Paul Grewal, the Chief Legal Officer (CLO) of Coinbase, has become a major voice in the continuing discussion about the legal classification of Ethereum by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), arguing in favor of the platform’s non-security status. Broader Recognition Of Ethereum Security Nature Taking to the X (formerly Twitter), the Coinbase […]
The SEC alleged Geosyn Mining’s co-founders misappropriated $1.2 million of its investors’ funds, spending it on holidays, nightclubs and firearms.
Caroline Crenshaw may continue to serve at the SEC for an additional 18 months after her term ends in June if the White House doesn't nominate a replacement.
The company warned that the SEC reversing a position it had held since 2018 on Ether as a security could “spell disaster” for the network and drive innovation to a halt in the U.S.
Ethereum developer Consensys has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, striking back against what the company calls an “unlawful seizure of authority” over Ethereum by the federal regulator.
Other evidence suggests that the SEC will likely delay the approval of spot Ether ETFs, while Hong Kong will start trading such products next week.
SEC actions have made developers fearful that their code may end in prosecution. Are smart contracts with immutable code the way to protect themselves?
In yesterday’s court filing opposing the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) motion for remedies and final judgment, Ripple disclosed significant changes to its On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) operations in the United States. The filing clarified that its US-based ODL services have shifted from using XRP to Tether (USDT) as a bridge currency. Why Ripple Chose […]
Ripple said in a filing that the SEC’s “Draconian remedial requests” do not have grounds in law or principle.
The legal battle between Ripple and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is getting heated and, following recent developments, looks far from over. This is due to the disagreement between both parties on the appropriate remedy for Ripple’s violation of securities laws. Ripple Proposes $10 Million Fine Instead In opposition to the SEC’s motion for remedies and entry of final judgment, Ripple has proposed that the court should not impose a civil penalty of not more than $10 million. This figure represents a far cry from the SEC’s proposed judgment. The Commission had earlier asked the court to order Ripple to pay the sum of $1,950,768,364 as a pecuniary fine for violations relating to its institutional XRP sales. Related Reading: Crypto Analyst Predicts Cardano Recovery After ABC Wave Completion, Here’s The Target Specifically, the SEC proposed that Ripple pay a civil penalty of $876,308,712 alongside a prejudgment interest of $198,150,940 and disgorgement of $876,308,712, which represents the profits from its violation of the Securities Act. However, Ripple asked the court to deny the requests for disgorgement and pre-judgment interest and only focus on the civil penalty, which shouldn’t be more than $10 million. Ripple’s lawyers also laid out arguments as to why the civil penalty should not exceed $10 million. Firstly, they stated that the first tier of the statutory maximum penalties is what applies to this case “because the SEC has never alleged fraud, deceit, or manipulation and has failed in its belated attempt to show that Ripple recklessly disregarded the law.” Therefore, Ripple argued that the Commission’s request for a civil penalty of over $876 million isn’t the appropriate remedy for the first-tier structure. They added that the company’s revenue from pre-complaint institutional sales should be the only earnings considered when deciding on a remedy, which makes a civil penalty of not more than $10 million more appropriate. Accounting Error From The SEC Ripple suggested that the SEC made an error in calculating the company’s earnings while deciding on the right amount for which the crypto firm should be fined. According to the company’s lawyers, the Commission failed to “analyze or even consider any other categories of Ripple’s expenses.” Meanwhile, they allege that the SEC didn’t offer any evidence or explanation “for why cost if revenue is the only category of Ripple’s deductible expenses.” Simply put, Ripple argues that the regulator, while calculating Ripple’s earnings, didn’t consider how much the company expended before deciding that almost $2 billion was an appropriate fine. Ripple’s lawyers made this argument while stating that the SEC also erred in relying on the declaration of Andrea Fox, an accountant at the agency. They claim that the SEC never disclosed Fox as a fact or expert witness and that she wasn’t deposed during the initial discovery or supplemental remedies discovery. Therefore, they moved to strike her declaration as an “untimely disclosed expert report.” Ripple Also Opposes SEC’s Proposed Injunction As part of its entry for final judgment, the SEC had asked the court to “permanently” restrain and enjoin Ripple from “directly or indirectly conducting an unregistered offering of Institutional Sales.” Understanding how this could affect their ODL transactions, Ripple has asked the court to deny the request for an injunction. Related Reading: 3 Major Metrics To Watch Out For That Can Impact Ethereum Prices The crypto firm argues that the Commission has failed to show why an injunction is warranted. Injunctions are usually granted when there is a fear of future violations. Ripple claims that the SEC has failed to show a “reasonable likelihood of future violations.” The crypto firm’s lawyers further revealed that Ripple has “changed the way it sells XRP and changed its contracts to avoid any future violations.” To show good faith, they submitted a declaration by Ripple’s President, Monica Long, which describes the steps the company has taken to avoid future violations. XRP price recovers above $0.54 | Source: XRPUSDT on Tradingview.com Featured image from Coinpedia, chart from Tradingview.com
