Crypto regulation back in spotlight after SEC securities claims
By 
Aaron Nicodemus2022-08-04T18:44:00
Are cryptocurrency assets commodities? Are they securities? Should they be regulated by more than one regulator?
A key question regulators need to answer: Is there a point at which a cryptocurrency asset becomes decentralized enough that it has transitioned from a security to a commodity?
These are the kinds of questions swirling around a largely unregulated $2 trillion industry that sits astride the U.S. financial market without any of the transparency or investor protections the rest of the market enjoys. Being unregulated might have been fine for the cryptocurrency industry when it was a tiny sideshow, but it has become too big to ignore.
THIS IS MEMBERS-ONLY CONTENT
You are not logged in and do not have access to members-only content.
If you are already a registered user or a member, SIGN IN now.
Related articles
-
PremiumExperts: XRP ruling offers little clarity on crypto regulation
A judge’s ruling the token XRP does not intrinsically possess the characteristics of a security that must be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission has not cleared the uncertainty that remains around the regulation of digital assets, according to experts.
-
News BriefSEC charges Binance, founder in latest crypto crackdown
The Securities and Exchange Commission charged Binance Holdings, its U.S.-based affiliate BAM Trading Services, and their founder Changpeng Zhao with a series of securities law violations, including operating unregistered exchanges.
-
ArticleFTX collapse should provide momentum to regulate crypto
The collapse and bankruptcy of digital asset exchange FTX offers stark lessons into why rules that apply to traditional investments—overseen by government regulation—ought to apply to digital investments as well.
More from Regulatory Policy
-
ArticleCompliance told to focus on reality as Euro courts brace for slew of greenwashing cases
In 2025, the regulatory focus on greenwashing intensified globally. This trend is set to accelerate in 2026, and compliance has a key part to play in ensuring corporate statements are honest.
-
ArticleSFO guidance on evaluating compliance programs short on specifics, experts say
Companies looking for greater certainty about how they might avoid criminal prosecution for bribery, fraud, and corruption offences may find they’re going to be disappointed if they’re looking for definitive answers in the latest guidance from the U.K.’s main fraud investigator, say experts.
-
ArticleEU loosens AI and data rules
Europe has been at the forefront of designing strong—but flexible—rules around data use and the safe development of AI, but the EU recently announced plans to simplify some key measures around data privacy and AI governance, which have met with mixed responses.