Bitcoin, the world's most valuable and well-known cryptocurrency, has once again seen a significant spike in price, surpassing the $24,000 mark for the first time in its history. This recent surge in Bitcoin's value has caught the attention of investors and traders worldwide, and many are now wondering where the next target for BTC might be.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding investors and ensuring compliance with federal securities laws and regulations. In its list of examination priorities released on February 7, 2023, the SEC identified "Emerging Technologies and Crypto-Assets" as a key area of focus for the year. This focus will be directed primarily towards broker-dealers and Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) that use such technologies.
On February 9, 2023, the SEC charged Payward Ventures Inc, which operates as Kraken, for failing to register the offer and sale of their crypto-asset service. As a part of the settlement, Kraken paid a fine of US$ 30 million and ceased offering its crypto asset staking services to US customers.
The SEC Chair, Gary Gensler, stressed the need for intermediaries to provide proper disclosures and safeguards required by securities laws when offering investment contracts in exchange for investors' tokens, whether through staking-as-a-service, lending, or other means.
Kraken is not the only crypto company that has faced SEC enforcement action. In January 2023, the SEC charged Nexo Capital Inc US$ 22.5 million for failing to register its crypto lending product with US investors. Nexo also agreed to stop offering its crypto asset lending product.
These enforcement actions underscore the SEC's increasing scrutiny of the crypto
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