SEC – Securities and Exchange Commission

A deal valued at over US$1 billion between Binance.US and Voyager should be put on hold while key legal objections are worked out, says U.S. government.

The NY State Attorney General is suing crypto exchange Kucoin for not registering as a securities and commodities broker-dealer and calling itself an exchange.

CFTC chair Rostin Behnam has called Ethereum a commodity and not a security, in apparent contrast to past statements from SEC Chairman Gary Gensler.

Bankrupt crypto lender Voyager Digital received court approval from bankruptcy Judge Michael Wiles on Tuesday to sell its assets and transfer its customers to Binance’s U.S. arm, in a US$1.3 billion deal.

The SEC announced emergency action against crypto hedge fund BKCoin and co-founder Kevin Kang in connection with an alleged fraud scheme.

Robinhood says it’s cooperating with an SEC investigation into the company’s trading and handling of cryptocurrencies.

A U.S.-based blockchain advocacy group has urged a federal court to dismiss SEC charges against an ex-Coinbase employee accused of insider trading.  

It remains unclear whether the U.S. SEC’s enforcement action against cryptocurrency exchange Kraken represents a broader crackdown on staking, according to Timothy Massad, former Commodity Futures Trading Commission chairman.

A US district court judge on Wednesday denied Dapper Labs’ request to dismiss a lawsuit that alleges that the NBA Top Shots NFT collection is an unregistered security. 

The cryptocurrency industry this week reacted to the recent moves by U.S. authorities against Kraken and Paxos. Meanwhile, India has been calling for a collaborative approach to crypto regulations.

The U.S. SEC charged Singapore-based Terraform Labs and its chief Kwon Do-hyung for defrauding investors.

Binance expects to pay to settle U.S. authorities’ investigations into its business and past crypto offerings, according to its chief strategy officer.

The SEC’s latest heavy-handed approach toward crypto will leave investors less protected while benefitting dodgy offshore companies, writes Danny Talwar of Koinly.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Paxos halts BUSD issuance. Kraken faces disclosure charges. Beijing backs new blockchain research center.

S.Korean regulators are planning to review crypto staking services on local exchanges following recent regulatory enforcements from the SEC.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) plans to propose rule changes that would make it difficult for cryptocurrency firms to hold digital assets.

As financial regulators around the world continue to crackdown on stablecoins, some are asking if they are overreaching their jurisdiction.

Last year was memorable in the emerging world of digital assets for the sheer number of corporate failures. The industry itself has been asking for clearer legal guidelines to help development. Is that what’s happening now?

CEO Brian Armstrong said that the company will defend its staking services in court against claims that they need to be classified as securities.

The U.S. SEC may sue the Paxos Trust Company for allegedly violating investor protection laws in its issue of the Binance USD (BUSD) stablecoin.

Hester Peirce said using enforcement action to dictate law in an emerging industry is the act of a “lazy” regulator, after the SEC fined the U.S.-based Kraken crypto exchange for failing to register staking programs.

Bitcoin sank below US$22,000 on Thursday morning in Asia after the U.S. SEC slapped a fine on the Kraken exchange, sparking concerns that regulators are set to take a tougher line on crypto trading.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is considering a ban on cryptocurrency staking for retail customers in the country, said Brian Armstrong, the chief executive of Coinbase Global Inc.

In the SEC’s case against decentralized publishing platform LBRY Inc., the judge ruled that the secondary sale of LBC does not qualify as a security.

Laws to prevent another FTX blowup, crackdowns on crypto tax cheats, and a ruling on Ripple are likely imminent. A bull’s eye is also on DeFi, writes Gergo Varga of SEON.

Crypto lender Nexo Capital has agreed to pay US$45 million in a settlement with the SEC and the NASAA, over allegations of failing to register its lending product,

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand issued new rules for cryptocurrency custody services on Tuesday.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday charged cryptocurrency lender Genesis Global Capital and crypto exchange Gemini Trust with offering and selling unregistered securities to retail investors.

The battle for who gets to regulate cryptocurrencies continues as SEC v. Ripple Labs carry on larger implications for the crypto world.

Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has written to cryptocurrency exchange Zipmex Thailand seeking clarification on whether it has been operating as a digital-asset fund manager without permission, according to a Bloomberg report. 

Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the U.S., will be letting go of about 950 employees, or about 20% of its current workforce, as part of “a further restructuring plan,” which is expected to be “substantially complete” by the second quarter of 2023. 

Ripple expects a SEC ruling on a two-year-old suit and what regulations it could bring about.

The U.S. SEC has objected to Binance’s U.S. affiliate’s proposed US$1 billion purchase of bankrupt crypto lender Voyager Digital’s assets.

MoneyGram has requested the court to seal certain portions of summary judgment materials in Ripple Labs’ ongoing lawsuit against the SEC.

Ripple Labs Inc. expects a court decision in the first six-months of this year in the case filed against the company by the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission. The SEC sued Ripple in December 2020 for allegedly selling US$1.3 billion in unregistered securities.

The federal judge in the ongoing lawsuit between the SEC and Ripple has granted a joint motion from all parties to extend the deadline for the Daubert Motions that would exclude certain expert testimonies.

Ripple CEO Bradley Garlinghouse’s attorney has applied to withdraw as his counsel in Ripple’s ongoing lawsuit against the SEC.

Members of a U.S. Congressional hearing expressed frustration about the timing of Bankman-Fried’s arrest, saying they wanted him to testify under oath so the public could get the answers they are seeking about the collapse of FTX.

FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried has been charged by the U.S. SEC for orchestrating a years-long fraud on investors, the agency announced on Tuesday.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has advised publicly-listed firms to disclose their exposure to the cryptocurrency market, in light of the fallout of the FTX collapse.

The former CEO of the collapsed crypto exchange “needs to keep his mouth shut” and stop making public comments that could be used against him in future court cases, lawyers tell Forkast.

The U.S. SEC has received support from sports investing group New Sports Economy Institute, which submitted its amicus brief on Friday to weigh in on the ongoing lawsuit between the SEC and Ripple.

U.S. lobby group Blockchain Association, along with other institutions and firms, have formally filed amici briefs to support Ripple Labs Inc. in the ongoing lawsuit between the U.S. SEC and Ripple.

U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has officially submitted its amicus brief to support Ripple in the lawsuit the U.S. SEC filed in 2020 against Ripple.

Three more companies and organizations have requested to weigh in on the ongoing lawsuit the SEC filed in 2020 against Ripple.

The U.S. SEC has received approval from the court to extend the time for all parties to submit reply briefs, in the ongoing lawsuit the SEC filed in 2020 against Ripple.

Digital wallet service provider Cryptillian Payment Systems has requested to file an amicus brief to support Ripple Labs Inc. in the latter’s ongoing court battle against the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (SEC).

The SEC is not taking a position on two motions, submitted by non-profit organization Investor Choice Advocates Network and crypto wallet provider SpendTheBits, which seek to weigh in on the lawsuit between the SEC and Ripple.

Survey reveals popularity of crypto ownership among voters, their hopes for the industry’s growing potential and the need for regulation to protect consumers.

The U.S. SEC has filed a legal rebuttal to Ripple’s motion for summary judgment, a day after Ripple took a similar move against the SEC.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has handed over internal documents to Ripple Labs Inc. containing comments by former SEC Corporation Finance Division director William Hinman on cryptocurrencies, Ripple’s general counsel Stuart Alderoty said on his verified Twitter handle on Friday.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission of the U.S. are investigating whether bankrupt crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC) misled investors about its balance sheet and failed to register with the two agencies, according to a Bloomberg report which cites two people familiar with the matter. See related article: […]

There’s a power struggle over who regulates crypto in the US – and it could all depend on how the midterm elections go this year.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is reportedly probing Yuga Labs, Inc., the company behind the top-selling non-fungible token (NFT) collection Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), for its issuance of the digital assets, according to a Bloomberg report.  See related article: SEC fines Kim Kardashian US$1.26 mln for promoting EthereumMax Fast facts The report […]

Ripple Labs has spoken against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s opposition to motions from two firms that had requested to file amicus briefs in support of Ripple, in the lawsuit that the SEC filed in 2020 against Ripple. See related article: SEC opposes motions from two firms seeking to back Ripple in XRP lawsuit […]

