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SEC Provides Enforcement Driven Guidance On Digital Asset Issuances And Trading

Posted by Securities Attorney Laura Anthony | December 26, 2018 Tags: SEC Provides Enforcement Driven Guidance On Digital Asset Issuances And Trading

On November 16, 2018, the SEC settled two actions involving cryptocurrency offerings which settlement requires the registration of the digital assets. On the same day, the SEC issued a public statement stating, “[T]hese two matters demonstrate that there is a path to compliance with the federal securities laws going forward, even where issuers have conducted an illegal unregistered offering of digital asset securities.”

The two settled actions, CarrierEQ Inc., known as Airfox and Paragon Coin Inc., both involved an unregistered issuance of a cryptocurrency. In its statement the SEC highlighted three other recent settled actions involving digital assets and, in particular, the actions involving Crypto Asset Management, TokenLot and EtherDelta. The three additional cases involved investment vehicles investing in digital assets and the providing of investment advice, and secondary market trading of digital asset securities.

The SEC has developed a consistent mantra declaring both support for technological innovation while emphasizing the requirement to “adhere to [our] well-established and well-functioning federal securities law framework…” However, as Commissioner Hester Peirce has pointed out in her speeches, the current federal securities law may not be the best framework for the regulation of digital asset securities and their secondary trading. Although the overall purpose and structure of the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”) and its implementing rules, including the idea that the offer and sale of securities must either be registered or issued under an available exemption, and that investors are entitled to disclosure, may be appropriate, the granular requirements under the Act need to be updated to encompass new technology including blockchain and digital assets. Likewise, and maybe even more so, the broker-dealer, ATS and national exchange registration requirements, and the reporting requirement of issuers found in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) and its implementing rules, need to be reviewed and updated.

Airfox and Paragon Coin Inc. – Offers and Sales of Digital Asset Securities

The SEC has brought many actions related to the offers and sales of digital assets – some before, and many after, the issuance of its Section 21(a) Report related to the offer and sale of tokens by the DAO. The Section 21(a) Report clearly laid out that a determination of whether a digital asset is a security requires an analysis using the Howey test as set out in the U.S. Supreme Court case SEC v. W. J. Howey Co. In various speeches and public statements following that Report, SEC officials, including Chair Jay Clayton, expressed their views that pretty well all ICOs to date involved the offer and sale of a security and, unfortunately, many had not complied with the federal securities laws. A slew of enforcement proceedings followed and a shift in the ICO craze to a more compliant securities token offering (STO) resulted.

However, to date, STOs have relied on registration exemptions, such as Regulation D, in their offerings rather than registration under the Securities Act. When registering an issuance under the Securities Act, an issuer must comply with the full disclosure obligations under Regulations S-K and S-X. This has proven challenging for both issuers and the SEC when the security being registered is a digital asset. Among the numerous issues to figure out have been providing a wallet to recipients, the custody of digital securities, the maintenance of a registrar and transfer agent duties, the lack of a licensed operational secondary market, cybersecurity issues, programming the digital security for the myriad of rights it may have (analogous to common stock, or completely different such that it could morph into a utility), selling and distribution methods, and the numerous issues with accepting other digital assets or cryptocurrencies as payment for the registered securities token.

If a placement agent or underwriter is involved, that placement agent or underwriter must not only resolve all of these matters, but additional issues such as escrow provisions, KYC and AML matters and even their own compensation, which typically involves not only cash, but payment in the security being sold either directly or through convertible instruments such as warrants.

These issues have not only added cost to a registration process, but time as well. The SEC has unapologetically informed registrants that the process would not follow the usual comment review timeline. Yet time has been beneficial to the entire industry as the SEC has continued to make efforts to educate its staff and figure out how to help companies successfully register digital securities. At the American Bar Association’s fall meeting in November, SEC Division of Corporation Finance (“Corp Fin”) Director, William Hinman, remarked that about half a dozen ICO S-1’s and a dozen ICO Regulation A+ filings are currently being reviewed by Corp Fin on a confidential basis.

Unlike a registration for the issuance and sale of specified securities, a registration statement under the Exchange Act registers a class of securities and thereafter makes the registrant subject to ongoing reporting requirements. Registration under the Exchange Act provides information about a company and its securities but does not involve an issuance of a security and therefore does not contain disclosures related to offers, sales, issuances, plans of distribution and the like. A registration under the Exchange Act (i.e., a Form 10) is slightly more robust than an annual report on Form 10-K and much less robust than a registration statement under the Securities Act. Although subject to some comment and review, a Form 10 registration statement automatically goes effective 60 days following the date of filing.

