SEC Chair Gensler’s War On Crypto Is About His Resume

By Roslyn Layton. October 29, 2021. (Forbes).

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler’s crusade against cryptocurrencies has surprised many. His three-year stint as a senior advisor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab’s Digital Currency Initiative before leading the SEC suggested that he would bring an enlightened approach to crypto. No such luck.

Gensler’s foray into cryptocurrencies appears to be more a professional resume builder than a coherent regulatory vision for the innovation that can democratize finance. Along the way, he’s been happy to play along with the SEC’s word games on whether crypto is a currency or security, as long as it moves him to center stage. It’s part of the DC playbook: the regulatory white knight confirmed on the premise to make things right, implements some industry-friendly policy marketed as pro-consumer, and then takes the next plumb job.

Many misread Gensler. His MIT perch conferred the appearance of academic expertise on blockchain. It turns out there is little record of him writing or speaking about the technology until the school hired him in 2018. His few academic presentations were co-authored by the driving force of the school’s crypto program, Media Lab director Joichi Ito. Gensler’s MIT speeches and interviews were not about the substance of blockchain but rather commentary curated to make him look like a policy expert.

Read the Full Article Here.

Congress needs to step up on crypto, or Biden might crush it

By Former Rep. George Nethercutt (R-Wash.). October 16, 2021. (The Hill).

Recent developments both domestically and abroad have finally catalyzed the Biden administration to take the long-delayed step of engaging on the many regulatory issues surrounding cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.

One of the most promising economic innovations since the internet, the market cap of cryptocurrencies is now over $2 trillion and there is a growing consensus that the technology is here to stay. What the industry needs — and the American economy would benefit from most — is a partner to help develop a comprehensive regulatory framework that would cement our country’s role as the leader in this emerging field.

Unfortunately, the Treasury Department has decided to eschew such collaboration and go in a different direction. They are instead leading a closed-door effort with the Biden-appointed heads of financial regulatory agencies to draft recommendations on how the administration should crack down on digital assets.

Read the Full Article Here.

When We Face the Government, the Crypto Community Must Unify and Rise

By John E. Deaton, Founder and Host, CryptoLaw.

The apparent defeat over the crypto tax reporting measure in the infrastructure bill was a vivid warning.  The U.S. government doesn’t know what it’s doing on crypto, but it’s taking action anyway.  A $2 trillion economic sector is too ripe a target for a government that has spent the last decade ignoring its extraordinary birth and expansion around the globe.  But their ignorance to the potential of these technologies has become dangerous, and no digital asset is safe anymore.

From Bitcoin Maxis to the XRP Army, there finally was a realization that we’re all in danger without a clear regulatory framework, one which puts guard rails around the regulators just as much as it does around the scammers and the criminals. I’ve said it over and over since last year – the SEC v. Ripple case is the most impactful SEC enforcement action in a generation because the agency is coming after all of us, not just XRP. They made a mockery of standards for due process and fair notice and erased $15 billion in value for the investors they said they were protecting in a case that had no allegations of fraud. Many in the XRP Army express resentment towards Ethereum because of the notorious William Hinman speech on Ether in 2018. Hinman classified the 2018 speech as personal opinion and went on to claim that the SEC has never declared ETH not to be a security in a recently filed sworn affidavit.

As the case against Ripple drags on it’s becoming increasingly clear that the SEC is more than ready to come after ETH without any warning for its 2014 ICO. Regulators can give speeches in front of a room of 1,000 market participants giving their blessing to a digital asset and then slap a lawsuit on any company and any investor the very next day and laugh at you for thinking the speech meant anything as they issue subpoenas for your bank records. SEC Chairman Gary Gensler offers no coherent message on the assessment of existing clarity in crypto. Concurrently,  U.S. senators who claim to support democratization of global finance also claim to support a ban on decentralized finance in all its forms and want to tighten the centralized control of money.

