News & Analysis as of

Securities Act of 1933 Enforcement Actions Token Sales

The Securities Act of 1933 is a United States federal statute enacted in response to the stock market crash of 1929 and the ensuing Great Depression. The Act has two primary purposes: 1) to give investors better... more +
The Securities Act of 1933 is a United States federal statute enacted in response to the stock market crash of 1929 and the ensuing Great Depression. The Act has two primary purposes: 1) to give investors better access to material information prior to investing 2) ensure that transactions are not based on fraud. In order to effectuate its dual goals, the Act requires that any offer or sale of securities is registered with the SEC. less -
King & Spalding

Meme Coins: Collectibles, Not Securities.

King & Spalding on

On February 27, 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporation Finance (“CorpFin”) issued a Staff Statement announcing its view that meme coin transactions do not involve the offer and sale of...more

Fenwick & West LLP

SEC v. Ripple Decision Makes Waves in Digital Assets Enforcement

Fenwick & West LLP on

On August 7, 2024, nearly four years after the SEC filed its complaint alleging Ripple sold XRP in unregistered securities transactions in violation of Section 5 of the Securities Act, the district court issued its final...more

A&O Shearman

SEC charges Impact Theory for unregistered offering of NFTs

A&O Shearman on

On August 28, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) charged Impact Theory, LLC (“Impact Theory”), a media and entertainment company headquartered in Los Angeles, with conducting an unregistered securities...more

Holland & Knight LLP

A Ripple of Doubt

Holland & Knight LLP on

Specifically, the SEC wants a change to persuade the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit – now, not later – of its view that Torres got it wrong when she determined that the company's offer and sale of its XRP token...more

Willcox & Savage

Crypto and the SEC v. Ripple Labs, Inc. Decision: What Did the Court Actually Say?

Willcox & Savage on

Earlier this month, a federal trial court judge issued an opinion ruling on whether sales of a digital token, XRP, constituted a “security” for purposes of federal securities laws. Some headlines reporting the ruling have...more

Latham & Watkins LLP

SEC v. Ripple: A Tale of Two Token Transaction Types

Latham & Watkins LLP on

A bifurcated decision in a highly anticipated digital assets enforcement action may not provide the clarity that market participants want or need. On July 13, 2023, Judge Analisa Torres of the US District Court for the...more

DarrowEverett LLP

The Ripple Effect: SEC’s Battle Vs. Crypto Gains Some Clarity

DarrowEverett LLP on

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) is paying considerable attention to the world of cryptocurrency (“crypto”). According to the SEC website, the SEC has brought more than 50 enforcement actions against crypto...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Ripple Labs : District Court Holds That Direct Digital Token Sales Constituted Investment Contracts Under Howey, but Other...

On July 13, 2023, Judge Torres of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a much-awaited summary judgment decision in SEC v. Ripple Labs, Inc., No. 1:20-cv-10832-AT-SN (S.D.N.Y. July 13, 2023),...more

Holland & Knight LLP

The SEC Lands First Blows Against Crypto Industry Titans

Holland & Knight LLP on

In a one-two punch earlier this month, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) brought successive actions against two of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges – the first blows in what will likely be...more

Venable LLP

Oops they did it again - SEC brings Crypto Anti Touting Action against another celebrity - this time Kim Kardashian

Venable LLP on

The SEC has rung the bell again on a celebrity touting a crypto token offering without adequate disclosure of a paid role. On October 3, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission released its order instituting cease and...more

Proskauer - Corporate Defense and Disputes

SEC’s Coinschedule Settlement Offers Mere “Clue-By-Enforcement” Into Whether Cryptocurrencies are Securities

On July 14, 2021 the SEC issued a consented-to Cease and Desist Order against U.K.-based cryptocurrency review website owner Blotics Ltd. (formerly doing business as Coinschedule Ltd.) for violating Section 17(a) of the...more

