A Conversation with SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce
Podcast: Is Cryptocurrency a Security (like an orange grove)?
Episode 286 -- Matt Stankiewicz on the Ripple Decision and Celsius CEO Indictment
From Station Wagon to Lamborghini: One CypherPunk’s Journey from Cryptoanarchy to Solana Cross-Chain NFT Innovations
Wax Studios
Summer Enforcement Action Review; Raising Money in a Pandemic - Investment Management Roundtable Discussion
Theoretical No More: Blockchain Technology, Cryptocurrencies and the Tax, Legal and Business Implications
Nike was hit with a proposed securities class action on Friday accusing the athletic apparel giant of touting its nonfungible tokens before abruptly abandoning that business, in a “brazen rug pull” that left purchasers of...more
Our last update included a whirlwind of activities, with the surprisingly bipartisan House of Representatives vote on FIT 21 and the SEC’s approval of certain Ether spot ETF rule change proposals coming in quick succession....more
On March 8, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed and remanded a District Court decision that dismissed all claims by plaintiff crypto investors against Binance, an international electronic exchange...more
Cryptocurrency-related filings continue to see a high level of activity. The number of securities class action filings increased in the first half of 2023, according to a report released today by Cornerstone Research and...more
On February 1, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed a putative class action brought by customers of Coinbase Global Inc. and its subsidiary Coinbase Inc. (together, Coinbase), alleging the...more
On December 1, 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated and remanded a district court’s decision to certify a class of more than 200,000 retirees alleging that collateralized loans serviced by the...more
Cryptocurrency companies face a steadily growing number of lawsuits, adding to a list of recent headaches for their industry. That list includes steep recent declines in investment value and a high probability of new...more
Cryptocurrency, social media, and celebrity or influencer endorsements have all been top of mind recently, including for advertisers. A newly filed lawsuit is asking a federal court to consider the intersection of these...more
A class action lawsuit filed against Kim Kardashian, Floyd Mayweather, and former professional basketball player Paul Pierce earlier this month underscores the need for celebrity endorsers to take care when they approach any...more
In 2020, plaintiffs filed a series of class action lawsuits alleging that a number of digital tokens were actually “securities” and, thus, were illegally issued or traded on exchanges. Accusing a number of issuers and...more
Stocks rebounded with the S&P 500 making gains for the second time in three days and 10-year Treasury yields fell below 1%; analyst suggest the market upswing was caused, in part, by the Democratic primary results showing...more
Newly released minutes from the Fed’s January meeting show central bankers preoccupied with global risks, including the still-growing economic impact of the coronavirus, while still taking a wait-and-see approach to any...more
When is a digital asset a security or a commodity? Are SAFTs safe? Does hyping blockchain create an expectation of profit? Is blockchain a trademark, trade secret or neither? Are free tokens tax-free? Who is Satoshi Nakamoto?...more
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has indicated that nearly all initial coin offering (“ICO”) filings they have seen are securities offerings. Based on this expansive view, it may be more likely to...more
Earlier this month the United States District Court for the Northern District of California issued its opinion denying several motions to dismiss, including one filed by the Tezos Foundation, regarding class allegations...more
In this issue: - - New Solutions Seek to Bring Cryptocurrencies Closer to Mainstream - Blockchain Developments for Shipping, Food, Pharmaceuticals and Diamonds - Cryprocurrency Scams and Enforcement Actions...more
After a surge in popularity and an increased interest from regulators, virtual currencies — also known as cryptocurrencies — have entered into a new phase in their relatively short history, with an increase in class actions...more
A class action lawsuit was filed on May 3rd against Ripple Labs Inc.—a fintech startup that controls the third-largest cryptocurrency in the world—and its CEO Brad Garlinghouse, alleging that Ripple sold unregistered,...more
More than 3 years after admitting to cheating on diesel emissions tests, Volkswagen appears poised to oust CEO Matthias Muller—likely in favor of former BMW exec Herbert Diess....more
The European Commission has drafted a new set of digital taxes as an answer to last year’s US tax overhaul that imposed a new minimum tax on the overseas efforts of companies with US operations. The EU’s plan would require...more
Notwithstanding Lloyd’s assurances that the rumors of his demise are premature, Goldman has cleared the path forward for David Solomon (aka, one of its current co-Presidents, aka, DJ D-Sol) to assume the CEO position when Mr....more
Cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin and Ethereum, had a breakout year in 2017. The price of Bitcoin rose from approximately $1,000 per Bitcoin on January 1, 2017, to $13,000 per Bitcoin on December 31, 2017, with a high of...more
Initial Coin Offerings, or ICOs, were an extremely popular way of raising capital in exchange for crypto tokens in 2017 and have led to class action litigation in 2017 and 2018. While ICOs have been around since 2013, they...more
BitConnect International, PLC had a somewhat unique business model, even for an industry known for its unconventional nature. On its face, BitConnect functioned as an exchange. However, the real purpose of the platform, and...more
For the third time this month, the Tezos blockchain project is the subject of a class action complaint for claims arising from their $232 million July initial coin offering (“ICO”). Consistent with both prior lawsuits, the...more