blockchain tipsheet

SEC gaffe

“I knew it was too good to be true,” said Rep. Ritchie Torres (D, NY).

Torres was referring to yesterday’s market moving gaffe by the SEC’s X account at 4:11 p.m. ET which mistakenly tweeted (best viewed on mobile) that long-awaited Bitcoin spot market ETFs had been approved for listing.

SEC Chair Gary Gensler quickly published a tweet 15 minutes later on his personal X account saying, “The SEC twitter account was compromised, and an unauthorized tweet was posted. The SEC has not approved the listing and trading of spot bitcoin exchange-traded products.”

Gensler’s tweet was too late for some poor traders. CoinDesk reported that the price of Bitcoin shot up – and then down – $3,000 and “wiped out over $50 million of leveraged derivatives trading positions within an hour.’

what you should know: It shouldn’t take long for the Republican-controlled House Financial Services Committee to announce a hearing on the matter – or at least a spicy Congressional letter.

SEC gaffe – reaction

In addition to Rep. Torres, Congress weighed in quickly yesterday afternoon:

“Just like the SEC would demand accountability from a public company if they made such a colossal market-moving mistake, Congress needs answers on what just happened. This is unacceptable.” – Senator Bill Hagerty (R, TN) on X regarding SEC fake tweet

“Fraudulent announcements, like the one that was made on the SEC’s social media, can manipulate markets. We need transparency on what happened.” Senator Cynthia Lummis (R, WY) on X

“Chair [Gary Gensler], Does this mean we can blame more of the [SEC]’s horrible rulemaking and so-called regulation by enforcement on a ‘compromised account? #askingforafriend – Sincerely, Chairman of the House Financial Services Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee” – Rep. Bill Huizenga (R, MI) on X

what you should know: The wait for approval of Bitcoin spot market ETF applications by the SEC continues. Continue reading “Errant SEC Tweet Roils Bitcoin Markets; Blockchain Association Responds To Senator Warren”

CFTC on DeFi

Commissioner Christy Goldsmith Romero (D) of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission held her Technology Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting yesterday. Goldsmith Romero is the Committee’s sponsor and the agenda reflected her alignment with Democratic leadership currently when it comes to tech and markets – professing a strong interest in consumer protections versus innovation.

In an opening statement yesterday, Commissioner Goldsmith Romero said, “From the time that I arrived at the CFTC, I have talked about the importance of promoting innovation that is responsible, and studying emerging issues around digital assets to prevent harmful unintended consequences, particularly to retail customers, market integrity and financial stability.” Read more.

CFTC on DeFi – report

TAC’s Subcommittee on Digital Assets and Blockchain Technology co-chairs Carole House, a former National Security Council director, and Cornell law professor Dan Awrey published a study yesterday on Decentralized Finance -or DeFi.

• • Download the report here.
  • Video of the presentation of the report here.
  • Read Commissioner Goldsmith Romero’s statement about the report.

House presented 10 “Issues for policymakers” from the new DeFi report beginning with “Determining whether and how DeFi fall within the existing regulatory perimeter.” See the slide on X. Continue reading “DeFi For Policymakers Explored At CFTC Advisory Meeting; SEC Chair Gensler Warns On Crypto”

Trump and crypto regulation

Politico’s Jasper Goodman explores what the effect on crypto legislation might be if Donald Trump is elected President in November. Goodman finds that – according to Republicans – “a second Trump administration would be a boon for crypto.” Given that digital assets legislation has been led by House Republicans lately, the argument makes sense. Read more.

But, Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, would likely disagree with Republicans about the Trump “boon.” His company became embroiled in a lawsuit by the SEC that it has since won while former Chair Jay Clayton, a Republican, held sway in the waning days of the Trump Administration. Garlinghouse called Clayton a “hypocrite” on X over this CNBC interview in October.

what you should know: If a Republican takes over the White House, today’s noisy Republican congressional caucus will be much more deferential to a Republican SEC Chair as it was during the Trump Administration. The opportunity for sudden changes by a Republican SEC Chair are far from assured. However, if SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce (R), who has consistently supported innovation, were to become Chair, all bets are off.

Bitcoin ETF countdown

This may be the week!

The endless lead-up to the expected approval of Bitcoin spot market exchange traded funds (ETF) will hopefully draw to a conclusion this week with approval of up to seven applications. Georgetown University finance professor James Angel believes the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has shot itself in the foot if it wanted to slow the crypto industry. He tells Capitol Account, “The SEC is unleashing the marketing might of the entire Wall Street – all at once. We are going to see the mother of all marketing battles. We’re going to see a lot of direct and indirect advertising.” Read more. (h/t @mud2monarch) Continue reading “Crypto And A Trump Administration; Bitcoin Spot ETF Countdown”

important dates – January 10

Approval of a swarm of Bitcoin spot ETF (exchange-traded fund) applications including financial industry giant BlackRock is expected in early January.

