Tagged: enforcement

October 5, 2020 @ 6:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last week, BitMEX (Bitcoin Mercantile Exchange), a top crypto/crypto-derivatives exchange that is operated by HDR Global Trading Limited, a Republic of Seychelles incorporated entity, was hit with a civil enforcement action emanating from the Commodity Futures Trading Future Commission (CFTC). Simultaneously, a criminal lawsuit by… Read More

October 5, 2020 @ 10:33 am By JD Alois  |  

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has entered a consent order against Jon Barry Thompson of Easton, Pennsylvania, imposing injunctive relief and restitution of approximately $7.4 million. In a parallel action, the… Read More

October 3, 2020 @ 8:12 am By JD Alois  |  

This past week, Kik, a company that raised over $100 million in an initial coin offering (ICO), lost a long legal battle with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The courts determined that Kik had raised capital in an unregistered securities offering thus transgressing securities… Read More

October 1, 2020 @ 12:17 pm By JD Alois  |  

BitMEX, a top cryptocurrency exchange that is big in the crypto derivatives sector, is the target of an enforcement action filed by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). According to the CFTC, a civil enforcement action has been filed in the U.S. District Court for… Read More

October 1, 2020 @ 10:36 am By JD Alois  |  

Kik, a company that raised around $100 million in an initial coin offering (ICO), has lost a battle with the Securities and Exchange Commission as it fought a claim the offering was in fact an unregistered security. In a court filing yesterday, Judge Alvin K…. Read More

September 30, 2020 @ 11:09 am By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced charges against a Florida individual who allegedly defrauded investors in a digital asset trading scheme, according to a court filing. The SEC alleges that Thomas J. Gity, said to be a convicted felon with no professional financial… Read More

September 15, 2020 @ 2:56 pm By JD Alois  |  

Unikrn, a token issuer that attempted to remain compliant while issuing digital assets, has settled with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding allegations of an unregistered initial coin offering (ICO) of digital securities. Unikrn is an eSports and gaming platform launched in 2014. According… Read More

August 19, 2020 @ 10:43 am By JD Alois  |  

Paragon Coin, and its affiliated initial coin offering, is pretty emblematic of the ICO heyday when any token could raise money based largely on a white-paper and effective marketing campaign. While it is hard to accurately discern, Paragon issued the PRG token raising around $12… Read More

August 17, 2020 @ 2:36 pm By JD Alois  |  

Brendan Ross, the former CEO and founder of Direct Lending Investments (DLI), is the target of a Civil Enforcement Action filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) last week. Direct Lending Investments was once a prominent participant in the online lending industry in the… Read More

July 24, 2020 @ 3:11 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Trustify Inc., along with founder and CEO Daniel Boice, with fraudulently offering and selling over $18.5 million of securities to more than 90 corporate and individual investors. The allegations were made in relation to an offering and… Read More

July 20, 2020 @ 3:48 pm By JD Alois  |  

Jack Abramoff, the infamous lobbyist, has settled with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding allegations of an illicit digital asset offering. As was previously reported, Abramoff, along with NAC Foundation (National Aten Coin) and its CEO Marcus Andrade were charged with selling a digital asset security,… Read More

July 13, 2020 @ 10:51 am By JD Alois  |  

In simultaneous announcements, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have charged Plutus Financial, Inc.,  doing business as Abra in California, and Plutus Technologies Philippines Corp. dba as Abra International in the Philippines for entering into illegal off-exchange swaps in… Read More

June 26, 2020 @ 7:57 pm By JD Alois  |  

Telegram, the fast-growing social network that attempted to raise funds via a digital asset offering, has decided to settle an enforcement action initiated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). According to a release, the SEC has obtained court approval of a settlement with the… Read More

June 25, 2020 @ 4:09 pm By JD Alois  |  

Jack Abramoff is making headlines once again. The notorious political lobbyist has been charged with fraud by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in an unregistered offering of AML Bitcoin (ABTC). Abramoff, along with NAC Foundation (National Aten Coin) and its CEO Marcus Andrade allegedly… Read More

June 23, 2020 @ 10:34 am By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has obtained a final judgment in an enforcement action against Eran Eyal, the founder and former chief executive officer of UnitedData, Inc., DBA Shopin, for conducting an allegedly fraudulent initial coin offering (ICO). Towards the end of 2019, the… Read More

June 19, 2020 @ 7:48 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed an emergency action to halt Pennsylvania-based brothers Sean Hvizdzak and Shane Hvizdzak and a digital asset fund. The Hvizdzaks operated several companies: Hvizdzak Capital Management LLC; High Street Capital LLC; High Street Capital Partners, LLC . Each… Read More

June 5, 2020 @ 4:36 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has obtained an asset freeze and other emergency relief against Daniel F. Putnam, of Utah, Jean Paul Ramirez Rico, of Colombia, and Angel A. Rodriguez, of Utah, who allegedly scammed over $12 million from over 2000 investors in a… Read More

May 28, 2020 @ 3:32 pm By JD Alois  |  

BitClave, a blockchain-based firm that completed an initial coin offering (ICO) for “Consumer Activity Tokens” (CAT) in 2017, has agreed to return investor money, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This is just the latest ICO that has had to backtrack on a… Read More

May 15, 2020 @ 12:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

Earlier this week, it was reported that Telegram has decided to abandon its initiative to launch a blockchain platform called TON (Telegram Open Network) and a cryptocurrency named Gram. The decision was the direct result of an ongoing enforcement action launched by the US Securities… Read More

April 24, 2020 @ 10:34 am By JD Alois  |  

The long march of crypto enforcement actions continued today when the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revealed charges against Dropil and founders Jeremy McAlpine, Zachary Matar, and Patrick O’Hara pertaining to an initial coin offering (ICO). As has become fairly commonplace, the SEC is alleging… Read More