In the AirFox and Paragon Coin settlements, the SEC is requiring both companies to file registration statements on Form 10 to register their class of tokens under the Exchange Act. Both companies will thereafter have to file periodic reports with the SEC, including quarterly Forms 10-Q with reviewed financial statements, an annual Form 10-K with audited financial statements and interim Forms 8-K upon certain triggering events. Furthermore, the companies will be subject to the proxy rules under Section 14 of the Exchange Act and insider filing and related requirements under Sections 13 and 16 of the Exchange Act. The settlement also included penalties and an agreement to compensate an investors who elect to make a claim. Interestingly, in its statement, the SEC indicates that “[T]he registration undertakings are designed to ensure that investors receive the type of information they would have received had these issuers complied with the registration provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”) prior to the offer and sale of tokens in their respective ICOs.” As described above, I don’t really agree with the statement, but I do agree that the ongoing disclosure will provide information to investors in deciding whether to seek reimbursement or continue to hold their tokens.

Investment Vehicles Investing in Digital Assets

The Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Investment Company Act”) establishes a registration and regulatory framework for pooled vehicles that invest in securities. This framework applies to a pooled investment vehicle, and its service providers, even when the securities in which it invests are digital asset securities. There are several exemptions for private pooled investment funds with Section 3(c)(1) (a fund with less than 100 investors) and 3(c)(7) (a fund with only “qualified purchasers”) being the most commonly utilized. Both exemptions prohibit the fund from making a public offering of its securities. In fact, there are no Investment Company Act exemptions where a company has engaged in a public offering. Separately, the Investment Advisors Act of 1940 (“Advisors Act”) requires the registration of managers and advisors to investment companies.

On Sept. 11, 2018, the SEC issued a settlement Order in the case involving the Crypto Asset Management LP and its principal Timothy Enneking, finding that the manager of a hedge fund formed for the purpose of investing in digital assets had improperly failed to register the fund as an investment company. The Order found that the manager engaged in an unlawful, unregistered, non-exempt, public offering of the fund. The Order also found that the fund was an investment company, and that it had engaged in a public offering of interests in the fund and thus no exemption was available. The Order additionally found that the fund’s manager was an investment adviser, and that the manager had violated the antifraud provisions of the Advisers Act by making misleading statements to investors in the fund.

This case is interesting because it provided the SEC with an opportunity to make a public announcement and provide enforcement-related guidance under the Investment Company Act and Investment Advisors Act related to digital assets for the first time. Although the Investment Company Act does not allow for an exemption where there is a public offering of securities, it does allow exempted funds to utilize Regulation D, Rule 506(c) which, in turn, allows for general solicitation and advertising. Rule 506(c) requires that all sales be strictly made to accredited investors and adds a burden of verifying such accredited status to the issuing company.

In a 506(c) offering, it is not enough for the investor to check a box confirming that they are accredited. Generally speaking, an offering that allows for general solicitation and advertising is considered a public offering (see HERE for more information). However, in a securities law nuance, the legislation implementing Rule 506(c) specifies that if all of the requirements of Rule 506(c) are satisfied, the offering will not be deemed a public offering under the Investment Company Act (see HERE).

The Crypto Asset Management LP made a mistake in that it engaged in general solicitation and advertising, but did not comply with Rule 506(c) by ensuring that all investors were accredited and verifying accredited status. This mistake gave the SEC the opportunity to issue a statement that “[I]nvestment vehicles that hold digital asset securities and those who advise others about investing in digital asset securities, including managers of investment vehicles, must be mindful of registration, regulatory and fiduciary obligations under the Investment Company Act and the Advisers Act.”

Trading of Digital Asset Securities

The SEC has brought multiple enforcement actions and has made public statements related to the secondary trading of digital assets, including the requirement to register as a national securities exchange or be exempt from such registration such as by operating as a broker-dealer ATS (see HERE). To date, although several broker-dealers are registered as an ATS, there is no operational secondary securities digital asset market place. In addition to SEC registration, broker-dealers must be members of FINRA, who regulates specific operations, including related to an ATS (see HERE and HERE).

The SEC’s recent enforcement action against the founder of EtherDelta, a platform facilitating the trading of digital assets securities, underscored the SEC’s Division of Trading and Markets’ ongoing concerns about the failure of platforms that facilitate trading in digital asset securities to register with the SEC or operate under a proper exemption from registration. According to the SEC’s order, EtherDelta, which was not registered with the SEC in any capacity, provided a marketplace for bringing together buyers and sellers for digital asset securities through the combined use of an order book, a website that displayed orders, and a smart contract run on the Ethereum blockchain. EtherDelta’s smart contract was coded to, among other things, validate order messages, confirm the terms and conditions of orders, execute paired orders, and direct the distributed ledger to be updated to reflect a trade. The SEC found that EtherDelta’s activities clearly fell within the definition of an exchange.