Winstead PC

Steven Seagal is not “Above the Law” in Crypto Scalping Case

Winstead PC on

Hollywood martial arts sensei Steven Seagal was recently karate-chopped by the SEC for his alleged undisclosed payments for Twitter-touting a security that was being offered and sold in an initial coin offering. In a settled...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

SEC Commissioner Peirce Proposes Three Year “Safe Harbor” For Tokens

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

Seyfarth Synopsis: On Thursday, February 6, 2020, SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce proposed rules which, if certain conditions are met, would, for three years, exempt (1) the offer and sale of tokens from most provisions of the...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

Orrick - On the Chain

SEC Settles with BCOT on Alleged Violations of the Securities Act

Orrick - On the Chain on

On December 18, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced settled charges against blockchain technology company Blockchain of Things Inc. (BCOT) for conducting an unregistered initial coin offering (ICO) of...more

Latham & Watkins LLP

The Yellow Brick Road for Consumer Tokens: The Path to SEC and CFTC Compliance - An Update

Latham & Watkins LLP on

Developing a framework for consumer tokens - With the rapid growth in the development of blockchain technology, virtual currencies and token sales (sometimes referred to as initial coin offerings, or ICOs), token...more

Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP

The SEC marches on - Cryptocurrency startup Block.one pays civil penalty of $24 million over unregistered initial coin offering

In a somewhat surprising move, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) entered into a $24 million settlement with Block.one on September 30, 2019, over its unregistered initial coin offering (ICO) that raised upwards of...more

McDermott Will & Emery

SEC Division of Corporate Finance Issues Second No-Action Letter for a Blockchain Token Issuance

McDermott Will & Emery on

The SEC Division of Corporate Finance recently issued a no-action letter to Pocketful of Quarters, confirming that the Division will not recommend any enforcement action if the company sells its blockchain-based tokens...more

Proskauer - Blockchain and the Law

SEC Sues Kik for ICO

On June 4, 2019, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) filed a complaint in the Southern District of New York against Kik Interactive Inc. (“Kik”) alleging violations of Section 5 of the Securities Act of...more

A&O Shearman

Southern District Of Florida Dismisses Claims Against Individual Defendants Related To Initial Coin Offering For Failure To...

A&O Shearman on

On May 13, 2019, Judge Robert N. Scola, Jr., of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida dismissed all claims asserted against four individual defendants under Sections 12(a)(1) of the Securities...more

Perkins Coie

Takeaways on the Regulation of Crypto Assets from Late 2018 Comments of Several SEC Officials

Perkins Coie on

On Wednesday, December 12, 2018, the D.C. Bar hosted a panel to discuss current developments in the world of crypto. Among the panelists were two senior SEC officers: Jonathan Ingram, Deputy Chief Counsel, Division of...more

Bass, Berry & Sims PLC

Celebrities Beware: Your Newest #1 Fan May Be the SEC

Bass, Berry & Sims PLC on

The personal problems of celebrities are often widely publicized. An overlooked beneficiary of such publicity can be the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). News of an SEC enforcement action involving a celebrity...more

Proskauer - Blockchain and the Law

Airfox and Paragon Settle with SEC for Unregistered ICOs: Civil Monetary Penalties Imposed; Rescission and Registration Required

On November 16, the SEC announced that it settled charges against CarrierEQ, Inc. (“Airfox”) and Paragon Coin, Inc. (“Paragon”) for securities offering registration violations in connection with their respective initial coin...more

Goodwin

SEC Issues Guidance Regarding Application Of Securities Laws to Blockchain Technologies

Goodwin on

On November 16, 2018, the Divisions of Corporation Finance, Investment Management, and Trading and Markets of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) issued a Statement on Digital Asset Securities Issuance and...more

A&O Shearman

ICO Issuers Settle With The SEC Over Unregistered Coin Offerings

A&O Shearman on

On November 16, 2018, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) instituted separate settled administrative proceedings against Carrier EQ Inc., d/b/a AirFox (“AirFox”) and Paragon Coin Inc. (“Paragon”) for failing...more

33 Results
 / 
View per page
Page: of 2

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
- hide
- hide