Podcast: Is Cryptocurrency a Security (like an orange grove)?
On August 9, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sent a letter to U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres requesting leave to file an interlocutory appeal in SEC v. Ripple Labs, Inc. as to the two adverse liability...more
This summer was a busy one for cryptocurrency regulators, with aggressive actions potentially signaling an increase in consumer protection compliance activity. In August alone, the New York Department of Financial Services...more
U.S. Judge Says Initial Coin Offerings May Be Covered by Securities Law - On September 11, U.S. District Judge Raymond Dearie ruled that U.S. securities laws may cover an initial coin offering and stated that a reasonable...more
...On June 28, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission announced a new Memorandum of Understanding meant to allow two agencies to further coordinate in areas of common interest. ...more
Escalating its regulatory scrutiny of initial coin offerings (“ICOs”), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) has recently issued subpoenas to a reported 80 or more firms involved in the burgeoning industry...more
In his recent remarks at the Securities Regulation Institute, SEC Chairman Jay Clayton had some stern words for market professionals, especially lawyers, involved in initial coin offerings (ICOs). He expressed concern that...more
As discussed in a post from last week, the SEC determined that Initial Coin Offerings can be securities. The finding stems from the SEC’s investigation into The DAO’s offering and sale of DAO Tokens (a form of virtual...more
Many initial coin offerings (ICOs) have recently raised large amounts of capital without the regulatory constraints of traditional initial public offerings (IPOs) and other capital-raising strategies. On July 25, the U.S....more
The Howey test lives on—now in a lesson in what not to do when it comes to token offerings. Token offerings, also known as “initial token offerings,” “token launches,” “token sales,” “initial coin offerings,” or “ICOs,”...more