An analysis as to whether an entity is operating as an exchange requires a substance-over-form facts-and-circumstances review, regardless of terminology used by the operator. For example, if a system “brings together orders of buyer and sellers” – if, for example, it displays, or otherwise represents, trading interest entered on a system to users or if the system receives users’ orders centrally for future processing and execution – it is likely an exchange. Likewise, a system that uses non-discretionary methods to facilitate trades or bring together and execute orders, may fall within the definition of an exchange.

Even if an entity is not operating as an exchange, or would not require a full ATS license, it may be required to register as a broker-dealer. Entities that facilitate the issuance of digital asset securities or their secondary trading may be required to register as a broker-dealer. Section 15(a) of the Exchange Act provides that, absent an exception or exemption, it is unlawful for any broker or dealer to induce or attempt to induce the purchase or sale of any security unless such broker or dealer is registered in accordance with Section 15(b) of the Exchange Act. Section 3(a)(4) of the Exchange Act generally defines a “broker” to mean any person engaged in the business of effecting transactions in securities for the account of others. Section 3(a)(5) of the Exchange Act generally defines a “dealer” to mean any person engaged in the business of buying and selling securities for such person’s own account through a broker or otherwise. As with the “exchange” determination, a substance-over-form analysis must be applied to assess whether an entity meets the definition of a broker or dealer, regardless of how an entity may characterize either itself or the particular activities or technology used to provide the services.

Further Reading on DLT/Blockchain and ICOs

For a review of the 2014 case against BTC Trading Corp. for acting as an unlicensed broker-dealer for operating a bitcoin trading platform, see HERE.

For an introduction on distributed ledger technology, including a summary of FINRA’s Report on Distributed Ledger Technology and Implication of Blockchain for the Securities Industry, see HERE.

For a discussion on the Section 21(a) Report on the DAO investigation, statements by the Divisions of Corporation Finance and Enforcement related to the investigative report and the SEC’s Investor Bulletin on ICOs, see HERE.

For a summary of SEC Chief Accountant Wesley R. Bricker’s statements on ICOs and accounting implications, see HERE;

For an update on state-distributed ledger technology and blockchain regulations, see HERE.

For a summary of the SEC and NASAA statements on ICOs and updates on enforcement proceedings as of January 2018, see HERE.

For a summary of the SEC and CFTC joint statements on cryptocurrencies, including The Wall Street Journalop-ed article and information on the International Organization of Securities Commissions statement and warning on ICOs, see HERE.

For a review of the CFTC’s role and position on cryptocurrencies, see HERE.

For a summary of the SEC and CFTC testimony to the United States Senate Committee on Banking Housing and Urban Affairs hearing on “Virtual Currencies: The Oversight Role of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission,” see HERE.

To learn about SAFTs and the issues with the SAFT investment structure, see HERE.

To learn about the SEC’s position and concerns with crypto-related funds and ETFs, see HERE.

For more information on the SEC’s statements on online trading platforms for cryptocurrencies and more thoughts on the uncertainty and the need for even further guidance in this space, see HERE.

For a discussion of William Hinman’s speech related to ether and bitcoin and guidance in cryptocurrencies in general, see HERE.

For a review of FinCEN’s role in cryptocurrency offerings and money transmitter businesses, see HERE.

For a review of Wyoming’s blockchain legislation, see HERE.

For a review of FINRA’s request for public comment on FinTech in general and blockchain, see HERE.

For my three-part case study on securities tokens, including a discussion of bounty programs and dividend or airdrop offerings, see HERE; HERE; and HERE.

For a summary of three recent speeches by SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, including her views on crypto and blockchain, and the SEC’s denial of a crypto-related fund or ETF, see HERE.

The Author
Laura Anthony, Esq.
Founding Partner
Anthony L.G., PLLC
A Corporate Law Firm
LAnthony@AnthonyPLLC.com

Securities attorney Laura Anthony and her experienced legal team provide ongoing corporate counsel to small and mid-size private companies, OTC and exchange traded public companies as well as private companies going public on the Nasdaq, NYSE American or over-the-counter market, such as the OTCQB and OTCQX. For more than two decades Anthony L.G., PLLC has served clients providing fast, personalized, cutting-edge legal service. The firm’s reputation and relationships provide invaluable resources to clients including introductions to investment bankers, broker-dealers, institutional investors and other strategic alliances. The firm’s focus includes, but is not limited to, compliance with the Securities Act of 1933 offer sale and registration requirements, including private placement transactions under Regulation D and Regulation S and PIPE Transactions, securities token offerings and initial coin offerings, Regulation A/A+ offerings, as well as registration statements on Forms S-1, S-3, S-8 and merger registrations on Form S-4; compliance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including registration on Form 10, reporting on Forms 10-Q, 10-K and 8-K, and 14C Information and 14A Proxy Statements; all forms of going public transactions; mergers and acquisitions including both reverse mergers and forward mergers; applications to and compliance with the corporate governance requirements of securities exchanges including Nasdaq and NYSE American; general corporate; and general contract and business transactions. Ms. Anthony and her firm represent both target and acquiring companies in merger and acquisition transactions, including the preparation of transaction documents such as merger agreements, share exchange agreements, stock purchase agreements, asset purchase agreements and reorganization agreements. The ALG legal team assists Pubcos in complying with the requirements of federal and state securities laws and SROs such as FINRA for 15c2-11 applications, corporate name changes, reverse and forward splits and changes of domicile. Ms. Anthony is also the author of SecuritiesLawBlog.com, the small-cap and middle market’s top source for industry news, and the producer and host of LawCast.com, Corporate Finance in Focus. In addition to many other major metropolitan areas, the firm currently represents clients in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Atlanta, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Washington, D.C., Denver, Tampa, Detroit and Dallas.

