Tagged: enforcement

April 3, 2018 @ 1:06 pm By JD Alois  |  

So what is it with boxers and bogus initial coin offerings? The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a complaint alleging securities fraud with another ICO. This time it is Centra Tech, the creation of Sohrab “Sam” Sharma and Robert Farkas. The ICO reportedly… Read More

March 29, 2018 @ 8:05 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has posted an update regarding the ongoing case against AriseBank and their initial coin offering which has been deemed a scam by the regulator. This same ICO was pumped by famous boxer Evander Holyfield. In fact, a press release was issued… Read More

March 27, 2018 @ 7:16 pm By JD Alois  |  

The State of Massachusetts Securities Division, under the direction of Secretary William Galvin, has issued a series of Consent Orders pertaining to five different initial coin offerings (ICOs). The following issuers received the orders: 18Moons, Inc Across Platforms, Inc. DBA ClickableTV SparkCo Inc, DBA Librium… Read More

March 19, 2018 @ 11:15 am By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) first launched investigations into initial coin offerings (ICOs) and the gatekeepers that have been facilitating these offerings several months back. The news of these investigations was first published by Crowdfund Insider in late February. Chatter regarding investigations had been building… Read More

March 12, 2018 @ 6:36 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) slapped the wrist of Credit Karma with a $160,000 penalty. The SEC said the San Francisco-based Fintech has agreed to settle charges that it unlawfully offered securities to its employees and failed to provide them with timely financial statements… Read More

March 7, 2018 @ 1:43 pm By Dixie L. Johnson, Brian R. Michael, Ehren Halse, Kyle Sheahen, and Matthew B. Hanson  |  

  For initial coin offering (ICOs or token offerings, SAFT, etc.) issuers, investors, token holders, and anyone else operating in the cryptocurrency market, the message of recent days is clear: the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has shifted into high gear. News reports indicate that… Read More

March 3, 2018 @ 9:36 am By JD Alois  |  

Techcrunch founder Michael Arrington is on the receiving end of a subpoena from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding initial coin offerings (ICOs), according to a report from CNBC. Arrington, who departed Techcrunch quite some time ago, is involved in a cryptocurrency fund. Arrington… Read More

February 28, 2018 @ 6:12 pm By JD Alois  |  

“Scores” of subpoenas are being issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding initial coin offerings (ICOs), according to a brief write up in WSJ.com. The report echos what Crowdfund Insider reported earlier this week as industry insiders have been talking about SEC investigations… Read More

February 28, 2018 @ 4:52 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed charges against Steven J. Muehler, his wife Claudia M. Muehler, his associate Koorosh “Danny” Rahimi and and three companies under control. The SEC enforcement action alleges operating an unregistered broker dealer, facilitating unregistered securities, defrauding small businesses while promising… Read More

February 28, 2018 @ 9:08 am By JD Alois  |  

Towards the end of last year, Maksim Zaslavskiy was hit with several lawsuits regarding an inital coin offering (ICO) that was deemed an unregistered security by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) along with alleged acts of fraud. The SEC charged Zaslavskiy,  REcoin Group Foundation, DRC World, Diamond Reserve Club, … Read More

February 25, 2018 @ 8:56 am By JD Alois  |  

Long Blockchain Corporation (NASDAQ:LBCC), a company that famously changed its name from Long Island Iced Tea Corporation as it refocused its business on Blockchain technology, has received a de-listing notice from NASDAQ. According to and 8-K filed with the SEC, Long Blockchain received a Notice of… Read More

February 21, 2018 @ 6:24 pm By JD Alois  |  

  The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) swooped in and filed fraud charges against a former Bitcoin-denominated platform and its founder Jon E. Montroll with operating an unregistered securities exchange and defrauding users of that exchange. The SEC added that the operator also made false and… Read More

February 2, 2018 @ 12:38 pm By JD Alois  |  

The KROPS Initial Coin Offering has received a Cease & Desist (C&D) from the Philippines Securities and Exchange Commission. The C&D, embedded below, demands the immediate halt to the sale of KROPS Tokens or KropCoins. The SEC states the company has not filed the necessary… Read More

January 30, 2018 @ 3:56 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has slammed the brakes on another initial coin offering (ICO) that flouted established securities laws. The SEC obtained a court order halting the AriseBank ICO that targeted retail investors to invest in the “world’s first decentralized bank. AriseCoin’s public… Read More

January 26, 2018 @ 9:44 am By JD Alois  |  

  This past week both the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission came out with strong statements warning the exuberant initial coin offering industry (ICO) that regulators will no longer tolerate the flouting of existing securities law. ICOs have increased rapidly… Read More

January 24, 2018 @ 9:40 am By JD Alois  |  

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has shut down another initial coin offering with allegations of fraud. The ICO unfortunately named My Big Coin (MBC) ends up becoming My Big Con as the enforcement action has charged defendants Randall Crater of East Hampton, New York, Mark Gillespie of Hartland,… Read More

January 19, 2018 @ 9:09 am By JD Alois  |  

Following the announcement by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) that it had undertaken two enforcement actions against Bitcoin / virtual currency related fraud, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and CFTC issued a joint statement from SEC co-enforcement Directors Stephanie Avakian and Steven Peikin… Read More

January 19, 2018 @ 8:50 am By JD Alois  |  

The CFTC Division of Enforcement Virtual Currency Task Force has been rather busy. Today, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, has shared two enforcement actions filed against Bitcoin / Cryptocurrency related fraud cases. The first was against the Entrepreneurs Headquarters Limited, the second was filed against Defendants Patrick… Read More

January 19, 2018 @ 8:33 am By JD Alois  |  

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has filed a civil enforcement action in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York against Defendants Dillon Michael Dean of Longmont, Colorado. Dean’s company, The Entrepreneurs Headquarters Limited, is apparently registered in the UK. The documentation filed… Read More

January 18, 2018 @ 8:24 am By JD Alois  |  

The Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Securities Division has filed an administrative complaint against Kirill Bensonoff and Caviar, a Cayman Island company. Bensonoff is said to own a home in Brookline, Massachusetts and is described as attempting to avoid US securities laws by operating out… Read More