Scottish parliament staff banned from wearing rainbow lanyards and badges

Published

1 year ago

March 21, 2024

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Scottish parliament staff will no longer be allowed to wear rainbow lanyards or pins and badges at Holyrood that show support for social movements or campaigns.

The announcement follows a review of the code of conduct for Scottish Parliamentary Service (SPS) staff.

The ban will apply to Scottish parliament staff, not MSPs or their workers.

The move was confirmed in the chamber on Thursday by MSP Claire Baker, a member of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB).

Ms Baker said: “Corporate body staff must conduct themselves in an impartial manner.

“As an update, corporate body staff have until recently been allowed to wear personalised lanyards. This was introduced in 2017 as part of diversity inclusion strategy.

“However, a review of the code of conduct has just been completed.

“A decision has been taken that all staff must wear the parliament-issued purple lanyard – staff who are employed by corporate body.

“This decision will help to minimise the risk of perceived bias and avoid any perception that wearing such items may be influencing our own decision-making.”

An email sent on Wednesday to Scottish parliament staff by Lorna Foreman, group head for people and culture, said the policy change would begin with immediate effect and all group heads are “expected to support this”.

The staff now must wear a parliament-issued purple lanyard and remove any pins or badges showing support for social movements and towards any campaigns or organisations.

Ms Foreman said: “Wearing personalised lanyards and/or pins and badges showing support for social movements and towards campaigns or organisations has led some organisations and individuals to consider that the SPS cannot be impartial when supporting the parliament to debate government policy, proposed new laws and current significant societal issues.

“This decision will help to minimise the risk of perceived bias and avoid any perception that wearing such items may be influencing our own decision-making.”

Staff, however, can continue to wear a pronoun pin or badge.

Those who wear sunflower lanyards/pins/badges that indicate they have a disability can continue to do so but must also wear a purple lanyard.

Staff can also continue to wear pins such as “first aider” and badges that show they are Gaelic speakers.

Poppy badges in support of Poppy Scotland may be worn, which is in line with the parliament’s charities and fundraising policy.

Staff can also continue to wear pins and badges showing membership of a SPCB-recognised trade union.

Ms Foreman accepted it will be “difficult for some colleagues” but the parliament remains committed to “creating a culture where all people feel safe, valued, included, and able to be their best at work”.

A Scottish parliament spokesperson said: “This decision will help minimise the risk of perceived bias.

“It will also help avoid any potential misperception over the absolute impartiality of all Scottish parliamentary staff.”

Politics

SEC punts decisions on XRP, DOGE ETFs

Published

3 hours ago

April 29, 2025

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SEC punts decisions on XRP, DOGE ETFs

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has postponed deciding on whether to greenlight two proposed cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs) holding Dogecoin and XRP, filings show.

The US regulator has delayed its deadline for ruling on the proposed ETF listings until June, according to two filings reviewed by Cointelegraph.

The filings were responses to March requests from US exchanges NYSE Arca and Cboe BZX Exchange to list Bitwise’s Dogecoin (DOGE) ETF and Franklin Templeton’s XRP (XRP) ETF, respectively.

They came on the same day that Nasdaq, another US exchange, asked for permission to list a 21Shares Dogecoin ETF.

Dogecoin is the world’s most heavily traded memecoin, with a market capitalization of around $26 billion as of April 29, according to data from CoinGecko. XRP is the native token of the XRP Ledger blockchain network. It has a market capitalization of approximately $133 billion, CoinGecko data shows.

Deluge of filings

In 2025, the SEC has fielded requests to authorize dozens of altcoin ETFs for US listing. As of April 21, approximately 70 crypto ETFs were awaiting the SEC’s review.

Asset managers are proposing funds holding “[e]verything from XRP, Litecoin and Solana to Penguins, Doge and 2x Melania and everything in between,” Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas said in an April 21 post on the X platform.

The deluge of proposals comes as US President Donald Trump pushes the SEC to take a more accommodating stance toward cryptocurrencies.

However, analysts caution investor demand for altcoin ETFs may be tepid in comparison to funds holding core cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH).

“Having your coin get ETF-ized is like being in a band and getting your songs added to all the music streaming services,” Balchunas said.

“Doesn’t guarantee listens but it puts your music where the vast majority of the listeners are.”

Although US exchanges are embracing crypto ETFs, they are also urging the SEC to take a tough regulatory posture toward digital assets. In an April 25 comment letter, Nasdaq encouraged the SEC to hold digital assets to the same compliance standards as securities if they constitute “stocks by any other name.”