Ms. Anthony is a member of various professional organizations including the Crowdfunding Professional Association (CfPA), Palm Beach County Bar Association, the Florida Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the ABA committees on Federal Securities Regulations and Private Equity and Venture Capital. She is a supporter of several community charities including siting on the board of directors of the American Red Cross for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, and providing financial support to the Susan Komen Foundation, Opportunity, Inc., New Hope Charities, the Society of the Four Arts, the Norton Museum of Art, Palm Beach County Zoo Society, the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts and several others. She is also a financial and hands-on supporter of Palm Beach Day Academy, one of Palm Beach’s oldest and most respected educational institutions. She currently resides in Palm Beach with her husband and daughter.

Ms. Anthony is an honors graduate from Florida State University College of Law and has been practicing law since 1993.

Contact Anthony L.G., PLLC. Inquiries of a technical nature are always encouraged.

Follow Anthony L.G., PLLC on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest and Twitter.

Listen toour podcast on iTunes Podcast channel.

law·cast

Noun

Lawcast is derived from the term podcast and specifically refers to a series of news segments that explain the technical aspects of corporate finance and securities law. The accepted interpretation of lawcast is most commonly used when referring to LawCast.com, Corporate Finance in Focus. Example; “LawCast expounds on NASDAQ listing requirements.”

Anthony L.G., PLLC makes this general information available for educational purposes only. The information is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. Furthermore, the use of this information, and the sending or receipt of this information, does not create or constitute an attorney-client relationship between us. Therefore, your communication with us via this information in any form will not be considered as privileged or confidential.

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The SEC’s Strategic Hub For Innovation And Financial Technology

Posted by Securities Attorney Laura Anthony | December 11, 2018

Responding to the growing necessity, in mid-October the SEC launched a Strategic Hub for Innovation and Financial Technology (FinHub). The FinHub will serve as a resource for public engagement on the SEC’s FinTech-related issues and initiatives, such as distributed ledger technology (including digital assets), automated investment advice, digital marketplace financing, and artificial intelligence/machine learning. The FinHub also replaces and consolidates several SEC internal working groups that have been working on these matters.

According to the SEC press release on the matter, the FinHub will:

Provide a portal for the industry and the public to engage directly with SEC staff on innovative ideas and technological developments;
Publicize information regarding the SEC’s activities and initiatives involving FinTech on the FinHub web page;
Engage with the public through publications and events, including a FinTech Forum focusing on distributed ledger technology and digital assets planned for 2019;
Act as a platform and clearinghouse for SEC staff to acquire and disseminate information and FinTech-related knowledge within the agency; and
Serve as a liaison to other domestic and international regulators regarding emerging technologies in financial, regulatory, and supervisory systems.

Although I’m sure FinHub supports engagement in all FinTech areas, the website itself is broken into four categories: (i) blockchain/distributed ledger; (ii) digital marketplace financing; (iii) automated investment advice; and (iv) artificial intelligence/machine learning. Under each category the SEC has tabs with information such as regulations, speeches and presentations, opportunities for public input and empirical information.

Blockchain/Distributed Ledger

Blockchain and distributed ledger generally refer to databases that maintain information across a network of computers in a decentralized or distributed manner. Blockchains are often used to issue and transfer ownership of digital assets that may be securities, depending on the facts and circumstances.

Clearly illustrating the need for regulatory initiatives, the “regulation, registration and related matters” tab under blockchain/distributed ledger is limited to public speeches, testimony and pronouncements, and enforcement actions, and not regulation (as none exists). Although certainly we in the community give public statements weight, they actually have no binding legal authority. The speeches, testimony and pronouncements that the SEC lists in this tab, and as such the ones that the SEC gives the most weight to, include (i) Chair Clayton’s testimony on virtual currencies to the Senate banking committee (see HERE); (ii) William Hinman’s speech on digital asset transactions (see HERE); (iii) statement on potentially unlawful online platforms for trading digital assets (see HERE); and (iv) remarks before the AICPA National Conference of Banks & Savings institutions (see HERE and HERE).

