News & Analysis as of

Blockchain Securities Exchange Act

Latham & Watkins LLP

SEC Staff Clarifies That Certain Protocol Staking Activities Do Not Implicate the Registration Requirements of the US Federal...

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The Staff clarifies that protocol staking does not qualify as a security under the Howey Test, clearing the way for market participants to engage in staking....more

Fenwick & West LLP

SEC Staff Says Certain Protocol Staking Activities Don't Constitute the Sale of Securities

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The SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance recently issued a statement on Certain Protocol Staking Activities, essentially articulating the Division’s view that “Protocol Staking Activities,” do not involve the offer and sale...more

Jones Day

Crypto Staking: SEC Staff Clarifies Non-Security Status for Certain Protocol Activities

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A May 29, 2025, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") Division of Corporation Finance statement explains that "Covered Crypto Assets"—crypto tokens without any inherent rights to passive income, business enterprise...more

Lowenstein Sandler LLP

A Step Forward for Broker-Dealers and Transfer Agents Engaged in Crypto Asset Businesses

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The Staff noted that Securities Exchange Act (SEA) Rule 15c3-3(b) only applies to securities carried by a broker-dealer. Accordingly, if a broker-dealer carries non-security crypto assets (e.g., Bitcoin or Ether), a...more

Mayer Brown Free Writings + Perspectives

The SEC’s Staff of the Division of Corporation Finance Clarifies Its Views on Crypto Mining

On March 20, 2025, the SEC’s Staff of the Division of Corporation Finance (the “Division”) issued a statement providing its views that crypto mining activities (as defined in its statement) do not involve the offer and sale...more

Lowenstein Sandler LLP

Federal District Court Vacates the Security and Exchange Commission’s Expanded Dealer Rule

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On Nov. 21, Judge Reed O’Connor of the Northern District of Texas vacated the Security and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) newly enacted Rules 3a5-4 and 3a44-2 (collectively, the Dealer Rule), which expanded the scope of who...more

Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

Bitnomial Exchange Sues SEC, Challenging Agency's Authority Over XRP Futures

Bitnomial Exchange, LLC (Bitnomial), a designated contract market (DCM) registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), has launched a legal offensive against the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC),...more

Paul Hastings LLP

The SEC Alleges Software Provider to be a Broker and Underwriter in Continued Crackdown on the Crypto Industry

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On June 28, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filed a complaint alleging that Consensys Software, Inc. (“Consensys”), the developer of the MetaMask self-hosted wallet, acted as an unregistered broker...more

WilmerHale

Binance Ruling Spotlights Muddled Post-Morrison Landscape

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The March decision in Williams v. Binance from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit marks the latest chapter in the judiciary's struggle to apply the U.S. Supreme Court's 2010 decision in Morrison v. National...more

WilmerHale

“Decentralized Finance (DeFi),” Fintech, Regtech, and the Financial Services Industry (Ch. 8A)

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Decentralized Finance (DeFi) is an umbrella term used to describe financial services provided outside of the traditional markets, that rely on blockchain technologies to create innovative products instead of relying on...more

Seward & Kissel LLP

Leash the Kraken: SEC Sues Kraken

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On November 20, 2023, the SEC filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California against Payward, Inc. and Payward Ventures, Inc. which, together, do business as Kraken. The...more

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

The SEC’s Second NFT Enforcement Action: SEC v. Stoner Cats 2

Key Point - Just over two weeks after the SEC announced the settlement of its first NFT enforcement action against Impact Theory, on September 13, 2023, the SEC announced its second NFT enforcement action against SC2, the...more

A&O Shearman

District Of New Jersey Dismisses Securities Fraud Claims Against Blockchain Support Company With Prejudice After Twice Granting...

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On August 25, 2023, Judge Georgette Castner of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey dismissed with prejudice a putative class action asserting claims under the Securities Exchange Act against a...more

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

SEC orders crypto ATM operator to pay $3.9 million for selling unregistered tokens

On April 28, the SEC settled with a cryptocurrency ATM operator for allegedly selling unregistered tokens in order to raise money to expand its bitcoin ATM network. Described as a “token sale,” the SEC claimed the respondents...more

Jones Day

SEC Seeks Additional Comment on Whether DeFi Systems Must Register as "Exchanges"

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In Short - The Situation: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC" or "Commission") has reopened the comment period for its January 2022 proposal to amend Exchange Act Rule 3b-16 to broadly expand the...more

Morrison & Foerster LLP

The SEC Redefines “Exchange”: An Act in Three Parts

On April 14, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reopened the comment period on proposed amendments to Rule 3b-16 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) (the “Amendments”). The...more

Morrison & Foerster LLP

Top 5 SEC Enforcement Developments for November 2022

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In order to provide an overview for busy in-house counsel and compliance professionals, we summarize below some of the most important SEC enforcement developments from the past month, with links to primary resources....more

Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP

New FINRA sweep targets crypto marketing

As might be expected, FINRA appears to be aligning itself with the SEC in its assertion of jurisdiction over investments that may not, at the end of the day, be deemed securities. ...more

Morrison & Foerster LLP

Top 5 SEC Enforcement Developments for October 2022

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In order to provide an overview for busy in-house counsel and compliance professionals, we summarize below some of the most important and interesting SEC enforcement developments from the past month, with links to primary...more

Goodwin

Third Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Complaint, Finding Investors Failed to Sufficiently Allege Amarin’s Statements Were False or...

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On June 14, 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a securities suit brought by investors in pharmaceutical company, Amarin Corporation, PLC, holding that the investors had failed to...more

Holland & Knight LLP

Avoiding Sticky Situations with Web3: DOJ, SEC Scrutiny of NFT and DeFi Projects Expected to Continue

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Web3 is a term with a shifting, amorphous definition. In its current form, Web3 encompasses both decentralized platforms and the metaverse. Decentralized platforms offer services and assets that use distributed ledger...more

Womble Bond Dickinson

SEC Proposes to Redefine “Exchange” - New Definition Could Subject Blockchain Crypto Platforms to SEC Regulation

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The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC” or “Commission”) has released a proposal to amend Exchange Act Rule 3b-16, Regulation ATS, and Regulation SCI. Criticized by SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce as “too wide-ranging”...more

Goodwin

Eleventh Circuit Overturns Dismissal of Cryptocurrency Ponzi Scheme Class Action Suit

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IN THIS ISSUE - Eleventh Circuit Overturns Dismissal of Cryptocurrency Ponzi Scheme Class Action Suit; Federal Court of Appeals Dismisses Leading Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Shareholder Lawsuits; NY Seeks Blockchain...more

Morrison & Foerster LLP

A Busy Week For The SEC’s Enforcement Efforts In Crypto’s “Wild West”

The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) brought three enforcement actions concerning digital assets in rapid succession in a week, underlining that the Division of Enforcement is as committed to crypto enforcement...more

Perkins Coie

Blockchain Week in Review - July 2021

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European Central Bank announces the investigation phase of a digital Euro project. SEC charges Coinschedule.com with unlawfully touting digital asset securities. Federal court order permanently bans PaxForex and imposes a...more

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