Tagged: sec

Templum Submits Rulemaking Petition to the SEC, Seeks Clarity on Clearance & Settlement Involving Blockchain Technology Platforms

Earlier this month, Templum, a digital asset trading platform, submitted a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requesting regulatory clarity on certain issues in the securities token space. Specifically, Templum asked the SEC to “provide needed guidance related to post-trade activities in the… Read More

SEC Settles with Robo Advisors Wealthfront & Hedgeable on Claims of False Statements

Lost in Space Robot

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) settled proceedings against Wealthfront Advisors LLC and Hedgeable, Inc, regarding claims of making false statements and publishing misleading advertising. This enforcement action marks the first the SEC has taken against Robo-advisors – a hot sector of Fintech. Wealthfront, a… Read More

Mark Elenowitz: Reg A+ Issuers that Want to Trade on OTC Markets Have a Problem

Today, Reg A+ received a big boost from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as they announced that reporting firms will soon be able to use the security exemption. Old Regulation A was an exemption that just about no one used – ever. It took… Read More

SEC to Allow Reporting Companies to Use Reg A+ Securities Exemption to Raise Capital

Long requested by Reg A+ fans, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved final rules that will allow reporting companies to utilize the Regulation A (frequently referenced as Reg A+) exemption to raise capital. The amendments to Reg A+ will become effective upon publication in… Read More

What the SEC’s ICO Crackdown Means For You

Recently, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been actively pursuing all players in the initial coin offering (ICO) space, including companies that have raised money with ICOs, an exchange, people promoting ICOs, and most recently, an ICO investment fund. The SEC’s recent actions are… Read More

SEC Looks to Address “Patchwork” of Private Offering Exemptions, Staff to Comment on Accredited Investor Definition

During the 37th annual Government-Business Forum on Small Business Capital Formation, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Jay Clayton opened the event with a couple of interesting statements. Clayton commented on the byzantine ecosystem that has emerged, over many decades of legislation and rulemaking, for issuers… Read More

Former AriseBank Executives Implicated in Allegedly Fraudulent ICO Settle with the Securities and Exchange Commission

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The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has settled with the executive management involved with the AriseBank initial coin offering (ICO). The allegedly fraudulent ICO came to a screeching halt with the SEC obtained a court order halting the AriseBank ICO that targeted retail investors to invest in the… Read More

SEC Enforcement Co-Director Emphasizes Importance of International Cooperation to Combat ICO Fraud

Steven Peikin, Co-Director of the SEC’s Division of  Enforcement, told an audience at Harvard Law School this week that, given the increasingly cross-border nature of ICO and securities fundraising, “Collaboration with international regulators and law enforcement is critical to the SEC’s civil law enforcement success.”… Read More

SEC Shuts Down Unregistered CoinAlpha Crypto Fund

The SEC has settled with CoinAlpha Advisors LLC, a Delaware-registered, California-based company the Commission says sold a cryptocurrency investment fund product without registering with the SEC or qualifying for a securities exemption. According to the cease-and-desist order issued Friday, December 7th, CoinAlpha Advisors formed in… Read More

SEC Delays VanEck Bitcoin ETF Decision until February

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has granted itself an additional 60 days to consider allowing a rule change that would permit the Cboe BZX exchange and VanEck to list a “SolidX Bitcoin ETF” stock. In so doing, the commission will take the full… Read More

SEC Publishes Agenda for Upcoming Government-Business Forum on Small Business Capital Formation

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has just published the agenda for the 2018 Government-Business Forum on Small Business Capital Formation. An annual event, this year’s Forum will take place in the Heartland of Ohio hosted by Ohio State University, Max M. Fisher College of… Read More

A Big November for the SEC’s Regulation of Crypto: What Does It Mean?

November was a busy month for the SEC’s burgeoning regulation of digital assets. In the first action of its kind, the Commission brought enforcement proceedings against the founder of digital asset trading platform EtherDelta for operating as an unregistered securities “exchange.” Ten days later, the… Read More

StartEngine Updates on Reg D Offering in New SEC Filing

StartEngine, one of the leading investment crowdfunding platforms in the US, has filed a Form D with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). As CI reported last month, StartEngine commenced a Reg D offering while their Security Token Offering (STO) under Reg A+ remains in… Read More

AriseBank CEO Indicted in Texas for Cryptocurrency Fraud, Faces Possible Prison Sentence

Jared Rice Sr, the man behind AriseBank and the associated cryptocurrency/token, AriseCoin, has been indicted in the Northern District of Texas and, if convicted, faces a possible prison sentence of 120 years. Rice Sr was arrested by the FBI Wednesday and is charged with 3… Read More

SEC Chair Jay Clayton: No Need to Adjust Securities Laws to Suit Cryptocurrencies

The Chairperson of the SEC, Jay Clayton, spoke about the regulation of cryptocurrencies Thursday evening with reporter and author Andrew Ross Sorkin at a “Times Talk” hosted by The New York Times. Sorkin began by stating that Clayton may have “the swing vote” regarding the… Read More

Boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and DJ Khaled Settle Charges with SEC Regarding ICO Promotions

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has settled charges against two high-profile initial coin offering (ICO) promoters.  Music producer DJ Khaled and boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. were cited for failing to disclose they were remunerated for promoting ICOs via their social media channels. The SEC… Read More

Templum Comments on SEC ICO Enforcement Action: “We are Likely to See Continued Enforcement Actions & Litigation”

On November 16th, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced its first enforcement actions against initial coin offerings (ICOs) that did not file for an appropriate securities exemption following the SEC’s DAO report. The SEC settled claims with both Paragon and AirFox with each ICO issuer… Read More

Case Against Airfox and Paragon Initial Coin Offerings Makes Abundantly Clear SEC’s Approach to Post DAO ICOs

Last Friday, the SEC settled charges against two companies, CarrierEQ Inc. dba Airfox (“Airfox”) and Paragon Coin Inc. (“Paragon”), which raised money with initial coin offerings (“ICOs”).  The SEC found that both companies violated the registration provisions of the U.S. securities laws because neither company… Read More

Bakkt Delays Launch of Bitcoin Futures Market

The CEO of Bakkt, Kelly Loeffler, has written in a blog post that her company, Bakkt, is delaying the much-anticipated release of its daily Bitcoin futures product and crypto custodial warehouse until January 24th, 2019, “…subject to regulatory approval.” “We’ll continue to update you on our progress… Read More

Reading the Tea Leaves: Doug Ellenoff Shares Opinion on SEC Enforcement Action Against Two Post DAO Report ICO Issuers

Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced enforcement actions against two initial coin offerings (ICOs): Paragon (Paragon Coin Inc.) and AirFox (CarrierEQ Inc. dba Airfox). As the SEC recounted in their Administrative filing: Airfox: “Between August and October 2017, AirFox offered and then… Read More

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