SECURITIES
AVAX Ecosystem Pushes Securities Tokenization as Market Hits $800M
Avalanche breaks down three architectural approaches to tokenizing public securities, as the tokenized equities market grows 30x and regulators clarify capital treatment.
Full Regulatory Pivot: India’s Crypto Licensing Regime is Coming And Why MiCA is the Blueprint
India's shift from a pure tax-and-PMLA regime to a comprehensive MiCA-style licensing framework is inevitable. This move will boost institutional trust and lead to the first five regulated license categories for exchanges, stablecoins, and tokenized securities.
Micro-Token RPOs: India's SEBI Launches Fractional Reliance Offerings to Retail Investors
India's SEBI now allows retail investors to buy fractional shares of Reliance Industries through tokenized offerings, democratizing access to high-value equities.
iFinex Collaborates with El Salvador Government to Develop Digital Asset and Securities Framework
iFinex, the parent company of Bitfinex, partners with El Salvador to create a robust legal framework for digital assets and securities.
Terraform Labs (Luna) Co-Founder Pleads US Court to Dismiss SEC's Fraud Allegations
Terraform Labs and co-founder Do Kwon are defending against fraud and securities allegations by the U.S. SEC, arguing their cryptocurrencies are not securities, amidst a wider legal battle between crypto firms and regulators following the Terra ecosystem's $40 billion downfall in 2022.
Coinbase CLO Responds to SEC's Opposition
Coinbase's Chief Legal Officer, Paul Grewal, responded to the SEC's opposition to the company's motion to dismiss the case against it. Grewal criticized the SEC for making unsupported legal claims and emphasized that the assets listed on Coinbase are not securities. He also called for regulation that listens to the crypto community and mentioned that Coinbase will file its reply on October 24, 2023.
TikTok Crypto Influencers Mislead Viewers
More than one-third of cryptocurrency influencers on TikTok have posted misleading videos about Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, according to a recent study. Many of these influencers fail to provide disclaimers warning users about the risks of investing in cryptocurrencies. Moreover, many are pushing services and investments for their own profit, without disclosing the payments they receive. The potential financial risks for unwary investors are high, with one in three misleading videos on TikTok mentioning Bitcoin. Viewers are advised to do their own research before making any investments.
SEC Charges Bittrex for Unregistered Securities Trading
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Bittrex and its former CEO William Shihara for operating an unregistered national securities exchange, broker, and clearing agency. The SEC argued that tokens traded on Bittrex, including OMG, Dash, Algorand, Monolith, Naga, and IHT, are securities.
BaFin Declines to Classify NFTs as Securities, Recommends Case-by-Case Approach
The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority of Germany (BaFin) has stated that it is not yet prepared to classify non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as securities. While NFTs may be considered investments in certain cases, BaFin suggests that classification should be approached on a case-by-case basis. The lack of immediate exchangeability and standardization makes it unlikely that NFTs will be classified as crypto assets. However, if an NFT contains documentation of exploitation rights or ownership, it could be considered an investment. BaFin does not expect NFTs to comply with the licensing requirements of the Payment Services Supervision Act or fall under its Anti-Money Laundering supervision, except for NFTs that are considered "crypto assets."
NY Business Examines Core Scientific Securities Fraud
In 2022, Culper Research reported that Core Scientific had oversold its mining and hosting operations in 2021 and waived a 180-day lockup term of approximately 282 million shares, allowing them to be dumped in March. Pomerantz LLP reported that Core Scientific's stock plunged 9.4% on this news. Last month, the same law firm filed a class-action lawsuit against Silvergate Capital for making false and deceptive promises.
Brazil’s Securities Market Regulator Targets Mercado Bitcoin over Token Sale
Brazil's regulator has ordered Mercado Bitcoin, the largest local crypto exchange, to provide information on fixed-income tokens the exchange has issued over the last two years.
Kraken Has No Plan to Delist Tokens Labeled as Securities by the SEC - Incoming CEO
Kraken said it won’t remove such tokens from its exchange because it does not offer securities to users.
Coinbase Sued For Failing to Grant Wallet Access During Volatility
The lawsuit against Coinbase was filed by George Kattula on behalf of the aggrieved users of the exchange who claimed the firm did not grant them access to their crypto wallets during periods of price volatility.
Samsung Securities Files Paperwork to Launch A Crypto Exchange
Samsung Securities is one of the seven major South Korean securities companies planning to establish cryptocurrency exchanges in the first six months of next year.
Coinbase Facing SEC Probe over Crypto Listing: Sources
Coinbase is reportedly facing a probe from the US SEC into whether it improperly let Americans trade digital assets that should have been registered as securities.