Crypto company Ripple has responded to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) pursuit of nearly $2 billion in fines by advocating for a different approach. In a court filing dated April 22, Ripple proposed that the Court reject the SEC’s demands and instead impose a civil penalty not exceeding $10 million. Stuart Alderoty, Ripple’s Chief […]
The post Ripple challenges SEC’s $2 billion fine, proposes $10 million settlement instead appeared first on CryptoSlate.
In the XRP lawsuit, Ripple has filed its opposition to the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) motion for remedies and entry of final judgment. The fintech company counters the agency’s for nearly $2 billion in penalties with a proposed fine of just $10 million maximum. Filed late Monday, Ripple’s 186-page opposition document details its […]
After a jury found Terraform Labs and Do Kwon liable for fraud in its case with the SEC, the commission filed a motion requesting $5.3 billion in disgorgement and civil penalties.
Two lawyers for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) were forced to resign after a federal judge sanctioned the agency last month for committing a “gross abuse of power” while attempting to secure a temporary restraining order against Utah-based crypto company Debt Box, according to a Monday report from Bloomberg.
Ethereum Spot Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) approval odds continue to witness notable pessimism as the cryptocurrency space awaits the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) decision on the products scheduled for May. The expectation surrounding the SEC’s decision highlights how important ETF approval is in terms of giving conventional investors more convenient access to Ethereum’s spot market. Presently, data from Polymarket, the world’s largest prediction market, shows that ETH ETF approval odds have fallen to a mere 11%. Pessimism Deepens As Ethereum ETFs Remain Uncertain As the May deadline draws near, doubt and skepticism loom large on the horizon, casting a dark shadow for the products. One of the most recent figures to voice doubts about the SEC’s willingness to approve the exchange-traded products this May is Nate Geraci, the president of ETF Store. Related Reading: Cloudy Future For Ethereum ETFs – What’s Casting Doubt On Their Fate? According to Geraci, the regulatory watchdog is eerily silent on Ethereum spot ETFs. He further suggested that the products might not be approved due to the SEC’s significantly lower level of engagement with ETF issuers than in previous interactions. “Logic says that is correct, but also wonder if SEC learned a lesson from clown show with spot Bitcoin ETFs,” he added. Thus, he has pointed out two possible options for the products, which are either an approval or lawsuit from the Commission. Commenting on the president’s insights, a pseudonymous X user questioned if there is a possibility that activities are taking place behind closed doors in order to avoid disrupting the pre-launch market. Geraci responded, saying he believes that could be possible, drawing attention to Van Eck CEO Jan Van Eck’s review, which might prove otherwise. It is worth noting that Van Eck is one of the earliest firms to submit its application for an Ethereum exchange product. Even though the company was the first to file for an application, Jan Van Eck is pessimistic about the approval of the ETPs, saying they will probably be rejected in May. He stated: The way the legal process goes is the regulators will give you comments on your application, and that happened for weeks and weeks before the Bitcoin ETFs. And right now, pins are dropping as far as Ethereum is concerned. In light of this, investors prepare for an unpredictable result while managing market swings and modifying their investment plans in the face of changing regulations. ETH Price Sees Positive Movement While Ethereum ETFs might be experiencing negative sentiment, ETH, on the other hand, has witnessed a positive uptick lately. ETH has revisited the $3,000 level again after falling as low as $2,888 during the weekend. Related Reading: Ethereum Price Hints At Potential Fresh Rally, Buy The Dip? Today, ETH price rose by over 4%, reaching around $3,234, indicating potential for further price recovery. At the time of writing, Ethereum was trading at $3,215, demonstrating an increase of 1.40% in the past day. Also, the asset’s market cap and trading volume are up by 1.40% and 5.96% in the last 24 hours. Given the anticipated impact of the recently concluded Bitcoin Halving on cryptocurrencies, ETH could be poised for noteworthy moves in the coming months. Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com
Authorities in Thailand have decided to block "unauthorized" crypto platforms to increase the efficiency of law enforcement in solving the problem of online crime, an announcement on Friday last week said.