Everyone in the U.S. crypto space needs to see the big picture, and it’s this: we have to get out of our crypto bubble and start ensuring that our voices are heard by elected Members of Congress in every state and every district. They must be given notice that starting immediately, and tomorrow, and next week, that the crypto community is not some anarchic fringe or group of “shadowy super-coders”. We are people from all walks of life who believe in this technology and how it will transform the economy for the better.  We use digital assets of all kinds for a variety of important uses. We get paid in these coins, and we buy groceries and pay bills with them. We are building companies that use them to allow banks, companies and everyday consumers move money around the world in an instant at almost no cost, with better security and transparency than the banks. We are also investors, of course, and we want laws against scammers and fraudsters. The crypto community is not involved in crime and terrorism – we are law enforcement’s best allies in catching those people and bringing them to justice. We are that first group of true believers that every huge innovation needs to get off the drawing board and into the mainstream economy, sharpening all the benefits and working through all the bugs, building markets for how to use it and build on it.

That is the reality of our community that has been missing for the last decade in Washington, and it’s the only thing that is going to turn our situation around there. A million screaming tweets of incoherent anger are worth less than one sincere conversation with your elected representative about what crypto means to you, how you use it and what you need from them. It isn’t partisan, it isn’t ideological and it isn’t even complicated when it comes down to you and your story. 

A community as big as ours, built around decentralized technology, should know it can’t rely on a handful of lobbyists or a group of influencers.  We need to get to work today, and every day forward. I don’t care which coin you favor or which crypto “tribe” you’re in – everyone needs to do this.

The first action you should consider is to find your House member and your two Senators on Twitter, and tweet at them that you are a constituent and crypto is important to you. Then tomorrow, if you really want to scare them, call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to their office. When they answer, very calmly tell them your name, that you’re a constituent, and you need to talk to someone about crypto and why it’s important to you. Those Members of Congress may seem like they don’t do much, but every one of them employs people whose only job is to listen to you if you’re from their district or state. They are usually very nice, thoughtful people who have those jobs. They have to listen to you. If you’re not a U.S. citizen, then take your story directly to U.S. officials on social media or call the U.S. embassy in your country. The actions they are taking are impacting all of us, everywhere. They need to hear it and understand it.

In the end, if they don’t understand who we are and what this community is about, they will continue to blunder their way through screwing up one of the greatest economic innovations in history and opening the door for the truly shadowy figures of global finance to crush it and all the good it will bring to billions of people.

Cryptocurrencies Are Not a Fad, They’re a Revolution. America Needs to Prepare.

By Bill Tai. May 4, 2021. (Morning Consult).

In the mid-1970s, a cutting-edge group of hackers founded the Homebrew Computer Club in Silicon Valley. Their specialty was developing tools to break into the telephone systems of major corporations, and they went on to create innovative technologies that changed the world, generating millions of dollars in value along the way. One of those hackers was Steve Jobs.

It was in the days of an innovation economy that fostered risk and was free from crushing regulations that I found my start and built a career in technology, as did the founders of companies like Apple, Microsoft, Intel, and Cisco. The disruption of incumbents, however uncomfortable, placed Silicon Valley on the map and put the United States at the forefront of an economic revolution that forever changed the way we live.

As we near the end of the coronavirus pandemic and step into a new chapter of our nation’s economy, one that’s more digitally connected than ever before, we should create policies to foster this same sense of innovation within today’s tech sector. Under the new leadership of the Biden administration, America has an opportunity to take a fresh look at one such disruptive technology: blockchain and cryptocurrencies.

Read the Full Article Here.

Was there corrupt intent at the SEC?

By John E. Deaton, Founder and Host of CryptoLaw.

You would think that blatant government corruption and self-dealing was the stuff of a Hollywood movie, but when you peel back the layers of the Ripple case, examine its origins, and review key facts related to some of its central figures at the Securities and Exchange Commission, a larger story emerges that can’t be ignored.