Providing more legal guidance are the enforcement proceedings. The SEC has provided a running list of all cyber enforcement actions broken down by category including digital asset/initial coin offerings; account intrusions; hacking/insider trading; market manipulation; safeguarding customer information; public company disclosure and controls; and trading suspensions.

Digital Marketplace Financing

Digital marketplace financing refers to fundraising using mass-marketed digital media – i.e., crowdfunding. In this category, the SEC includes traditional Title III Crowdfunding under Regulation CF and platforms for the marketing of Regulation D, Rule 506(c) offerings for the offering of debt or equity financing. Under the Regulation tab the SEC includes Regulation CF and the SEC’s Regulation CF homepage, including investor bulletins.

The SEC does not include a link to Rule 506(c) or Section 4(c) of the Securities Act, which provide an exemption for advertised offerings where all purchasers are accredited investors, and the platforms or web intermediaries that host such offerings, respectively. However, many securities token offerings are being completed relying on these exemptions from the registration provisions – in fact, more so than Regulation CF which is limited to $1,070,000 in any twelve-month period. In my opinion, this is a miss on the site layout.

This area of the FinHub website also provides a link to one of the first published SEC investor bulletins on initial coin offerings, including some high-level considerations to avoid a scam. Finally, this area provides a link to a Regulation CF empirical information page published by the SEC. Unfortunately I do not find the data to be user-friendly and could not determine how many, if any, Regulation CF offerings have included digitized assets or FinTech-related issuers.

Automated Investment Advice

Automated investment advisers or robo-advisers are investment advisers that typically provide asset management services through online algorithmic-based programs. Since their introduction, the SEC has been involved with regulating these market participants. Under this section, the SEC provides links to guidance related to robo-advisors.

Robo-advisers, like all registered investment advisers, are subject to the substantive and fiduciary obligations of the Advisers Act. However, since robo-advisers rely on algorithms, provide advisory services over the internet, and may offer limited, if any, direct human interaction to their clients, their unique business models may raise certain considerations when seeking to comply with the Advisers Act. In particular, the Advisors Act requires that a client receive information that is critical to his or her ability to make informed decisions about engaging, and then managing the relationship with, the investment adviser. As a fiduciary, an investment adviser has a duty to make full and fair disclosure of all material facts to, and to employ reasonable care to avoid misleading, clients. The information provided must be sufficiently specific so that a client is able to understand the investment adviser’s business practices and conflicts of interests. Such information must be presented in a manner that clients are likely to read (if in writing) and understand.

Since robo-advisors provide information and disclosure over the internet without human interaction and the benefit of back-and-forth discussions, the disclosures must be extra robust and provide thorough material on the use of an algorithm. The SEC’s guidance on the subject contains a fairly thorough list of matters that should be included in the client information.

Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning

Machine learning and artificial intelligence refer to methods of using computers to mine and analyze large data sets. The SEC includes links to a few speeches and presentations under this tab. The SEC uses machine learning and AI in numerous ways, including market risk assessment and helping identify risks that could result in enforcement proceedings such as the detection of potential investment adviser misconduct.

Further Reading on DLT/Blockchain and ICOs

For a review of the 2014 case against BTC Trading Corp. for acting as an unlicensed broker-dealer for operating a bitcoin trading platform, see HERE.

For an introduction on distributed ledger technology, including a summary of FINRA’s Report on Distributed Ledger Technology and Implication of Blockchain for the Securities Industry, see HERE.

For a summary of SEC Chief Accountant Wesley R. Bricker’s statements on ICOs and accounting implications, see HERE.

For an update on state-distributed ledger technology and blockchain regulations, see HERE.

For a summary of the SEC and NASAA statements on ICOs and updates on enforcement proceedings as of January 2018, see HERE.

For a summary of the SEC and CFTC joint statements on cryptocurrencies, including The Wall Street Journal op-ed article and information on the International Organization of Securities Commissions statement and warning on ICOs, see HERE.

To learn about SAFTs and the issues with the SAFT investment structure, see HERE.

To learn about the SEC’s position and concerns with crypto-related funds and ETFs, see HERE.

For more information on the SEC’s statements on online trading platforms for cryptocurrencies and more thoughts on the uncertainty and the need for even further guidance in this space, see HERE.

For a discussion of William Hinman’s speech related to ether and bitcoin and guidance in cryptocurrencies in general, see HERE.

For a review of FinCEN’s role in cryptocurrency offerings and money transmitter businesses, see HERE.

For a review of Wyoming’s blockchain legislation, see HERE.

For a review of FINRA’s request for public comment on FinTech in general and blockchain, see HERE.

For my three-part case study on securities tokens, including a discussion of bounty programs and dividend or airdrop offerings, see HERE; HERE; and HERE.

