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SEC lawsuits against Binance and Coinbase unify the crypto industry

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Professionals across the crypto sector have responded to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) recent actions against two of the biggest crypto exchanges, Binance and Coinbase. 

On June 5, the SEC filed a lawsuit against Binance for allegedly offering unregistered securities. Only a day after filing the Binance suit, the commission also went after Coinbase on similar grounds, alleging that popular cryptocurrencies offered by the exchange, such as Solana, Polygon and The Sandbox, qualify as securities. reached out to market players working in the space for their responses to the recent actions by the SEC. From sharing a belief that it will drive crypto companies away from the U.S. to simply calling the SEC’s actions lazy, industry players shared their thoughts on the latest developments.

An ‘unacceptable’ approach to regulation

According to Kristin Smith, the CEO of the Blockchain Association, while the SEC’s actions are expected, it’s still unacceptable. Smith explained that: 

“The SEC doesn’t make the law. Indeed, this approach to regulation is unacceptable, but it is what we have come to expect from the SEC and its anti-crypto stance.”

The executive highlighted that while the industry and the U.S. Congress are working to develop effective regulation, the SEC “continues to distract from substantive policy efforts.” The executive believes that by listing assets this way, the SEC is trying to circumvent formal rulemaking processes and deny public engagement.

Meanwhile, Paolo Ardoino, the chief technology officer of stablecoin issuer Tether, believes companies’ complaints against the SEC should be listened to. According to Ardoino, the uncertainty of rules and guidance in the U.S. is becoming a common theme, even among the country’s biggest crypto supporters. 

Turbos Finance CEO Ted Shao also echoed Smith’s sentiment. Shao says this is “not the direction Web3 developers want to see.” The executive believes the SEC showed that it’s against the whole Web3 space, as they are also coming after top projects, not just centralized exchanges. 

Driving crypto players abroad and weakening consumer confidence

In addition to the SEC’s actions being unacceptable, other professionals working in the space believe that the effects of this recent move include pushing crypto players to more crypto-friendly jurisdictions and weakening consumer confidence in crypto within the United States.

Insider Intelligence crypto analyst Will Paige said that the recent suits highlight the SEC’s intent to police the space through enforcement in the absence of a regulatory framework. According to Paige, this could potentially knock down the “already weak consumer confidence in cryptocurrencies” in the country. 

Ben Caselin, the chief strategy officer at crypto exchange MaskEX, believes that while this is a case against Binance, it may have implications for other players in the United States. The former AAX executive explained that this can “open up more opportunities for other jurisdictions, such as Hong Kong, Dubai or even El Salvador, to drive innovation and attract capital and talent.”

Oscar Franklin Tan, the chief legal officer of nonfungible token protocol Enjin, agrees with the sentiment. According to Tan, the world will not wait for the U.S. to make up its mind on crypto. Tan explained: 

“The SEC actions only drive talent and innovation out of the U.S. to countries with clearer rules that support responsible builders. Singapore, in 2020, stated it does not follow the U.S. Howey test. Japan has a clear self-regulatory framework for exchanges.”

The executive believes that “progressive countries” will reap the benefits, especially now that explosions in artificial intelligence and extended reality highlight the need for blockchain and genuine digital ownership.

Doubts cast on SEC’s fairness and motivations

While some expressed their beliefs on the potential effects of the SEC’s lawsuit against Binance and Coinbase, other crypto professionals explored the motivation and fairness of the SEC’s move. 

According to David Schwed, the chief operating officer of Blockchain security firm Halborn, the SEC’s mandate is to ensure the safeguarding of investors. Schwed believes that this can be done through clear regulations, not through enforcement actions. The executive added that SEC Chair Gary Gensler’s motivations may be skewed. “It seems to me that his personal ambitions and the need to validate his stance have now superseded his core mandate,” he explained.

Alex Strześniewski, the founder of the decentralized finance protocol AngelBlock, described the SEC’s actions as “lazy.” The executive believes that it does not drive proper regulation forward. He explained: 

“It’s like a school teacher berating you for giving the wrong answers but failing to give any explanation beyond that. I also don’t believe that the SEC does, in fact, have jurisdiction over everything they’re claiming to.”

