The SEC filed a lawsuit against Binance on June 5, accusing them of offering unregistered securities. The following day, the commission launched a similar attack on Coinbase, alleging that Solana, Polygon, and The Sandbox, popular cryptocurrencies offered by the exchange, are also securities.
An ‘Unacceptable’ Approach to Regulation
Kristin Smith, CEO of the Blockchain Association, expressed dissatisfaction with the SEC’s actions, stating that while they were expected, they were still unacceptable. Smith emphasized that the SEC does not make the law and that their approach to regulation hinders substantive policy efforts. Smith believes that by categorizing assets in this manner, the SEC is attempting to avoid formal rulemaking processes and limit public engagement.
Paolo Ardoino, Chief Technology Officer of stablecoin issuer Tether, advocates that companies’ grievances against the SEC should be taken seriously. Ardoino notes that the lack of clear regulations and guidance in the United States is a common issue, even among the country’s most prominent crypto supporters.
Ted Shao, CEO of Turbos Finance, also concurs with Smith’s opinion, stating that the SEC’s actions are not in line with the goals of Web3 developers. Shao believes that the SEC’s actions indicate its opposition to the entire Web3 space, as they are targeting top projects, not just centralized exchanges.
Crypto Industry’s Exodus Abroad Leads to Decreased Consumer Confidence
Not only are the SEC’s actions unacceptable, but they are also causing professionals in the crypto industry to believe that these moves are driving crypto players towards more crypto-friendly jurisdictions and eroding consumer confidence in crypto within the U.S.
According to Will Paige, a crypto analyst at Insider Intelligence, these recent lawsuits demonstrate the SEC’s intention to regulate the industry through enforcement in the absence of a regulatory framework. Paige believes that this could further weaken consumer confidence in cryptocurrencies in the U.S.
Chief Strategy Officer at crypto exchange MaskEX, Ben Caselin, believes that although this case is against Binance, it may have repercussions for other players in the U.S. Caselin suggests that this could create opportunities for other jurisdictions such as Hong Kong, Dubai, or even El Salvador to drive innovation and attract capital and talent.
Oscar Franklin Tan, Chief Legal Officer of nonfungible token protocol Enjin, shares the same viewpoint. Tan believes that other countries will not wait for the U.S. to make up its mind on crypto. Tan states that the SEC’s actions will only drive talent and innovation out of the U.S. to countries with clearer rules that support responsible builders. Tan highlights that progressive countries will benefit, especially with the rise of artificial intelligence and extended reality that require blockchain and genuine digital ownership.
Questioning the Fairness and Motives of the SEC
As the SEC’s lawsuit against Binance and Coinbase unfolds, some crypto professionals are discussing the potential impact and questioning the fairness of the SEC’s actions.
David Schwed, the COO of Halborn, a blockchain security firm, believes that the SEC’s role is to protect investors through clear regulations rather than enforcement actions. He also suggests that SEC Chair Gary Gensler’s personal motives may have overshadowed his core mandate.
On the other hand, Alex Strześniewski, the founder of AngelBlock, a decentralized finance protocol, criticized the SEC’s actions as “lazy” and insufficient for driving proper regulation. He added that the SEC may not have jurisdiction over everything it claims to have. Meanwhile, Tim Shan, the COO of Dexalot, a decentralized exchange, expressed mixed feelings about the lawsuits, stating that the SEC’s lack of clarity and guidance to the crypto community is unfair. He also criticized the SEC for regulating through the courts, which he believes is not the right way to govern or regulate.
Impact on Crypto Stock and Altcoin Prices
Stephan Lutz, CEO of crypto trading platform BitMEX, shared his perspective on the potential impact of the SEC’s crackdown on exchanges in the market. In the short term, Lutz predicts that there will be downward pressure on the prices of crypto stocks, altcoins, and valuations of crypto startups based in the U.S. Lutz explains that investors are likely to keep their funds in crypto but shift their focus towards Bitcoin, which is unlikely to be considered a security, or stablecoins due to their correlation with fiat currency.
Looking ahead, Lutz believes that exchanges will exercise caution when dealing with U.S.-based customers and providing access to what the SEC claims to be securities. The executive expresses frustration that regulators are resorting to the courts to define securities instead of providing clearer guidelines.
Notably, BitMEX has had its share of regulatory issues in the U.S. In 2021, the trading platform agreed to pay up to $100 million to settle a case with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). In 2022, a New York court ordered BitMEX founders to pay $30 million in civil penalties.
(Reference: Cointelegraph)