Former Chairman Jay Clayton, ex-Corporation Finance Director William Hinman, and former Enforcement Director Marc Berger took very specific actions while they were in office, related to very specific cryptocurrencies. In parallel, they have very specific financial interests related to cryptocurrencies, which were benefited by those actions, while millions of retail holders of a specific cryptocurrency were directly harmed. 

Those are the indisputable facts, and taken together they point very clearly to something very troubling behind the SEC’s filing of the Ripple case on Clayton’s last day in office. How can we look at these facts and just dismiss the idea of corrupt intent? 

Here is what we know, in detail:

  • Before joining the SEC, we know that both Clayton and Hinman earned massive fees to support Chinese tech giant Alibaba Group carry out its 2014 IPO on the New York Stock Exchange. Alibaba’s Alipay is the largest digital mobile payments platform in the world, and its New York IPO set the stage for China’s intended dominance in global digital payments.
  • By 2016, Chinese-controlled bitcoin miners had moved to control 65% of the bitcoin network hash rate.  Since bitcoin is a proof-of-work token, this gives China control of its network.
  • On May 9, 2017, William Hinman was named the Director of Division of Corporation Finance at the SEC. Upon his appointment to the SEC, Hinman left his post at the law firm Simpson Thacher – which sits on the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance and represents cryptocurrency-related financial interests – but continued to receive millions in financial payments from the firm.  In short, Hinman had a clear financial interest in any regulatory action by the SEC related to cryptocurrencies – while he was serving in a top SEC position!  This was something one former SEC ethics lawyer said was “a little unsettling.” (A little?) 
  • In 2018, Clayton publicly declared bitcoin not a security, sending the price of bitcoin soaring.
  • During a 2018 Yahoo Finance summit in San Francisco, Hinman declared that the Ethereum token, ether, is not a security.  The price of ether skyrocketed.
  • In 2019, Simpson Thacher led Chinese-based crypto mining company Canaan to their IPO. Canaan provides the technology used for mining bitcoin, and is publicly bullish on Bitcoin.  Hinman was still at the SEC when this happened, and still collecting checks from Simpson Thacher.
  • In early November 2020, then-Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe wrote Chairman Clayton to express his growing concerns over China’s dominance in crypto and the risk it poses for U.S. national security.
  • On December 4, 2020, Hinman resigned from the SEC.
  • On December 22, 2020 – Clayton’s last day in office – the SEC Enforcement division led by Berger filed its lawsuit against Ripple and its executives alleging that XRP sales over seven years were unregistered securities trades.  The complaint indicates “all sales” were illegal, therefore ensnaring millions of retail XRP holders who have never heard of Ripple but traded the digital currency for years.  The price of XRP plummeted.
  • On January 12, 2021, Acting Enforcement Director Marc Berger announced his resignation from the SEC, departing the agency at the end of the month.
  • As of March 2021, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) had edged closer to the full-scale launch of their Digital Yuan, releasing millions of dollars of the digital currency in trials.
  • On March 29, 2021, Bloomberg reported that Clayton had accepted a position at One River Asset Management, a digital asset hedge fund focused exclusively on bitcoin and ether.
  • In its case against Ripple, SEC attorneys have been fighting tooth and nail not to adhere to the One River Asset Management subpoena, more than likely in an attempt to keep potentially incriminating evidence about Clayton’s compensation from coming to light.  
  • On April 15, 2021, Bloomberg reported that Berger was joining Hinman as a partner at Simpson Thacher.

Neither Clayton, nor Hinman, nor Berger, nor the SEC have disputed any of these facts or the chronology of how this all unfolded.  Any objective reading clearly suggests that these three had and/or currently retain financial interests linked to the officials’ actions they took at the SEC. 

Why haven’t these individuals, Simpson Thacher and One River been challenged to explain these facts? 

These facts suggest glaring improprieties, so why aren’t they being investigated? Given  cryptocurrencies total market capitalization swelling into trillions of dollars, if now is not the time to investigate, then when?

It is up to the millions of retail XRP holders, who were directly impacted by these actions, to demand answers if no one else will.

