As the Polsinelli Blockchain+ team gears up for Consensus 2025 next week in Toronto — where Stephen Rutenberg, Daniel McAvoy and Jonathan Schmalfeld will be attending — the regulatory momentum in Washington appears to be...more
5/8/2025
/ Blockchain ,
Coinbase ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal Reserve ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Reform ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities Regulation ,
Stablecoins
The last two weeks have seen federal agencies continue refining their approach to the digital asset industry, while state regulators are beginning to play a more prominent role—even as the overall pace of development appears...more
4/25/2025
/ Capital Markets ,
Coinbase ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Securities Violations
Among the biggest news that dropped in the past two weeks was the Trump administration’s announcement of a national Bitcoin reserve plan, a move whose mere discussion marks a significant shift from the federal government’s...more
3/13/2025
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Enforcement Priorities ,
FinTech ,
Investment ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Trump Administration
Three of the SEC’s key enforcement actions—all extensively covered in BitBlog and widely seen as emblematic of the agency’s adversarial stance toward the industry—are reportedly being halted or dismissed. The SEC has agreed...more
2/27/2025
/ Blockchain ,
CFTC ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Coinbase ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Digital Assets ,
Dismissals ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FinTech ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation
The first weeks of February have been eventful for digital asset regulation, with major policy shifts, legal battles and legislative initiatives shaping the future of Web3. The SEC’s formation of a dedicated crypto rulemaking...more
The legal landscape surrounding blockchain technology underwent dramatic shifts in 2024, particularly in the United States, offering both remarkable opportunities and substantial compliance challenges. Governments introduced...more
1/10/2025
/ Blockchain ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Enforcement Priorities ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Regulation ,
Startups
After a relatively quiet October for Web3 legal developments, November has kicked off with significant activity, primarily centered around ongoing lawsuits and regulatory enforcement actions. In addition to these legal...more
The SEC has been busy, both in bringing actions against digital industry participants and in defending against affirmative lawsuits brought against the agency regarding the lack of notice and rulemaking for digital assets...more
10/17/2024
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Bitcoin ,
Coinbase ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Markets ,
Investment Opportunities ,
Regulatory Violations ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Stablecoins
As the end of summer approaches, litigation in the digital asset industry has remained hot. In the SEC’s cases against various exchanges, ongoing discovery fights are starting to play out in court filings, and one can expect...more
8/15/2024
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Coinbase ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FinTech ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Ripple ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Token Sales
The SEC’s litigation against the largest digital asset exchanges in America has been unfolding for over a year, beginning with the agency suing various Binance entities in June 2023, followed by actions against Coinbase...more
On June 15, 2023, the Polsinelli Blockchain+ team put out our first Bi-Weekly rundown of some of the key stories in the Web3, blockchain, and crypto ecosystems curated by Polsinelli attorneys navigating the intersections of...more
6/27/2024
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Class Action ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Currency ,
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Ethereum ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
Martin Shkreli ,
Ripple ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Fraud ,
Securities Litigation ,
Securities Violations
The focus in Web3 law the past few weeks has been on jurisdictional issues when litigating matters involving borderless digital asset transactions. This is expected to be an ongoing issue, as courts work through these...more
4/25/2024
/ Blockchain ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Transactions ,
Investment Opportunities ,
IRS ,
Securities Regulation ,
Securities Violations ,
Stablecoins ,
Unregistered Securities
The biggest legal news of the past two weeks was the Coinbase loss on two of three categories of claims at the Judgment on the Pleadings stage of litigation against the SEC. While it is rare to win at such an early stage in...more
4/15/2024
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Coinbase ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Investment ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Fraud
It was a busy week for digital assets with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as the agency was sued by a digital asset exchange hopeful and faces responses in its pending litigation against existing digital asset...more
3/14/2024
/ Blockchain ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FinTech ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Securities Violations ,
Smart Contracts
The Blockchain Bi-Weekly presented by the Polsinelli Blockchain+ team is a rundown of some of the key stories in the Web3, blockchain and crypto ecosystems curated by our attorneys navigating the intersections of code, smart...more
12/14/2023
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
BSA/AML ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Extradition ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
Gaming ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Smart Contracts
The Blockchain Bi-Weekly presented by the Polsinelli Blockchain+ team is a rundown of some of the key stories in the Web3, blockchain and crypto ecosystems curated by our attorneys navigating the intersections of code, smart...more
11/30/2023
/ Blockchain ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Services Committee ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Smart Contracts
The Blockchain Bi-Weekly presented by the Polsinelli Blockchain+ team is a rundown of some of the key stories in the Web3, blockchain and crypto ecosystems curated by our attorneys navigating the intersections of code, smart...more
11/17/2023
/ Blockchain ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Currency ,
Digital Wallets ,
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ,
EFTs ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Markets ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Investment Opportunities ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Fraud
The Blockchain Bi-Weekly presented by the Polsinelli Blockchain+ team is a rundown of some of the key stories in the Web3, blockchain and crypto ecosystems curated by our attorneys navigating the intersections of code, smart...more
11/2/2023
/ Blockchain ,
Coinbase ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FinTech ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Ripple ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Smart Contracts
The Blockchain Bi-Weekly presented by the Polsinelli Blockchain+ team is a rundown of some of the key stories in the Web3, blockchain and crypto ecosystems curated by our attorneys navigating the intersections of code, smart...more
10/19/2023
/ Blockchain ,
Coinbase ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Fraud ,
Financial Markets ,
Financial Transactions ,
Ripple ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
The Blockchain Bi-Weekly presented by the Polsinelli Blockchain+ team is a rundown of some of the key stories in the Web3, blockchain and crypto ecosystems curated by our attorneys navigating the intersections of code, smart...more
9/8/2023
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Coinbase ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Exchange-Traded Products ,
Financial Services Industry ,
First Amendment ,
Fourth Amendment ,
IRS ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Pump and Dump ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Securities Violations ,
Smart Contracts ,
Tax Liability ,
Unregistered Securities
The Blockchain Bi-Weekly presented by the Polsinelli Blockchain+ team is a rundown of some of the key stories in the Web3, blockchain and crypto ecosystems curated by our attorneys navigating the intersections of code, smart...more
8/24/2023
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Coinbase ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FinTech ,
Investment ,
PayPal ,
Ripple ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stablecoins ,
Token Sales ,
Virtual Currency
The Blockchain Bi-Weekly presented by the Polsinelli Blockchain+ team is a rundown of some of the key stories in the Web3, blockchain and crypto ecosystems curated by our attorneys navigating the intersections of code, smart...more
8/10/2023
/ Blockchain ,
Coinbase ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Securities Violations ,
Smart Contracts ,
Stablecoins
On February 9, 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) charged Kraken with offering and selling Kraken’s Staking Program – its staking-as-a-service product – as an unregistered security. Kraken, more...more
2/16/2023
/ Blockchain ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Investment Opportunities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Token Sales ,
Trading Platforms ,
Unregistered Securities
In July of 2022, the United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) each alleged insider trading violations against a former Coinbase employee Ishan Wahi (“Ishan”), his brother...more
2/14/2023
/ Coinbase ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Insider Trading ,
Investment Contract ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations
While the blockchain crypto community is processing the latest round of “crypto contagion,” potentially lost in the busy news week was a significant legal development regarding what digital assets qualify as securities under...more
11/17/2022
/ Blockchain ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Instruments ,
Howey ,
Investment Contract ,
Payment Tokens ,
Securities Act ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Securities Violations ,
Summary Judgment ,
Token Sales ,
User-Generated Content