Meanwhile, Tim Shan, the chief operating officer at decentralized exchange Dexalot, expressed mixed feelings about the lawsuits and said the SEC’s actions are unfair to the community. 

“They’ve provided very little clarity or guidance to the crypto community. They are regulating through the courts, which is really quite unfair and not the right way to regulate/govern,” he said. 

Impact on prices of crypto stocks and altcoins

Stephan Lutz, the CEO of crypto trading platform BitMEX, shared insights on the potential effects of the SEC’s crackdown on exchanges on the market. In the short-term, Lutz said that there would be a downside pressure on the prices of crypto stocks, altcoins and valuations of crypto startups based in the US. Lutz explained that: 

“Investors are likely to keep funds in crypto but divest towards Bitcoin because these are unlikely deemed as a security, or stablecoins due to their correlation with fiat.”

In the medium and long-term, Lutz believes that exchanges will be cautious when dealing with customers based in the US and providing access to what the SEC is claiming to be securities. The executive also expressed frustration that regulators are “taking the issue of securities definition to the courthouse once again,” instead of offering clearer guidelines.

BitMEX has notably had its share of troubles with regulators in the US. In 2021, the trading platform agreed to pay up to $100 million to resolve 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. 

Cryptocurrency

Ripple v. SEC Settlement on the Horizon? Attorney Speculates on the Possibility

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TL;DR

  • Ripple is disputing a $2 billion SEC penalty over XRP sales, advocating for a reduction to $10 million, with predictions suggesting a possible $100 million settlement.
  • The company has gained partial court victories that bolster its position in the lawsuit.

$100 Million Instead of $2 Billion?

The lawsuit between Ripple and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which has been ongoing since December 2020, recently heated up with actions coming from both parties.

Last month, the regulator sought a $2 billion penalty on the firm, alleging XRP sales violations. Earlier this week, Ripple’s chief legal officer – Stuart Alderoty – said the company had filed its official opposition to the agency’s request. The entity outlined several important reasons why the fine should not exceed $10 million.

The battle’s future outcome remains uncertain, with numerous industry participants speculating about the next move. One such person who recently gave his two cents is the popular lawyer Jeremy Hogan. He envisioned that the legal spat may be resolved via a $100 million settlement:

“I’m saying that the Judge will order 0 disgorgement but throws the SEC a bone and orders Ripple to pay a $100 million penalty.”

Hogan also believes that “based on what he’s seen so far,” the case might be closed in July or August this year. Recall that it recently entered its final phase, with a trial starting on April 23.

Not long ago, ChatGPT also estimated that a final judgment on the lawsuit may occur this summer. However, the chatbot predicted that potential delays and appeals from both parties could drag the conclusion to 2026.

Ripple Seems to Have the Edge

Crypto X is full of users who believe that Ripple has the better chance to emerge victorious due to the three vital (yet partial) court wins secured last year. The first one occurred in July when Federal Judge Torres ruled that the company’s programmatic sales to secondary trading platforms did not constitute offers of investment contracts.

Shortly after, the magistrates rejected the SEC’s intentions to appeal the initial decision, while a few months later, Ripple’s CEO Brad Garlinghouse and Executive Chairman Chris Larsen were cleared of all charges brought by the Commission.

A decisive win for the firm may trigger an XRP rally, while the opposite scenario could negatively impact the token and the entire digital asset market. Those willing to learn more about the lawsuit and its impact on Ripple’s native cryptocurrency, feel free to take a look at our dedicated video below:

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Pepe Price Surges 15% After Coinbase Listing, Is Dogeverse The Next Crypto To Explode?

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Pepe has displayed immense strength over the past 24 hours, pumping 15%.

Meanwhile, the new meme coin Dogeverse looks primed to explode next as its presale surges past $10 million.

Coinbase PERP Listing Explodes Pepe Price

Coinbase’s institutional-focused arm, Coinbase International Exchange, has launched Pepe perpetual futures contracts trading, enabling clients outside the United States to leverage trade the asset.

The move sparked widespread excitement, and its launch on Tuesday was well-received by the market, with Pepe dominating the meme coin sector since.

It is currently trading at $0.000007907, up 15% today, 47% this week, and 4.5% this month. Currently, Pepe holds a $3.3 billion market cap and a $1.6 billion 24-hour trading volume, up 62% today.