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has objected to motions from two firms that had requested to file amicus briefs in support of Ripple Labs Inc., in the lawsuit that the SEC filed in 2020 against Ripple. See related article: Two firms seek to weigh in on XRP lawsuit between SEC, Ripple Fast facts […]

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian has been fined US$1.26 million by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for promoting EthereumMax (EMAX) tokens on her Instagram account without disclosing the US$250,000 payment she received for the endorsement. See related article: Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan ponies up tax on NFT sale Fast facts The SEC said […]

Two companies have sought to be amicus curiae (Latin for friend of the court) in support of Ripple Labs in the lawsuit that the Securities and Exchange Commission filed in 2020 against Ripple. See related article: XRP price surges after U.S. court rejects SEC objection in Ripple lawsuit Fast facts I-Remit Inc., a global payment […]

Bitcoin and Ether rallied in late afternoon trading in Asia to rise over 1% as all top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization gained. See related article: Markets: XRP jumps amid court ruling against SEC, Bitcoin gains, Ether sole loser in crypto top 10  Fast facts Bitcoin rose 1.35% to trade at US$19,569 at 4 p.m. […]

The price of XRP rose after a U.S. federal judge Thursday overruled the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) objections to orders that asked the securities watchdog to disclose drafts of a 2018 speech made by former agency director William Hinman, in its lawsuit against Ripple Labs Inc. See related article: SEC files brief on Hinman […]

Bitcoin edged higher to remain above US$19,000 in early Friday morning trading in Asia, after fluctuating around that resistance level all week. Ether dipped, while XRP led the gainers among the cryptocurrency top 10 by market capitalization. See related article: Markets: Bitcoin, Ether rise; BNB leads gainers in top 10 crypto, followed by Solana Fast […]

The SEC has filed charges against Hydrogen Technology Corporation and former chief executive Michael Ross Kane for alleged sales of unregistered “crypto asset securities” in the form of Hydro tokens. See related article: SEC’s Gensler says proof-of-stake cryptocurrencies may be securities Fast facts Moonwalkers Trading Limited CEO, Tyler Ostern, is also being charged for allegedly […]

Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) chairman Rostin Behnam said Thursday the crypto industry has “a massive opportunity for institutional inflows that will only occur if there’s a regulatory structure,” pushing for his office to lead the effort. See related article: Crypto community pushes back following CFTC charges against Ooki DAO Fast facts “Growth might occur […]

Ooki DAO – you’ve probably never heard of it, but it could become one of the most important decentralized autonomous organizations – because of the rules it’s accused of breaking.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced Monday it filed and settled a US$1 million fine against Friedman LLP, Tether’s former auditing firm, over “serious violations of the federal securities laws.” See related article: What is the right approach to regulating stablecoins?  Fast facts See related article: Should Tether’s shrinking cash reserves be cause for […]

Cryptocurrency lobby group Chamber of Digital Commerce (CDC) has received approval from a U.S. federal court to be an amicus curiae (Latin for friend of court) in the lawsuit that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed in 2020 against Ripple Labs. See related article: Ripple objects to SEC’s relief suggestion in XRP lawsuit […]

Ripple Labs Inc. has objected to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s suggestion that it may seek additional time and pages if other amici curiae (Latin for friends of the court) submit briefs, as the lawsuit the SEC filed in 2020 against Ripple drags on. See related article: SEC, Ripple seek summary judgment in attempt […]

Bitcoin fell below the US$19,000 resistance level for the second time in a week in early Wednesday trading in Asia. Ether and most other tokens in the cryptocurrency top 10 by market capitalization lost ground. XRP was the exception, gaining on news the token’s issuer, Ripple Labs Inc, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission […]

Self-described crypto influencer charged with violating SEC regulations by trading and promoting an initial coin offering under undisclosed financial terms.

The argument centers around if Ripple’s XRP sales were offerings of unregistered securities.

When is a cryptocurrency a security and when is it not? Financial regulators around the world are raising that question. The answer that comes out of the U.S. may set the tone, but South Korea is also ahead in tackling it.

The Thailand Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has prohibited cryptocurrency companies from offering digital assets lending and staking products, or depository services.  See related article: Thailand’s SCBX scraps plan to buy 51% stake in crypto exchange Bitkub Fast facts The regulator said in a press release on Thursday that the decision was made to protect […]