SEC
SEC typically refers to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission which "protects investors in the $3.8 trillion municipal securities markets that cities and towns rely on to provide neighborhood schools, local libraries and hospitals, public parks, safe drinking water and so much more". But it can also refer to the security and exchange regulation bodies of other countries.
SEC Charges Bittrex for Unregistered Securities Trading
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Bittrex and its former CEO William Shihara for operating an unregistered national securities exchange, broker, and clearing agency. The SEC argued that tokens traded on Bittrex, including OMG, Dash, Algorand, Monolith, Naga, and IHT, are securities.
US House Committee Chair Criticizes SEC on Digital Assets
US House Financial Services Committee Chair Patrick McHenry criticized the SEC’s approach to digital assets at an oversight hearing, demanding clear rules for crypto through legislation and pressing SEC Chair Gary Gensler for a definitive answer on whether Ether qualified as a security or a commodity.
Legislation Introduced to Remove SEC Chair Gensler from His Role
United States Representative Warren Davidson has announced plans to introduce legislation that would remove SEC Chair Gary Gensler from his role and replace it with an Executive Director that reports to the Board. The move follows the SEC's proposed rule amendments that could bring certain brokers under additional regulatory scrutiny and redefine an "exchange." While Gensler has said the proposed changes could benefit investors and markets, SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce has criticized the move, accusing the regulator of stifling new technology and entrepreneurship. The SEC has faced criticism for using enforcement actions to develop the law on a case-by-case basis, rather than creating clear regulations.
Bittrex Faces Potential Legal Action from US SEC
Bittrex, a US-based cryptocurrency exchange, may face legal action from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over alleged violations related to investor protection, despite preparing to shut down its local operations.
BlackStar Seeks SEC Registration for On-Chain Stock Trading
BlackStar Enterprise Group plans to conduct over-the-counter stock trading on-chain and has sought registration with the SEC after two years of development and regulatory communication.
BlockSec Launches Phalcon Fork for Private Chain Collaborative Testing
Blockchain security firm BlockSec has launched the Phalcon Fork toolkit for collaborative testing on private chains forked from the Ethereum mainnet. The toolkit provides more control for developers over testing, analysis, and debugging of transactions, while retaining services and states from the Ethereum mainnet. It also includes an integrated faucet for free fork network Ether (ETH) and Fork RPC for integration with Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible development frameworks.
Terraform Labs CEO Sent $7 Billion to Law Firm Before Ecosystem Collapse
South Korean prosecutors confirmed that Terraform Labs CEO Do Kwon sent $7 billion to a top South Korean law firm, Kim & Chang, right before the collapse of the Terra ecosystem. The prosecutors believe that Kwon's decision to send the funds was a deliberate move that allegedly reaffirmed his awareness of the impending collapse and anticipated legal problems. The information is expected to help in the ongoing fraud case against Kwon and his associates.
MetaMask Users Email Addresses Exposed in Cybersecurity Incident
MetaMask, the popular Ethereum wallet, experienced a cybersecurity incident that exposed the email addresses of some of its users who submitted a customer support ticket between August 1, 2021 and February 10, 2023. The breach may have affected up to 7,000 users and some of the customer support tickets included a free text field where users may have submitted personally identifying information. The company has taken steps to eliminate unauthorized access in the future and is working with a cybersecurity and forensics team to investigate the incident.
Cryptocurrency Phishing Attacks Surge in 2022
Kaspersky reports a 40% YoY increase in cryptocurrency phishing attacks in 2022. These attacks involve fake websites and communication channels that mimic official companies to trick users into sharing private information such as private keys. Kaspersky warns that scammers continue to evolve their techniques and stories to lure in unsuspecting crypto investors.
BlockSec Launches Phalcon Fork for Collaborative Testing on Ethereum Mainnet
Blockchain security firm BlockSec has launched Phalcon Fork, a toolkit that enables collaborative testing on private chains forked from arbitrary transaction positions and block numbers on the Ethereum mainnet. The toolkit offers greater control over testing, analysis, and debugging on testnets, with features such as snapshots and a faucet for acquiring free fork network Ether. The Phalcon Fork user manual touts advantages over traditional solutions such as Goerli, including retaining services and states from the mainnet and maintaining full control over block information.