sean Gellis covers the birth of the Ethereum network, the 2017 Bull Run, and the long crypto winter that followed it.
In the wake of a tumultuous year for cryptocurrency, governments around the world are making moves to regulate digital currencies. While recent headlines suggest a flurry of scattered efforts to apply rules to govern cryptocurrency and its exchanges, this is a continuation of a regulatory trend.

Crypto’s history with regulators, lawmakers, and enforcement agencies spans a decade, but it can be challenging to make sense of it all. In the first part of this series on the history of cryptocurrency regulation, Ascend contributor Sean Gellis explores how the two have intersected over time, taking us back to the origins of digital currency and a comprehensive timeline of early cryptocurrency regulation in the U.S.
How can people with different roles in the regulatory process harness the power of data virtualization to help with their daily work? We look at this and more in our latest Ascend article.
For as long has information technology has existed, so too have malicious actors seeking to exploit network vulnerabilities to obtain compromising information. In response, organizations worldwide, private and public alike, have created frameworks for cybersecurity compliance. But what do these frameworks look like, exactly? And how do they work for regulators? We look at this and more in our latest Ascend piece.
Today, networks carry more information — and more types of information — than ever before. The ubiquity and cost of network technology has forced U.S. government officials at every level to consider outsourcing its management to the private sector. But what does that implementation look like, exactly? We take a look at this and more in our latest Ascend article.
Government leaders often find themselves analyzing data from multiple discrete sources in their everyday work. In the past, physically integrating this data has proven to be a costly and time-consuming process. Thanks to data virtualization, however, regulators can now access data from many different sources without relocating any of it. Here we look at the basics of data integration as well as different ways governments have adopted the technology.
Machine learning (ML), a subset of artificial intelligence (AI), involves training algorithms with data to the point where they improve themselves independently over time. How can government leaders make use of this technology to further the public interest? Where has ML succeeded in the public sector over the past 20 years?
Credentials are among the most sought-after pieces of data by malicious actors in the cybersecurity space. With the right set of passwords, a cybercriminal can breach many systems, accessing a treasure trove of other, more sensitive information. Here we break down the basics of credential security as well as measures regulators can take to safeguard electronic information.
As we have seen in many industries, AI carries enormous potential. But can it carry over to the world of regulation? Anna van der Gaag's work has taken her deep into the intersection of technology and regulation. In this article, she explores exciting research findings on AI in a regulatory context and shares some encouraging signs.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made it imperative for regulators to handle the rapidly expanding field of telepractice. In this column, Julie de Gongre breaks down seven principles for regulators to keep in mind when regulating telepractice across jurisdictions.
In today's data-driven world, predictive analytics allow researchers to use a wealth of information combined with sophisticated machine learning algorithms to make predictions about future and offer advice to organizations accordingly. Is there a use-case for predictive analytics in occupational licensing? How can regulators use this technology to stay on top of trends in their field and more effectively protect the public interest?
The power and prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) only grows with every passing year. As more sophisticated algorithms are developed and as AI programs grow their datasets, this technology will continue to take on more tasks and responsibilities previously fulfilled by humans. Here we look at the development of artificial intelligence as well as various applications the technology can have in professional licensing.
In a world where the private sector has automated most sign-up processes for consumers, regulators too must explore the applications of automation in their day-to-day work. How can occupational licensing bodies use automation to cut costs, save time, and make life easier for citizens and professionals alike?
With the pervasiveness of social engineering attacks and other cyberthreats, occupational licensing bodies must implement preventive measures to make sure sensitive information is kept safe. Here we look at some different cyberthreats as well as basic controls regulators can use to curb them.
Though user experience (UX) as a concept only entered the public consciousness in the 1990s, today it governs much of the debate around the development of new technology, in the public sector just as much as the private sector. We take a look at user experience in government technology throughout the ages as well as options for governments to make tech more intuitive and accessible for citizens.

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A brief history of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC)

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Utah becomes first state to enact PA Licensure Compact: Weekly regulatory news

The Week in Brief is your weekly snapshot of regulatory news and what's happening in the world of professional licensing, government technology, and public policy.
This week in regulatory news, Utah becomes the first state to pass legislation to join the PA Licensure Compact, a new State Occupational Licensing Index finds that Arkansas has the most occupational licensure in the nation, and much more.

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