While we anticipated a relaxed US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under the new administration, even the biggest proponents of a lax SEC did not expect a “meme coin” blessing within weeks of a new SEC chair being...more
3/4/2025
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Compliance ,
Corporate Governance ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fraud ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Securities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Technology Sector
On January 21, 2025, US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Acting Chairman Mark T. Uyeda announced the formation of a new crypto task force. This initiative aims to develop a comprehensive and clear regulatory framework...more
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) sent shockwaves across the cryptocurrency industry when it issued a $1.25 million settlement order with Kraken, one of the industry’s largest market participants. The next day,...more
10/4/2021
/ Bitcoin ,
CFTC ,
Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Ethereum ,
New Guidance ,
Regulatory Agencies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Settlement ,
U.S. Treasury
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
6/13/2019
/ Blockchain ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Howey ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
Investment Contract ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Violations ,
Token Sales ,
Unregistered Securities ,
Virtual Currency
In its long-awaited guidance, the Staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission recently provided a lengthy list of factors to consider when determining whether an initial coin offering (ICO) is a security. While the...more
4/10/2019
/ Blockchain ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Howey ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Internet Retailers ,
Investment Contract ,
Investors ,
New Guidance ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Token Sales ,
Virtual Currency
In two recent enforcement actions, the SEC looked past formal offering documents and cited statements made on Reddit, YouTube and other social media to determine that the AirFox and Paragon ICOs were unregistered sales of...more
On August 14, 2018, the SEC announced a $30,000 fine and trading ban against a company and its founder, finding that the defendants carried out a fraudulent ICO to fund a speculative oil-drilling venture, and that such...more
As US regulators have been active in terms of virtual currency regulation, there are three important updates to which attention should be paid. The New York State DFS guidance, the FinCEN letter to Senator Wyden and the...more
3/27/2018
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Blockchain ,
CFTC ,
Commodities ,
Department of Financial Services ,
FinCEN ,
Fraud ,
Fraud Prevention ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
Market Participants ,
Money Transmitter ,
New Guidance ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
U.S. Treasury ,
Virtual Currency