It is the 37th largest crypto by market cap but the 9th largest by trading volume. This reflects the market’s immense interest.

Coinbase’s futures listing has also ignited anticipation that a spot listing on the main platform may follow.

“Coinbase added PEPE perpetual for institutional investors. Spot is next,” tweeted prominent market commentator Plazma recently.

The analyst also noted Pepe’s relative strength, highlighting that it has broken out on its price chart and is “pumping towards a new ATH.”

Other traders are also bullish on Pepe, with Max Schwartzman, CEO of Because Bitcoin, underscoring the significance of its recent bounce:

“You can learn just as much (if not more) from a rejection at a key level as you can from a breakout. After breaking out of a multi-month re-accumulation, Pepe tagged the 1.618 Fibonacci extension level.”

He continued, “The good news here is that since the 1.618 is now officially confirmed as valid and in play, that means that the 2.618 and 3.618 are also valid and in play. I’m very bullish. I expect multiples to be accomplished over the next couple of quarters.”

Based on the analyst’s chart, Pepe could soar to $0.00016 this year, over a 1,900% gain from its current price.

However, Pepe is not the only meme coin expected to return outsized gains in the upcoming bull rally. Another is the newly launched presale Dogeverse, which has raised over $10 million in its opening weeks.

Next Cryptocurrency To Explode

Amid the recent market pullback, Dogeverse has pushed ahead unfazed and has now surpassed the $10 million mark at presale.

Dogeverse’s relentless strength is a sign of things to come, but its use case supercharges this potential.

The project unleashes a new paradigm of meme coin innovation, launching on six blockchains to ensure seamless and ubiquitous accessibility.

The presale is already live on Ethereum, Base, Polygon, BSC, and Avalanche, and the token is also set to launch on Solana.

This negates the risk of users migrating from one blockchain to another, bolstering Dogeverse’s stability and long-term potential.

Another advantage is its staking mechanism, which encourages users to lock up tokens for passive rewards. They can garner a 107% APY, but this will fall as the staking pool grows.

Analysts are overwhelmingly bullish, with Micheal Wrubel recently notifying his 311K YouTube subscribers he has gone “all in” on the presale.

Meanwhile, prominent low-cap trader Jacob Bury dubbed it a “new 100x potential meme coin.”

The presale price will rise throughout the campaign, with the next uptick coming in one day or when the total raise hits $11.2 million.

Visit Dogeverse Presale

Disclaimer: The above article is sponsored content; it’s written by a third party. CryptoPotato doesn’t endorse or assume responsibility for the content, advertising, products, quality, accuracy, or other materials on this page. Nothing in it should be construed as financial advice. Readers are strongly advised to verify the information independently and carefully before engaging with any company or project mentioned and do their own research. Investing in cryptocurrencies carries a risk of capital loss, and readers are also advised to consult a professional before making any decisions that may or may not be based on the above-sponsored content.

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DeGods Founder ‘Frank’ Teases Return to Solana with Bridge Test Picture

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DeGods, the NFT project that once held the highest market value on Solana, is contemplating a return to its original blockchain.

Founder Rohan Vohra, who goes by the pseudonym ‘Frank’ recently shared a test picture of bridging NFTs back to Solana, indicating a potential shift back to the platform where it first gained prominence.

  • When DeGods debuted in late 2021, Solana was approaching its peak price, and its NFT ecosystem was growing rapidly.
  • However, by the time it became Solana’s most valuable large-scale NFT project, SOL had significantly depreciated, and the broader NFT market was experiencing a downturn.
  • DeGods first announced its departure from Solana in December 2022 and revealed that it would be migrating to Ethereum.
  • This decision followed a tumultuous year for Solana, marked not only by prolonged outages but also by the Layer 1 blockchain’s entanglement in the turmoil surrounding the collapsed crypto exchange FTX. Vohra then said,

“There’s an argument to be made that [DeGods] has capped out on Solana. It’s hard to accept, but it’s been tough to grow at the rate we want to grow. If Ethereum is where we have to go to keep growing, it’s what we have to do.”

  • Now, with the landscape potentially shifting once again, the project is exploring the possibility of returning to its roots in Solana, where its journey began.
  • The news has sparked a range of reactions, with some expressing skepticism and criticism towards the idea of moving back and forth between blockchains.
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