SEC Sues Mobile Wallet Tech Firm Rivetz Over 2017 ICO

The SEC says Rivetz’ CEO used some of the money to award himself a bonus and buy a house in the Cayman Islands.

AccessTimeIconSep 9, 2021 at 4:38 p.m. UTC
Updated May 11, 2023 at 7:02 p.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is suing Rivetz, a now-defunct crypto payments startup, over its $18 million initial coin offering (ICO) in 2017, which the SEC says was an unregistered securities offering.

The SEC alleged Thursday that between June and September of 2017, Rivetz and its CEO, 58-year-old Steven K. Sprague, marketed and sold RvT tokens to over 7,200 investors around the world, including the United States.

  • SEC's Crypto Enforcement Actions in 2023
    02:07
    SEC's Crypto Enforcement Actions in 2023
  • How Much Money Are Terrorists Actually Raising in Crypto?
    1:09:58
    How Much Money Are Terrorists Actually Raising in Crypto?
  • Cost of Not Enacting Crypto Regulation Is 'Extremely High,' Legal Expert Says
    01:31
    Cost of Not Enacting Crypto Regulation Is 'Extremely High,' Legal Expert Says
  • Ripple Exec Says Singapore Is a 'Significant Hub for Our Business'
    08:06
    Ripple Exec Says Singapore Is a 'Significant Hub for Our Business'
  • While the SEC says that Sprague and Rivetz “used the funds raised primarily to capitalize” Rivetz’s business, the sale of RvT tokens was not registered with the agency.

    According to the complaint, Sprague used a portion of the proceeds, collected in ether and sold for U.S. dollars, to award himself a one-time bonus of $1 million.

    He also allegedly borrowed $2.5 million from the funds to “purchase a house in the Cayman Islands that he then leased back to Rivetz Int’l,” a wholly-owned international subsidiary of Rivetz.

    The SEC is seeking a final judgement that includes disgorgement and a civil penalty for Rivetz, Rivetz International and Sprague.

    Disclosure

    Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

    CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

    Cheyenne Ligon

    Cheyenne Ligon is a CoinDesk news reporter with a focus on crypto regulation and policy. She has no significant crypto holdings.


    Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.