Initial Coin Offerings

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This month, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that it has entered into a settlement with SimplyVital Health, Inc., a blockchain company that offered and sold approximately $6.3 million worth of securities to the public. The SEC alleged that the plan to conduct an initial coin offering (ICO) to raise money to develop a…

Add Connecticut, Ohio and Vermont to the list of states passing legislation focused on the potential disruptive impact of blockchain – the technology underlying cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. As federal regulators continue to monitor and offer guidance in the cryptocurrency space, with particular focus on Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), state legislatures around the country are…

As numerous states propose and enact legislation focused on blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies, in 2018, no state has been more aggressive in this space than Wyoming. In March, the state legislature passed several bills impacting cryptocurrency businesses, each of which is designed to position Wyoming as a blockchain-friendly environment for businesses.

  • B. 0019: This bill

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In a ten page letter that previews the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) priorities for 2018, initial coin offerings (ICOs) and transactions involving cryptocurrencies. This follows previous warnings by both the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and FINRA about the risks associated with investing in ICOs and virtual currencies, including Bitcoin. SEC Chairman Jay Clayton…

In its first lawsuit targeting Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed fraud charges against the creator of the ICOs marketed as “REcoin” and “DRC.” The action, filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York on September 29, 2017, alleges that Maksim Zaslavskiy, operating through two wholly owned companies, raised over $300,000 from investors based on false claims the digital “tokens” or “coins” being marketed were backed by investments in either real estate or diamonds. According to the SEC’s Complaint, not only were funds raised by the ICO not invested in any assets, the digital tokens did not actually exist. Despite representations by Zaslavskiy, no digital tokens and actually been developed or issued on a blockchain, leaving investors with no value in exchange for their payments.
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