For a summary of three recent speeches by SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, including her views on crypto and blockchain, and the SEC’s denial of a crypto-related fund or ETF, see HERE.

The Author
Laura Anthony, Esq.
Founding Partner
Anthony L.G., PLLC
A Corporate Law Firm
LAnthony@AnthonyPLLC.com

Ms. Anthony is an honors graduate from Florida State University College of Law and has been practicing law since 1993.

Contact Anthony L.G., PLLC. Inquiries of a technical nature are always encouraged.

Follow Anthony L.G., PLLC on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest and Twitter.

Listen toour podcast on iTunes Podcast channel.

law·cast

Noun

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What is a SAFT?

Posted by Securities Attorney Laura Anthony | April 24, 2018 Tags: What is a SAFT

A Simple Agreement for Future Tokens (“SAFT”) is an investment contract originally designed to provide a compliant alternative to an initial coin offering (ICO). A SAFT as used today was intended to satisfy the U.S. federal securities laws, money services and tax laws and act as an alternative to an ICO when the platform and other utilization for the cryptocurrency or token was not yet completed. The form of the SAFT is the result of a joint effort between the Cooley law firm and Protocol Lab as detailed in the white paper released on October 2, 2017 entitled “The SAFT Project: Toward a Compliant Token Sale Framework.” As discussed in this blog, the SAFT’s compliance with federal securities laws has now come into question by both the SEC and practitioners.

SAFT’s are offered and sold to accredited investors as an investment to fund the development of a business or project in a way not dissimilar to the way equity changes hands in traditional venture capital. A SAFT was developed from the oft-used simple agreement for future equity (SAFE) contract in the venture capital setting. In a SAFT sale, no coins are ever offered, sold or exchanged. Rather, money is exchanged for traditional paper documents that promise access to future product. Fundamentally, a SAFT has been relying on the premise that the future product is not in and of itself a security.

Although the SEC had been looking at ICO’s for a while, on July 25, 2017 it issued a Section 21(a) Report on an investigation related to an initial coin offering (ICO) by the DAO concluding that the ICO was a securities offering. The Section 21(a) Report established that the Howey Test is the appropriate standard for determining whether a particular token involves an investment contract and the application of the federal securities laws. SEC Chair Jay Clayton has confirmed this standard in several public statements and in testimony before the United States Senate Committee on Banking Housing and Urban Affairs (“Banking Committee”). For a review of the Howey Test, see HERE.

Following the Section 21(a) Report, in a slew of enforcement proceedings by both the SEC and state securities regulators, and in numerous public statements, it is clear that regulators have viewed most, if not all, ICO’s as involving the sale of securities. At the same time, the SAFT grew in popularity as an attempt to comply with the securities laws. The SEC’s position is based on an analysis of the current market for ICO’s and the issuance of “coins” or “tokens” for capital raising transactions and as speculative investment contracts.

SAFT users rely on the premise that a cryptocurrency which today may be an investment contract (security) can morph into a commodity (currency) or other type of digital asset. The SAFT would delay the issuance of the cryptocurrency until it has reached its future utility. Investors in a SAFT automatically receive the cryptocurrency when it is publicly distributed in an ICO. The SAFT investors generally receive the crypto at a discount to the public offering price. However, this premise is taking a direct hit lately. Although I’ll lay out more on the SAFT history and why it was thought of as a solution further in this blog, I’ll jump right to the current analysis, and why a SAFT might not provide the intended protections.

The SAFT Problem

Although everyone, including regulators, agree that the state of the law in the area of cryptocurrencies and tokens is unsettled, regulators, including both the CFTC and SEC, have increasingly taken positions that would bring cryptocurrencies within their jurisdiction. I believe regulators are reacting to overarching fraud and therefore a necessity to take action to protect investors. Without congressional rule making and definitive guidance, regulators have no choice but to make the current law fit the circumstances. In some cases that works fine, but in others it does not and I suspect continuing changes in interpretations, enforcement premises and ultimately rule making will occur.

As I’ve previously discussed, the CFTC first found that Bitcoin and other virtual currencies were properly defined as commodities in 2015. Accordingly, the CFTC has regulatory oversight over futures, options, and derivatives contracts on virtual currencies and has oversight to pursue claims of fraud or manipulation involving a virtual currency traded in interstate commerce. Beyond instances of fraud or manipulation, the CFTC generally does not oversee “spot” or cash market exchanges and transactions involving virtual currencies that do not utilize margin, leverage or financing. Rather, these “exchanges” are regulated as payment processors or money transmitters under state law. See HERE.