Bloomberg analyst James Seyffart, who has been breathlessly covering the Bitcoin spot ETF application process for months, said on X (Dec. 21), “…we still think this is happening by January 10. Some issuers may be left behind. (…) But base case i’m expecting approvals January 8-10…”

To that end, Fox Business reporter Eleanor Terrett reported on X (Dec. 24), “Confirming the date for final amendments to all S-1s by Friday the 29th. The [the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)] has told issuers that applications that are fully finished and filed by Friday will be considered in the first wave. Anyone who is not will not be considered. In addition, the filings cannot mention in-kind creation or they will be rejected.”

what you should know: Approvals seem inevitable given anecdotes ranging from the Grayscale decision in August to BlackRock’s entrance into the Bitcoin spot ETF application process in June. Nevertheless, will SEC Chair Gary Gensler pull a rabbit out of his regulator ‘hat’ and delay the approvals?

important dates – January 14

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D, MA) wants answers by January 14 on former government officials who are working for industry organizations Blockchain Association (letter) and Coin Center (letter) as well as Coinbase (letter). She claims egregious examples of revolving door politics at work in the digital assets industry. All of this as she tries to build support for her Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Act (S.2669) while terrorist financing via crypto concerns pulse on both sides of the aisle. Continue reading “Big Dates Loom For Digital Assets And Washington; SBF Trial Is Cancelled”

letter – terrorist financing

Senator Shelly Moore Capito (R, WV) sent a letter to the U.S. Treasury’s Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson last Thursday expressing her concerns and asking a series of questions around terrorist financing via crypto assets and products such as mixers.  Read her press release.

Her first question to Nelson is: “Has Treasury begun an independent and comprehensive investigation into the extent FTOs (foreign terrorist organizations) are reportedly avoiding sanctions through the use of digital assets, particularly actors funding Hamas and affiliated organizations?”

The tone of Capito’s letter is reminiscent of the October 26 letter from Senator Cynthia Lummis (R, WY) and Rep. French Hill (R, AR) which also addressed concerns on terrorist financing including the use of crypto exchange Binance and the Tether USD stablecoin. At the time, Lummis was also trying to push through her NDAA amendment – a compromise of sorts – which would have required “federal regulators to enact strong examination standards that will help prevent the utilization of cryptocurrencies in illegal activities” according to an October 23 press release.

more tips:

Capito’s in-state colleague/rival – Senator Joe Manchin (D, WV) – is a co-sponsor of Senator Elizabeth Warren’s Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Act (S.2669).

what you should know: The public message is clear on both sides of the aisle in Congress: terrorist financing and money laundering concerns need to be rooted out in crypto. Neither party wants to look like they approved of terrorist financing and money laundering via digital assets. But, the pro-crypto forces don’t want draconian regulation to harm U.S. opportunity in digital assets. Whereas, the “anti-crypto army” wants digital assets to be severely restricted if not altogether prevented from accessing the U.S. financial system. Continue reading “Letters From Capito, Warren Intensify Crypto Concerns; PAC Eyes 2024 Election”

SEC denies Coinbase

To no one’s surprise, a rulemaking petition filed by Coinbase was denied by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Friday as its Democratic majority prevailed in a 3-2 decision led by Chair Gary Gensler. The rulemaking would have presumably created a path for rules for digital assets and companies operating in the sector.

In a statement, SEC Chair Gary Gensler explained his support for the denial with three reasons: “First, existing laws and regulations apply to the crypto securities markets. Second, the SEC addresses the crypto securities markets through rulemaking as well. Third, it is important to maintain Commission discretion in setting its own rulemaking priorities.”

more tips:

U.S. SEC Denies Coinbase’s Push for Crypto Regulations as ‘Unwarranted’ – CoinDesk

what you should know: This decision was not a surprise. The SEC was the judge, after all. And given Chair Gensler’s past decisions and statements on crypto, he will continue to shoot down anything that gives digital assets hooks into his agency unless the courts intercede (see Grayscale) -or Congress finally, and successfully, enters the picture.

SEC denies Coinbase – reaction

Willkie Farr counsel Justin Browder noted on X a “slight retreat” in Gensler’s statement whereas crypto assets used to be assumed as securities, now crypto assets are securities when “offered and sold as a security.”

Hester Peirce and Mark Uyeda, the Republican minority on the SEC’s commission, expressed resignation that the SEC was unwilling to engage in the rulemaking with Coinbase but held out a fig leaf to industry by saying in a statement, “While we are disappointed that the Commission is not hosting these important conversations, we will have an open ear for conversations that others host and the ideas that emerge from those conversations.” Continue reading “Coinbase Rulemaking Denied By SEC; GAO Delivers NatSec Report On Digital Assets”