The emergence of cryptocurrency and blockchain poses questions for financial regulators around the world. Regulators are struggling to understand both where cryptocurrency fits within their regulatory framework and how to set up parameters for transparency and investor integrity. (Bob Pisani, CNBC). Recently, American regulators increased scrutiny for broker-dealers working with cryptocurrency. (Benjamin Bain, Bloomberg). Financial powers in other countries are also responding individually to the crypto-movement, and France exemplifies a recent response.
Read MoreLast month the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) obtained a permanent officer-and-director and penny stock bar against Tomahawk Exploration LLC founder, David T. Laurance, for perpetrating a fraudulent initial coin offering. (SEC Press Release). On its face, the decision shows the SEC merely enforcing its previous statements that anything resembling a security will be labeled as such and regulated under the Securities Act. The ruling, however, extends the umbrella of SEC oversight to explicitly include “Bounty Programs”—a mainstay practice for many initial offerings.
Read MoreCrypto exchanges—which operate much like traditional stock exchanges—are online platforms where crypto currencies are traded. Traditional exchanges deal almost exclusively with exchanging fiat, or legal tender currency, for highly regulated securities, such as stocks and bonds. Similarly, crypto exchanges primarily deal with trading one cryptocurrency for another. It is unclear which agency has, or should have, authority to regulate this arena because these exchanges primarily trade one currency for another. Regulating crypto exchanges is difficult because of the subtly different and often overlapping definitions surrounding initial coin offerings (ICOs) and cryptocurrencies (Michael del Casillo, Forbes). The unprecedented growth and increasing number of new crypto exchanges and cryptocurrencies is another factor making unified regulation increasingly difficult.
Read MoreAs cryptocurrency and blockchainbecome more prominent in today’s financial markets, regulators around the worldare coping with how to maintain transparency and legitimacy in the market. Recently, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and its new cyber unit began requesting specific information about cryptocurrency brokerage and Initial Coin Offerings(ICO’s) for enforcement purposes. (Josephine Wolff, Slate; Benjamin Bain, Bloomberg). The results of the requests remain unclear, but the probe for information sheds light on the SEC’s suspicion of misconduct.
Read MoreThe precipitous rise of cryptocurrencies has numerous implications for securities trading, the most fundamental of which is when, and if, any given cryptocurrency exchange is required to become a registered exchange as defined by the SEC.
A cryptocurrency is a digital currency that can be traded and exchanged (Ian King, Investopedia). One defining feature of cryptocurrency is that it is decentralized, meaning it is not issued by a central bank or regulatory agency. Id.This foundational aspect of cryptocurrencies is desirable to investors because unlike traditional fiat currencies that are subject to governmental control and manipulation, cryptocurrencies and their values operate independently from a central authority.
Read MoreAn initial coin offering (ICO) is a capital raising mechanism whereby companies sell bitcoins to investors or buyers in exchange for funds. (Usman Chohan, Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs): Risks, Regulation, and Accountability). An ICO is different from traditional capital raises. Rather than selling shares of stock in a company, an ICO offers digital currencies or cryptocurrencies. In addition, most ICOs do not offer equity or a stake in the company’s projects. The concept of using ICOs to raise capital has grown exponentially in recent years as they pose a cost-efficient way of conducting transactions with little regulation. ICOs, however, also pose a greater risk of fraud due to their place in the unregulated market.
Read More