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Digital Assets Unregistered Securities Initial Coin Offering (ICOs)

Cornerstone Research

SEC Cryptocurrency Enforcement Report Summary

Cornerstone Research on

Cryptocurrency enforcement continues to be a high priority for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In 2023, the SEC administration under Chair Gary Gensler brought a total of 46 cryptocurrency-related...more

Cornerstone Research

SEC Enforcement of Cryptocurrency Reaches a New High

Cornerstone Research on

More than 50% increase in SEC cryptocurrency-related enforcement actions in 2023 over 2022. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) continues to view cryptocurrency-related enforcement as a top priority, bringing 46...more

Polsinelli

SEC Hints at Path for Digital Assets to Morph Into Non-Securities

Polsinelli on

On August 9, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) issued a Cease and Desist Order against Bloom Protocol, LLC (“Bloom”) and agreed to a related Offer of Settlement in respect of Bloom’s unregistered...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

Securities and Exchange Commission V. LBRY; Is Your Crypto Project Illegal?

While the crypto community is rightfully focused on the Ripple case to see how the SEC will fare in court on enforcements alleging cryptocurrency offerings are a security, a lesser-known case may provide clarity first. The...more

Proskauer - The Capital Commitment

Decentralized Finance: The Next Frontier of SEC Enforcement

The SEC’s push to regulate the next generation of blockchain-based applications will likely give rise to disputes and enforcement actions, particularly in the developing decentralized finance (DeFi) space....more

Jones Day

SEC Chairman Signals Intensified Enforcement and Regulatory Scrutiny of Crypto and DeFi

Jones Day on

SEC Chairman Gary Gensler suggests SEC will aggressively police crypto assets and decentralized finance ("DeFi") platforms while seeking expanded authority to regulate these fast-growing industries....more

Proskauer - Blockchain and the Law

SEC Brings Charges against Individuals Behind Allegedly Fraudulent Unregistered Digital Asset Securities Offering

On February 1, 2021, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that it had brought charges against several individuals involved in an alleged scheme to induce investors to transfer more than $11 million to...more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

U.S. District Judge Rejects Argument that Sale of “Stand-In” Tokens Was Not a Sale of Unregistered Securities

On January 8, 2021, Judge Richard Seeborg of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California issued an Order denying a motion to dismiss in S.E.C. v. NAC Foundation, LLC, et al. The U.S. Securities &...more

The Volkov Law Group

Ripple Responds to the SEC’s Enforcement Action

The Volkov Law Group on

Following the SEC’s December filing, Ripple Labs, Inc. has now responded and taken its first steps to defend itself against the allegations.  Ripple’s first move was to file FOIA request with the SEC to obtain the information...more

Polsinelli

Scrolling to the End SoluTech Sanctioned After Conducting Illegal Sale of Securities

Polsinelli on

Late last month, SoluTech, Inc. and Nathan Pitruzello consented to a cease-and-desist order with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).  From April 2018 through March 2019, SoluTech, a technology start-up...more

BCLP

SAFTs in Telegram’s Wake

BCLP on

The Simple Agreement for Future Tokens (“SAFT”) was once touted as a creative solution to execute “initial coin offerings” (“ICOs”) that did not violate federal securities laws. The two-step transaction contemplated by SAFTs...more

Polsinelli

Peircing the Decentralized Autonomous Organization Veil

Polsinelli on

U.S. Securities and Exchange (SEC) Commissioner Hester Peirce, referred to by some as “crypto mom” for her support for blockchain technology and cryptocurrency, was nominated on June 3, to serve a five-year term. Peirce is...more

Polsinelli

BitBlog Bi-Weekly Update - May 2020

Polsinelli on

With the world slowly coming out of the COVID-19 lock down and the economy hopefully on the path to recovery there have been many developments in the blockchain / crypto space over the last few weeks....more

Lowenstein Sandler LLP

A Tezos Settlement and a Telegram Injunction: Securities Laws Protections Extend to Digital Asset Investors

Digital assets sit on the cutting edge of investable products, but two recent events can give investors comfort that the US securities laws will still protect them even in these sometimes uncharted waters. First, a securities...more

Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP

Videocast: Asset management regulation in 2020 videocast series – FinTech initiatives

Asset managers will need to consider how FinTech developments impact their business model in 2020, including developments related to digital asset securities, cryptocurrency-based ETFs and blockchain. In this Bottom Line...more

WilmerHale

SEC Issues Investor Alert on Initial Exchange Offerings

WilmerHale on

On January 14, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) Office of Investor Education and Advocacy issued an Investor Alert urging investors to use caution before investing in “initial exchange offerings”...more

Latham & Watkins LLP

2019 Digital Asset Regulatory Look Back (US Edition)

Latham & Watkins LLP on

It was a year filled with tantalizing tidbits and many loose ends. 2019 marked the 10th year since blockchain technology was released into the wild by its still unknown inventor, Satoshi Nakamoto, who mined the first bitcoin...more

Polsinelli

Wind of Change - The Year FinTech Came in From the Cold - Polsinelli BitBlog: Year End Edition

Polsinelli on

Digital assets and Blockchain technologies which were once described as the tools of criminals, are now a key part of efforts by traditional financial services firms to transform their businesses and innovative firms looking...more

Orrick - On the Chain

Fraud is Fraud – Sales of Unregistered Digital Securities Resemble Classic Microcap Fraud

Orrick - On the Chain on

A Complaint filed by the SEC in the Southern District of New York last week reminds us that in the area of securities law violations there is not much new under the sun. Even though the action against Eran Eyal and...more

Farrell Fritz, P.C.

Telegram TRO Sends Strong Message to Digital Token Issuers

Farrell Fritz, P.C. on

On October 11, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) announced it filed a complaint and obtained a temporary restraining order against Telegram Group Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary TON Issuer...more

Polsinelli

BitBlog Weekly Summary

Polsinelli on

This summary covers the last two weeks which includes news about continued enforcement actions by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) involving fraudulent digital asset transactions, dismissal of a securities...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

The Distributed Ledger: Blockchain, Digital Assets and Smart Contracts - September 2019

In this issue of The Distributed Ledger, we discuss the IRS' warning letters for over 10,000 cryptocurrency holders, the SEC's settlement with a blockchain company regarding unregistered ICO transactions, and a European...more

McDermott Will & Emery

The SEC Takes Aim at Another Initial Coin Offering

McDermott Will & Emery on

A recent complaint concerning KIK Interactive Inc. filed in the US District Court of the Southern District of New York reveals some SEC priorities for cryptocurrency enforcement actions. The complaint indicates that the SEC...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

The Distributed Ledger: Blockchain, Digital Assets and Smart Contracts - April 2019

In this issue, we examine the release of the much-anticipated Strategic Hub for Innovation and Financial Technology (FinHub) guidance for analyzing how U.S. federal securities laws apply to initial coin offerings, the...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

With the SEC, Cooperation is Key

As an expensive “slap on the wrist,” the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC” or the “Commission”) recently concluded that approximately $12.7 million worth of funds raised in a 2017 Initial Coin Offering (“ICO”) by...more

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