Cryptocurrency’s Future in the U.S. Is Threatened By SEC Action Against Ripple

By J. Carl Cecere. April 19, 2021. (Bloomberg Law).

Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Gensler has an important opportunity to undo actions taken in the waning hours of the Trump administration that threaten cryptocurrency innovation.

Back in December, outgoing SEC Chair Jay Clayton brought an unprecedented enforcement action against the enterprise software company Ripple, creator of the digital currency XRP—which was the world’s third most popular cryptocurrency, but not anymore.

The SEC’s lawsuit seeks billions in penalties from Ripple Labs Inc. and its executives. But the agency does not allege that any of its investors were defrauded.

Read the Full Article Here.

Former SEC Director who led Ripple action lands new role at Ethereum law firm

By Samuel Wan. April 17, 2021. (CryptoSlate).

Ex-Acting Director of the Division of Enforcement, will join Simpson Thacher, a member of the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance, later this year. This leads some to ask whether a conflict of interest took place in the SEC granting Ethereum’s non-securities status.

According to news outlet Bloomberg, Marc Berger, who stepped down from his role at the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in January, will join New York-based Simpson Thacher in June. Berger was instrumental in bringing legal action against Ripple on allegations of selling an unregistered security in the XRP token.

A key point throughout the hearing process has been the SEC’s nod of approval towards both Bitcoin and Ethereum, which they deem as not securities. Questions are now being asked following Berger’s appointment at a member firm of the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance.

Read the Full Story Here.

Ripple Labs Wins Access To SEC Internal Crypto Discussions

By Pete Brush. April 6, 2021. (Law360).

Ripple Labs on Tuesday won discovery from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission concerning its internal discussions about whether Ripple’s XRP tokens are similar to cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ether, which have not been officially deemed securities.

It was a “high-stakes” discovery win, U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn said, as she ruled from the bench in the SEC’s suit claiming San Francisco-based Ripple and two top executives sold $1.38 billion of XRP without registering the offering as required by federal securities laws.

“I’m going to grant in large part the defendants’ motion,” she said.

Read the Full Story Here.

Former SEC Boss Behind Ripple Lawsuit Hired by Crypto Hedge Fund That Holds Bitcoin and Ethereum

By Alex Dovbnya. March 29, 2021. (U.Today).

Volatility hedge fund One River Asset Management has hired Jay Clayton, the ex-chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, as a cryptocurrency advisor.

In a Bloomberg interview, Clayton expressed his astonishment over how fast cryptocurrencies ended up being embraced by big-name investors:

Three years ago, I didn’t believe we would be where we are today—the number of respected investors who have embraced digital assets. I would not have predicted this level of take-up.

As reported by U.Today, One River—which is primarily known for its volatility strategies that brought it hefty profits during the pandemic-induced market collapse—entered the crypto scene in late 2020.

Read the Full Story Here.

Buterin’s ETH sales more like a security offering than Ripple’s XRP sales: John Deaton

By Jake Simmons. March 24, 2021. (Crypto News Flash)

Attorney John E. Deaton continues to fight for the XRP community, seeking arguments as to why the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is wrong in classifying XRP as a security. In a Twitter thread yesterday, Deaton laid out why the Ethereum Foundation’s sales of Ether (ETH) met the facts for a security much more than any sales of XRP by Ripple that he is aware of.

In doing so, Deaton specifically referenced a video shared by “Digital Asset Investor” via Twitter in which Ethereum’s creator, Vitalik Buterin, spoke about the initial fundraising and transfer of 500,000 ETH to Galaxy Digital’s Mike Novogratz. Deaton explained:

What @VitalikButerin is doing in the below video is much more of an “offering” of a security than any specific sale of #XRP that I’m aware of – (although I’m not aware of all #XRP sales).

Read the Full Story Here.

Since Chairman Patrick McHenry threatened to SUBPOENA Gary Gensler for NON-COMPLIANCE with Congressional oversight.

ACT NOW!