Securities Law

Bakkt Holdings, Inc. leadership outside the New York Stock Exchange following a successful merger with VPC Impact Acquisition Holdings to take the firm public. (NYSE)
What Can You Do With a Blockchain Token That Is Classified as a Security?
Bakkt's Marc D’Annunzio said applying securities law to crypto would not "drastically impact" a token's use. But it could change who has access to these open source networks.
Bakkt Holdings, Inc. leadership outside the New York Stock Exchange following a successful merger with VPC Impact Acquisition Holdings to take the firm public. (NYSE)

(Mark Duffel/Unsplash, modified by CoinDesk)
SEC’s DeFi Rulemaking Do-Over Falls Short
An attempt at classifying decentralized, open-source protocols as regulated exchanges is a "gussied up ban on blockchain in the U.S.," ConsenSys lawyer Bill Hughes writes.
(Mark Duffel/Unsplash, modified by CoinDesk)

(Mark Van Scyoc/Shutterstock)
SEC Seeks to Slash $22M Fine on Crypto Firm LBRY to $111K
A U.S. judge ruled in November that the crypto startup had violated securities laws by selling its native LBC token without registering with the SEC.
(Mark Van Scyoc/Shutterstock)

Bittrex Global CEO Oliver Linch (Bittrex Global)
Bittrex Global CEO Says Firm Will Fight SEC Charges, Did Not Serve U.S. Customers
The Securities and Exchange Commission has accused Bermuda-regulated Bittrex Global of failing to register as a securities exchange in a lawsuit targeting U.S.-based Bittrex I...
Bittrex Global CEO Oliver Linch (Bittrex Global)

A Cubist painting of a federal agent inspecting a mango with a magnifying glass (DALL-E)
Mango Markets to Resume Crypto Trading, SEC Be Damned
Developers behind the Solana-based crypto exchange aren't letting a little scrutiny from federal regulators stop Mango Markets.
A Cubist painting of a federal agent inspecting a mango with a magnifying glass (DALL-E)

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 15: Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler testifies before the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, on Capitol Hill, September 15, 2022 in Washington, DC. The Committee met to hold an oversight hearing on the SEC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Chalk and Cheese: When Crypto Assets Meet the Securities Laws
Crypto assets cannot function as they're designed to – while being securities, Lewis Cohen, co-founder of DLx Law, writes.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 15: Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler testifies before the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, on Capitol Hill, September 15, 2022 in Washington, DC. The Committee met to hold an oversight hearing on the SEC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

A marriage recorded on-chain (Cam Thompson/CoinDesk).
NFTs Are Securities and It’s Great
Artist and lawyer Brian Frye writes about why non-fungible tokens represent investment contracts in social clout.
A marriage recorded on-chain (Cam Thompson/CoinDesk).

(Jason marz/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk)
A Legal Argument for Why Staking Doesn’t Make ETH a Security
Staking ether fails to meet at least two prongs of the Howey test, according to the authors.
(Jason marz/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk)

California Regulator Targets 11 Crypto Trading Desks Operating Like 'Ponzis'
California Regulator Targets 11 Crypto Trading Desks Operating Like ‘Ponzis’
The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) filed cease-and-desist orders against 11 little-known crypto firms Tuesday, alleging they were misappro...
California Regulator Targets 11 Crypto Trading Desks Operating Like 'Ponzis'