Magazine: Financial nihilism in crypto is over — It’s time to dream big again

Politics

Nasdaq files to list 21Shares Dogecoin ETF

Published

6 hours ago

April 29, 2025

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Nasdaq files to list 21Shares Dogecoin ETF

The United States exchange Nasdaq has asked regulators for permission to list a 21Shares exchange-traded fund (ETF) holding the popular memcoin Dogecoin, regulatory filings show.

The move follows 21Shares’ April 10 filing of its initial proposal to launch its Dogecoin ETF, shortly after similar applications from rivals Bitwise and Grayscale. The asset manager has also sought regulators’ permission to list ETFs holding other cryptocurrencies, including Solana (SOL), XRP (XRP), and Polkadot (DOT).

Nasdaq must gain approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) before it can list and trade the fund. The request amounts to a regulatory review process that could determine whether Dogecoin becomes accessible to a broader range of investors through an ETF structure.

Onslaught of altcoin ETFs

Fund issuers requested to list dozens of altcoin ETFs after US President Donald Trump instructed the SEC to take a friendlier stance toward cryptocurrencies after his second term began in January.

As of April 21, more than 70 crypto ETFs were awaiting the SEC’s review. The list includes alternative layer-1 (L1) native tokens, such as SOL and Sui (SUI), as well as memecoins such as Bonk (BONK) and Official Trump (TRUMP).

While exchanges such as Nasdaq seek to list more crypto ETFs, they are also pushing for firmer US regulatory oversight of digital assets. In an April 25 comment letter, Nasdaq urged the SEC to hold digital assets to the same regulatory standards as securities if they constitute “stocks by any other name.”

Dogecoin utility

Dogecoin (DOGE) is a popular memecoin with a market capitalization of nearly $26 billion as of April 29, according to CoinGecko.

It is distinct from most other memecoins because DOGE is the native token of the Dogecoin network.

The proof-of-work blockchain network is designed as a faster, cheaper alternative to Bitcoin (BTC) for peer-to-peer payments.

It processed more than 40,000 transactions in the past 24 hours, according to data from Bitinfocharts.com.

In September 2024, blockchain developers QED Protocol and Nexus tipped plans to launch a layer-2 (L2) scaling solution designed to bring smart contracts to Dogecoin.

Magazine: Altcoin season to hit in Q2? Mantra’s plan to win trust: Hodler’s Digest, April 13 – 19

Politics

UK gov’t proposes crypto rules in response to scams

Published

9 hours ago

April 29, 2025

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<div>UK gov't proposes crypto rules in response to scams</div>

The United Kingdom’s Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, have proposed new crypto rules aimed at “support[ing] innovation while cracking down on fraudsters.”

In an April 29 notice, the UK government announced draft rules for cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH), that would bring “crypto exchanges, dealers and agents” in line with regulations, as many residents were “exposed to risky firms and scams.” It cited discussions with US government officials, including a proposed US-UK cross-border sandbox from the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Hester Peirce.

“Today’s announcement sends a clear signal: Britain is open for business — but closed to fraud, abuse, and instability,” said the notice. “The government will bring forward final cryptoasset legislation at the earliest opportunity, following engagement on the draft provisions with industry.”

Treasury and Reeves said the UK was committed to making the country a “global hub for digital asset technologies,” referencing the goals of the previous government under the Conservative Party. A 2023 consultation paper from Treasury proposed “bringing a wide range of cryptoasset activities” — including trading and issuing stablecoins — in line with UK regulations.

Praise from industry

In a statement shared with Cointelegraph, Ian Silvera, the associate director for the self-regulatory trade association CryptoUK, called the government announcement a “very much welcomed and a big victory” for crypto firms. However, he added that the industry could also benefit from regulatory clarity on liquid staking and DeFi.

“Though there has been good regulatory progress from the [Financial Conduct Authority], which published its crypto roadmap late last year, the UK government first committed to becoming a global crypto hub in 2022,” said Silvera. “Progress has been slow since then, but as the Chancellor has recognised herself the mainstreaming of the industry has continued, with now 12% of all UK adults owning some sort of crypto, up from 4% in 2021.”

The FCA plans to publish final rules on crypto sometime in 2026, setting the groundwork for the UK regulatory regime to go live. The roadmap to greater regulatory clarity in the UK could follow the European Union, which started to implement its Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework in December.

Magazine: Financial nihilism in crypto is over — It’s time to dream big again