The SEC has also taken the stance that ICO’s involve the sale of securities, and that exchanges providing for the after-market trading of cryptocurrencies must register unless an exemption applies. The SEC is now taking it one step further, postulating that the tokens or cryptocurrencies underlying the SAFT could also be a security (and when I say “could” I mean “are”), in which case the SAFT structure is nothing more than a convertible security and fails to comply with the federal securities laws and makes it even more likely that it would result in an enforcement proceeding, or private litigation.

A SAFT is a type of pre-ICO investment with the investors automatically receiving the crypto when the company completes its public ICO. If the underlying token is a security, then the future ICO fails to comply with the federal securities laws and the original SAFT also fails to comply.

Getting ahead of this issue, many companies have structured a SAFT such that the future ICO is also labeled a security, and the SAFT investor will receive the crypto when the future ICO is registered with the SEC. However, this results in a private pre-public security sale, which in and of itself is prohibited by the securities laws.

In particular, Securities Act CD&I 139.01 provides:

Question: Where the offer and sale of convertible securities or warrants are being registered under the Securities Act, and such securities are convertible or exercisable within one year, must the underlying securities be registered at that time?

Answer: Yes. Because the securities are convertible or exercisable within one year, an offering of both the overlying security and underlying security is deemed to be taking place. If such securities are not convertible or exercisable within one year, the issuer may choose not to register the underlying securities at the time of registering the convertible securities or warrants. However, the underlying securities must be registered no later than the date such securities become convertible or exercisable by their terms, if no exemption for such conversion or exercise is available. Where securities are convertible only at the option of the issuer, the underlying securities must be registered at the time the offer and sale of the convertible securities are registered since the entire investment decision that investors will be making is at the time of purchasing the convertible securities. The security holder, by purchasing a convertible security that is convertible only at the option of the issuer, is in effect also deciding to accept the underlying security. [Aug. 14, 2009] (emphasis added)

In a Crowdfund Insider article published March 26, 2018, one practitioner (Anthony Zeoli) has had discussions with the SEC on the subject. As reported in the article, the SEC has stated that if the SAFT investor will automatically receive tokens in the future when and if the tokens are registered, without any further action on the part of the investor, then the tokens must be registered as of the date of the SAFT investment.

Of course, the future ICO or token offering could be completed in a private offering in compliance with the federal securities laws, such as using Rule 506(c) and limiting all sales to accredited investors (see HERE on Rule 506(c)). However, assuming the token or coin really is designed to create a decentralized community or to have utility value that can be widely used by the public, limiting sales to accredited investors does not meet the needs of the issuers. Moreover, even if the future offering is structured as a private securities offering, the SAFT sale disclosure documents would need to include full disclosure on the future coin or token such that the investor could make an informed investment decision at the time of the SAFT investment.

In the same article, Zeoli delves into a more nuanced issue, which is the rising difference in the meaning of a “coin” vs a “token.” A SAFT is a simple agreement for future “tokens” but is being used to pre-sell initial “coin” offerings. If a coin and a token are two very different things (as Zeoli suggests—think stock vs. LLC interest), then the underlying contract has systemic problems beyond the registration and exemption provisions of the federal securities laws and may be a misrepresentation resulting in fraud claims.

More On SAFT; Background

As mentioned, the current form of a SAFT was created by a joint effort between the Cooley law firm and Protocol Lab as detailed in the white paper released on October 2, 2017 entitled “The SAFT Project: Toward a Compliant Token Sale Framework.” The SAFT was intended to comply with the federal securities, money transmittal and tax laws. Also, as discussed, the SAFT relies on the premise that a cryptocurrency which today may be an investment contract (security) will tomorrow be a non-security digital asset satisfying the Howey Test. The SAFT would delay the issuance of the cryptocurrency until it has reached its future utility.

The original SAFT white paper states:

The SAFT is an investment contract. A SAFT transaction contemplates an initial sale of a SAFT by developers to accredited investors. The SAFT obligates investors to immediately fund the developers. In exchange, the developers use the funds to develop genuinely functional network, with genuinely functional utility tokens, and then deliver those tokens to the investors once functional. The investors may then resell the tokens to the public, presumably for a profit, and so may the developers.

The SAFT is a security. It demands compliance with the securities laws. The resulting tokens, however, are already functional, and need not be securities under the Howey test. They are consumptive products and, as such, demand compliance with state and federal consumer protection laws.

Despite its good intentions, as of today, the model SAFT no longer works.

Further Reading on DLT/Blockchain and ICO’s

For an introduction on distributed ledger technology, including a summary of FINRA’s Report on Distributed Ledger Technology and Implication of Blockchain for the Securities Industry, see HERE.

For a summary of SEC Chief Accountant Wesley R. Bricker’s statements on ICO’s and accounting implications, see HERE.

For an update on state distributed ledger technology and blockchain regulations, see HERE.

For a summary of the SEC and NASAA statements on ICO’s and updates on enforcement proceedings as of January 2018, see HERE.

