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Commissioners Peirce, Uyeda Slam SEC’s $10 Million Penalty Targeting Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) Describes it as a Tool to Generate Year End Statistics, an Over-Reaction

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has penalized the Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE:ICE), the operator of the New York Stock Exchange, for failing to notify the SEC promptly of a cyber intrusion. ICE has agreed to pay a $10 million penalty to settle the allegations without… Read More

US Senate Approves Joint Resolution that Overturns SAB 121 – the SEC Rule that Prevents Certain Regulated Firms from Providing Custody for Digital Assets

Following approval in the House earlier this month, the US Senate has voted on and approved HJ Res. 109, which overturns the SEC’s Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) 121 under the Congressional Review Act (CRA). When the House approved the resolution. Chairman of the House Financial… Read More

Reg A+ Issuer FAT Brands Charged with Fraud by SEC, Criminal Charges filed By US Attorny’s Office

FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands Inc. (NASDQ:FAT) has been hit with allegations of fraud. This past Friday, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed fraud charges against FAT, its former CEO and current Chairman, Andrew Wiederhorn, and its former CFOs, Ron Roe and Rebecca Hershinger,… Read More

Fintech Upstart Reportedly Subpoenaed by US SEC Regarding Use of AI to Evaluate Loan Applications

Upstart has reportedly received a subpoena from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) pertaining to the Fintech company’s disclosures as they relate to use of its AI algorithms/models and loans. This, according to Upstart’s quarterly filing released this past Tuesday. The California-headquartered alternative lender… Read More

SEC Investor Advisory Committee Schedules Meeting for June 6th, Will Review AI, Investment Advice and More

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Investor Advisory Committee (IAC), has scheduled a meeting for June 6th. Topics include artificial intelligence (AI) and the ongoing discussion of investment advice. Regarding investment advice, the Committee worries that younger investors are receiving guidance from “non-traditional ways,” including… Read More

SEC Claims Power Up Lending, Other Affiliated Firms Operated as Unregistered Securities Dealers

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed charges against Curt Kramer and his wholly-owned businesses Power Up Lending Ltd., Geneva Roth Remark Holdings, Inc., and 1800 Diagonal Lending, LLC (formerly known as Sixth Street Lending LLC), for operating as unregistered securities dealers. According to… Read More

Coinbase CEO Welcomes Robinhood to Elite Wells Notice Club

Coinbase co-founder and CEO Brian Armstrong welcomed Robinhood (NASDAQ:HOOD) to the Wells Notice club. This past week, it was reported that Robinhood has received a Wells Notice from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A Wells Notice indicates that SEC staff is recommending an enforcement action by… Read More

SEC Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee Tells Commission to Make it Easier to Become an Accredited Investor

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee (SBCFAC) have finally issued their recommendation regarding the definition of Accredited Investors. This definition impacts the Reg D marketplace, an ecosystem that enabled around $3 trillion in funding in 2023. Just about… Read More

Robinhood Hit with Wells Notice Indicating SEC Staff Recommending Enforcement Action

Robinhood (NASDAQ:HOOD), a new spin on a digital brokerage, has posted an 8-K indicating they are in receipt of a Wells Notice indicating an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) may lead to a lawsuit by the Commission. According to the filing, Robinhood… Read More

SEC Charges Accounting Firm with “Massive Fraud,” May Impact Reg A+ Issuers

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged BF Borgers CPA PC and its owner, Benjamin F. Borgers with deliberate and systemic failures to comply with Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) standards in its audits and reviews incorporated in more than 1,500 SEC filings… Read More

SEC Issues Report on Minority, Women Activity Under Reg CF

The Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of the Advocate for  Small Business Capital Formation, has posted a report on minotry and women activity in the Reg CF securities crowdfunding sector. Reg CF is one of the exemptions that enables online capital formation as well as… Read More

Crowdfunding: Newsletter Says it Will Name and Shame Reg CF Issuers Who Do Not File Form C-AR

Community Round Ventures says it will create a “naughty list” for firms that raised money using Reg CF (Regulation Crowdfunding) that have not filed their mandated Form C-AR [Annual Report]. Form C-AR is mandated for issuers that use the Reg CF securities exemption. The annual… Read More

ConsenSys Is Reportedly Suing the SEC to “Defend” Ethereum Ecosystem

Consensys is reportedly suing the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in an attempt to defend the Ethereum ecosystem. Joe Lubin, Co-founder of Ethereum and Founder/CEO of Consensys, notes in a blog post that ConsenSys “took an important step towards preserving access to the Ethereum… Read More

SEC’s Small Business Committee to Discuss Crowdfunding (Reg CF), Angel Investing Trends in Upcoming Meeting

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee (SBCFAC) is set to convene on Monday, May 6, 2024, to discuss key topics in small business financing, including the state of Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) and trends in angel investing. The meeting, accessible… Read More

Vanderbilt Professor Destroys SEC’s Decision to Mandate Climate Disclosure

Vanderbilt University Professor Joshua T. White, a former SEC economist at the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis (DERA), did a highly effective job of critiquing the SEC’s new climate disclosure rules during a hearing of the House Financial Services Committee. The new type of… Read More

SEC Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee Schedules Next Meeting

The Securities and Exchange Commission, Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee (SBCFAC), has scheduled its next meeting for May 6, 2024. As of today, the agenda has not been released. At the last meeting in February, the SBCFAC discussed multiple topics of interest, including a… Read More

Five Investment Advisors Penalized by the SEC for Alleged Violations of Marketing Rules

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has penalized five individual investment advisors for allegations of violating marketing rules. According to the SEC, each entity has settled the charges and agreed to pay $200,000 in combined penalties. The five firms are as follows: GeaSphere LLC Bradesco… Read More

SEC Posts Final Judgement Pertaining to GA Investors and Fraud that Involved Crypto

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has published the final judgment regarding GA Investors, which is said to have operated dozens of fraudulent websites, including GA-Investors.org. The final judgment was entered by default and includes a demand for GA Investors to pay more than $1.1… Read More

Investment Crowdfunding : Companies That Raised Money Using Reg CF Are Not Filing their Form C-AR

Reg CF or Regulation Crowdfunding is a securities exemption that allows a company to raise up to $5 million from both Accredited and Non-Accredited investors. To pursue a Reg CF offering, a company must file documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The documents… Read More

SEC Posts Final Judgment on Coinspark, FLiK ICOs

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has posted that it has obtained a final judgment against defendants Ryan Felton, FLiK, and CoinSpark. The SEC had previously charged the defendants in 2020 for two initial coin offerings (ICOs) that were deemed to be fraudulent. Felton, FLiK,… Read More

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