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Here are curated AG and federal regulatory news stories highlighting key areas in which state and federal regulators’ decisions are having an impact across the US: •44 AGs Rally for AI Safeguards, Endorsing New Commission...more
New York AG Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against cryptocurrency companies Nova Tech, Ltd and AWS Mining Pty Ltd., along with their founders and promoters, alleging that the companies operated illegal pyramid and Ponzi...more
District Court Declines to Stay Case Pending Resolution of FCA Causation Standard Issue Before Court of Appeals - Earlier this week, a Massachusetts federal judge denied a motion to stay proceedings filed by Medtronic,...more
In the House, lawmakers continue to make progress on the Clarity for Stablecoins Act (H.R. 4766). On March 19, at a press event hosted by Punchbowl News on the policy landscape for digital payments, outgoing House Financial...more
Editor's Note: The following newsletter provides a roundup summarizing enforcement actions, guidance, rulemakings, and other public statements taken by a federal and/or state financial services regulatory agency, specifically...more
Each month we publish a roundup of the most important SEC enforcement developments for busy in-house lawyers and compliance professionals. This month, we examine: •The SEC’s approval of spot bitcoin ETPs; - •SEC charges...more
The Securities and Exchange Commission brought charges against Xue Samuel Lee, the co-founder of HyperFund, and Brenda Indah Chunga, also known as “Bitcoin Beautee,” the fund’s top promoter, for securities violations. ...more
Notable litigation filed during January 2024 includes: (1) Bajuri v. Shiba Prop, LLC, et al. and (2) SEC v. Lee, et al....more
On the one hand, the year ended where it began. The legislation on stabelecoins and market structure that would provide a regulatory framework for digital assets has still not been enacted into law. And Securities and...more
In November 2023, almost 11,000 cryptocurrencies and digital tokens were listed on CoinMarketCaps.com. In addition, tens of thousands of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are sold daily on various crypto exchanges and NFT platforms....more
Overall, 2023 was a tough economic year for the entire cannabis industry. And with lean economic times comes a myriad of bad behavior, and cannabis is no exception. Every year, I like to put out a list of the top cannabis...more
Taxpayers can take a tax deduction with respect to “theft” losses that result from an illegal “taking of property” done with criminal intent. Among various other types of criminal activities, fraud is treated as theft under...more
Federal and state regulators have taken an increased interest in regulating cryptocurrencies, digital assets, and the larger blockchain ecosystem. This landscape is opaque and rapidly evolving, and many industry participants...more
Notable litigation filed during April 2023 includes: (1) SEC v. French, et al., (2) Gary Kennedy v. Ghap, LLC, et al., (3) Abanda v. OurBloc LLC, et al.,(4) Sunrise NPL, LLC v. Easy Financial, LLC, et al., and(5) Joseph v....more
Crypto Exchange Ends U.S. Operations, Swiss Bank to Expand Crypto Offerings - Late last month, Bittrex, a leading cryptocurrency exchange founded in Seattle, announced it was closing U.S. operations effective April 30,...more
On March 6, the SEC announced it had filed an emergency action against a Miami-based investment adviser and one of its principals (collectively, “defendants”) in connection with a $100 million crypto asset fraud scheme. ...more
Happy New Year! While the holidays hopefully provided a chance to rest and recharge, things have not slowed down in the world of digital asset enforcement. We see a growing dedication of resources by government law...more
Four days after FTX, once the world’s third-largest crypto exchange, filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy, former FTX investors filed a class action against 11 athletes and celebrities who promoted FTX in advertisements...more
New Crypto Payment Products Launch, Reports Publish Crypto Market Data A recent press release announced that MetaMask, the popular Ethereum (ETH) Network crypto wallet provider, will integrate its self-custodial wallets...more
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
In March 2022, as it does every year, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Examinations (EXAMS) published its Examination Priorities, designed to highlight areas that the Agency views to be worthy of...more
Two plaintiffs in Miami-Dade County have filed a class action complaint against cryptocurrency platform Empires X Corp. and its founders based on an alleged Ponzi scheme. In Villanueva v. Empires X Corp., pending in Florida’s...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
Ethereum Network Completes Transition to Proof of Stake Consensus - After years of development and delays, Ethereum’s long-awaited “merge” occurred this week, changing the network’s consensus mechanism from proof-of-work...more
The U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a lawsuit in federal court against 11 individuals, alleging securities violations related to a USD300 million crypto Ponzi scheme known as Forsage. ...more