On December 1, 2025, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced amendments to its rules of practice and rules governing investigations, with the stated goal of enhancing transparency, fairness and due process....more
On December 1, 2025, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced revisions to its Rules of Practice and Rules Relating to Investigations to promote transparency and ensure due process in the commission’s...more
In this issue of our monthly Securities Enforcement Roundup, we highlight top securities enforcement developments from October 2025. In October 2025: The federal government shutdown substantially impacted the US Securities...more
Our White Collar, Government & Internal Investigations Team examines recent Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reforms to enhance fairness and transparency in the Wells process by expanding respondent engagement,...more
On October 7, 2025, nearing the six-month mark of his tenure as Chairman at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), Paul S. Atkins delivered a keynote address spotlighting the SEC’s primary due process mechanism,...more
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Paul Atkins recently previewed updates meant to “improve on and refine” the SEC’s Wells process. In his Keynote Address at the 25th Annual A.A. Sommer, Jr. Lecture on...more
At a keynote address delivered at Fordham University School of Law on October 7, 2025, Chairman Paul S. Atkins underscored the central role of fairness in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “SEC” or the...more
Key Takeaways - SEC Chairman Atkins announced changes to the Wells process, used to notify potential respondents of charges the Enforcement Division Staff intends to bring, to reflect that the process is “an extension of...more
On October 7, 2025, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC” or the “Commission”) Chairman Paul Atkins presented the 25th Annual A.A. Sommer, Jr. Lecture on Corporate, Securities, and Financial Law at Fordham...more
Digital Asset Companies Achieve Licenses, Launch Stablecoin Products - According to a recent press release, Anchorage Digital, a digital asset platform and infrastructure provider, announced that the New York State...more
Crypto Firms Launch Stablecoin Network and Custody Service, Achieve Licenses - According to recent press releases, multiple major fintech and digital asset companies have partnered to introduce the Global Dollar Network...more
While it is pretty likely that anyone reading this is already familiar with the Wells process, I am going to start with a short history lesson. Way back in 1972, the SEC created an Advisory Committee to take an objective look...more
U.S. Fintech and Crypto Companies Continue Crypto Product Launches - According to recent reports, a major U.S. fintech and payments company has launched support for USDC payments, enabling U.S. businesses to accept USDC on...more
Crypto Payments Firms Announce New Integrations and Initiatives - According to reports, fintech bank Revolut recently announced a partnership with Ledger, a major crypto hardware wallet provider, to make it easier for...more
With the past year marked by a number of enforcement actions and investigations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and other regulators against major actors in the digital assets space. This webinar will...more
While the nation was preoccupied with the significant developments in the Presidential race, advocates and promoters of the blockchain ecosystem were particularly attentive to the news, given the perception that the current...more
CryptoLink is a compilation of news stories published by outside organizations. Akin aggregates the stories, but the information contained in them does not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of the firm. Akin's May...more
In a recent press release, Grayscale Investments announced “the creation and public launch of two new crypto investment trusts: Grayscale Near Trust and Grayscale Stacks Trust.” According to the press release, “The trusts...more
The week of May 19-25 was the most promising for the regulation of blockchain technology in the United States in a very long time. Polsinelli’s Blockchain+ team delayed the publication of this Bi-Weekly update by a week to...more
Crypto and Web3 Firms Announce Fintech Integrations - A major U.S. fintech firm recently announced a product integration with MoonPay, a Web3 infrastructure company, “that allows MoonPay users in the U.S. to seamlessly buy...more
Big news dropped in the past few weeks, which sent shockwaves across the industry: according to a recently filed lawsuit, the SEC has classified the second largest cryptocurrency, Ether, as a security in certain ongoing...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigates publicly-traded and privately-held companies for a broad range of statutory and regulatory violations. SEC investigations can target issues ranging from...more
Staking Market Launches, ‘Defi Cover’ Data Published, DAO Buys Golf Course According to a recent press release, MetaMask Institutional, “the web3 wallet for organizations,” has launched its “institutional staking...more
...On March 22, 2023, Coinbase, Inc. received a Wells notice from the SEC. A Wells notice is the means by which the staff of the Enforcement Division informs someone it has decided to recommend the Commission bring an...more
A major U.S. cryptocurrency exchange recently disclosed its receipt of a Wells Notice from the SEC, which threatened charges for violating Section 5 of the Securities Act in connection with the planned launch of a “yield...more