Drumroll please…The US Securities and Exchange Commission has released a framework for classifying digital assets as securities.
On April 3, the SEC’s Bill Hinman, Director of Division of Corporation Finance, and Valerie Szczepanik, Senior Advisor for Digital Assets and Innovation, announced the “Framework for ‘Investment Contract’ Analysis of Digital Assets,” to help determine whether a digital asset is a security and therefore subject to US federal securities laws.
The announcement states that the “framework is not intended to be an exhaustive overview of the law, but rather, an analytical tool to help market participants assess whether the federal securities laws apply to the offer, sale, or resale of a particular digital asset.”
The announcement warns market participants that they may be conducting activities that fall under the SEC’s jurisdiction: “Market participants may engage in activities that require registration of transactions and persons or entities involved in those transactions. Even if no registration is required, activities involving digital assets that are securities may still be subject to the Commission’s regulation and oversight.”
It should be noted that this new framework “represents Staff views and is not a rule, regulation, or statement of the Commission. The Commission has neither approved nor disapproved its content. This framework, like other Staff guidance, is not binding on the Divisions or the Commission.”
Read the complete framework here.
#cryptocurrency #sec