Asset management firm Grayscale has disclosed new details about its new Bitcoin Mini Trust fund, a “spin-off” of the GBTC exchange-traded fund (ETF). The new fund, which was first announced in March, is expected to operate independently and offer a cost-effective investment option to GBTC shareholders. Grayscale Offers Industry-Low Fee With New Fund According to […]
The XRP lawsuit between Ripple Labs and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over the status of XRP as a security is poised to escalate to the US Supreme Court. This anticipation has been reinforced by a recent ruling in the Coinbase case, which favored the SEC, as presided over by Judge Katherine Failla […]
This week’s Crypto Biz explores the rise of tokenization markets, PayPal’s stablecoin, SushiSwap’s move to a “Labs model,” and the U.S. SEC’s decision to defer Bitcoin ETF options.
Uniswap, the pioneering decentralized exchange (DEX), finds itself at the center of a legal maelstrom as the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sets its sights on the platform. The unexpected developments echo throughout the bitcoin space, igniting a fresh discussion about governmental overreach and its possible to inhibit innovation. Related Reading: Thailand Throws Jab […]
The DEX received a Wells Notice from the regulator, suggesting an enforcement action is imminent. While we don’t know the nature of the potential charges, the news raises the threat of legal jeopardy for decentralized finance.
Uniswap Labs founder Hayden Adams said its “ready to fight” after disclosing it received a notice of possible enforcement action from the SEC.
The U.S. SEC issued a Wells notice to the decentralized exchange Uniswap on April 10, the team confirmed on social media.
Known for her fiery dissenting opinions, "Crypto Mom" discusses how the SEC operates, why she wants to see crypto thrive and her "Safe Harbor" proposal to allow projects to decentralize.
U.S. regulators have yet again injected uncertainty into the crypto markets by assessing whether Ethereum is a security. What are the effects for crypto investors?
Gurbir Grewal, the director of the Division of Enforcement at the SEC, has pushed back against criticism that the regulator is making up rules on crypto as it goes along.
A recent court decision in the United States has offered a mixed verdict for cryptocurrency regulation, with implications for both crypto exchanges like Coinbase and investors nationwide. The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that secondary sales of cryptocurrencies on Coinbase do not fall under the purview of the Securities Exchange Act […]
In an effort to dispel fears, uncertainties, and doubts (FUD) that have permeated the XRP community and the broader crypto market, lawyer Bill Morgan, recently provided comprehensive insights into the legal standing of XRP. Morgan’s comments came in the wake of various court decisions that have cast a shadow over the crypto industry, with significant […]
Philippine investors are being warned by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) about the dangers of using unregistered online investment platforms. The latest target is eToro, a popular multinational online crypto trading platform with over 33 million users worldwide. Related Reading: Forget Wall Street, Uniswap Is The New Trading King With $2 Trillion Crown eToro […]
According to a Friday report by Bloomberg, a United States jury found Terraform Labs and its co-founder Do Kwon liable for civil fraud over the crash of the Terra ecosystem in 2022. This development comes as Do Kwon continues to battle criminal cases in the US and South Korea over the sudden collapse of the […]