For a summary of the SEC and CFTC joint statements on cryptocurrencies, including The Wall Street Journal op-ed article and information on the International Organization of Securities Commissions statement and warning on ICO’s, see HERE.

For a review of the CFTC role and position on cryptocurrencies, see HERE.

The Author

Laura Anthony, Esq.
Founding Partner
Legal & Compliance, LLC
Corporate, Securities and Going Public Attorneys
330 Clematis Street, Suite 217
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Phone: 800-341-2684 – 561-514-0936
Fax: 561-514-0832
LAnthony@LegalAndCompliance.com
www.LegalAndCompliance.com
www.LawCast.com

Securities attorney Laura Anthony and her experienced legal team provides ongoing corporate counsel to small and mid-size private companies, OTC and exchange traded issuers as well as private companies going public on the NASDAQ, NYSE MKT or over-the-counter market, such as the OTCQB and OTCQX. For nearly two decades Legal & Compliance, LLC has served clients providing fast, personalized, cutting-edge legal service. The firm’s reputation and relationships provide invaluable resources to clients including introductions to investment bankers, broker dealers, institutional investors and other strategic alliances. The firm’s focus includes, but is not limited to, compliance with the Securities Act of 1933 offer sale and registration requirements, including private placement transactions under Regulation D and Regulation S and PIPE Transactions as well as registration statements on Forms S-1, S-8 and S-4; compliance with the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including registration on Form 10, reporting on Forms 10-Q, 10-K and 8-K, and 14C Information and 14A Proxy Statements; Regulation A/A+ offerings; all forms of going public transactions; mergers and acquisitions including both reverse mergers and forward mergers, ; applications to and compliance with the corporate governance requirements of securities exchanges including NASDAQ and NYSE MKT; crowdfunding; corporate; and general contract and business transactions. Moreover, Ms. Anthony and her firm represents both target and acquiring companies in reverse mergers and forward mergers, including the preparation of transaction documents such as merger agreements, share exchange agreements, stock purchase agreements, asset purchase agreements and reorganization agreements. Ms. Anthony’s legal team prepares the necessary documentation and assists in completing the requirements of federal and state securities laws and SROs such as FINRA and DTC for 15c2-11 applications, corporate name changes, reverse and forward splits and changes of domicile. Ms. Anthony is also the author of SecuritiesLawBlog.com, the OTC Market’s top source for industry news, and the producer and host of LawCast.com, the securities law network. In addition to many other major metropolitan areas, the firm currently represents clients in New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Atlanta, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Washington, D.C., Denver, Tampa, Detroit and Dallas.

Contact Legal & Compliance LLC. Technical inquiries are always encouraged.

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The Senate Banking Committee’s Hearing On Cryptocurrencies

Posted by Securities Attorney Laura Anthony | March 6, 2018 Tags: The Senate Banking Committee’s Hearing On Cryptocurrencies

On February 6, 2018, the United States Senate Committee on Banking Housing and Urban Affairs (“Banking Committee”) held a hearing on “Virtual Currencies: The Oversight Role of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.” Both SEC Chairman Jay Clayton and CFTC Chairman J. Christopher Giancarlo testified and provided written testimony. The marketplace as a whole had a positive reaction to the testimony, with Bitcoin prices immediately jumping up by over $1600. This blog reviews the testimony and provides my usual commentary.

The SEC and CFTC Share Joint Regulatory Oversight

The Banking Committee hearing follows SEC and CFTC joint statements on January 19, 2018 and a joint op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal published on January 25, 2018 (see HERE). As with other areas in capital markets, such as swaps, the SEC and CFTC have joint regulatory oversight over cryptocurrencies. Where the SEC regulates securities and securities markets, the CFTC does the same for commodities and commodity markets.

Bitcoin has been determined to be a commodity and as such, the CFTC has regulatory oversight over futures, options, and derivatives contracts on virtual currencies and has oversight to pursue claims of fraud or manipulation involving a virtual currency traded in interstate commerce. Nevertheless, the CFTC does NOT have regulatory jurisdiction over markets or platforms conducting cash or “spot” transactions in virtual currencies or other commodities or over participants on such platforms. These spot virtual currency or cash markets often self-certify or are subject to state regulatory oversight. However, the CFTC does have enforcement jurisdiction to investigate fraud and manipulation in virtual currency derivatives markets and in underlying virtual currency spot markets.

The SEC does not have jurisdiction over currencies, including true virtual currencies. However, many, if not all, token offerings have been for the purpose of raising capital and have involved speculative investment contracts, thus implicating the jurisdiction of the SEC, in the offering and secondary trading markets.

Chair Clayton repeated that “every ICO I’ve seen is a security,” and added, “[T]hose who engage in semantic gymnastics or elaborate re-structuring exercises in an effort to avoid having a coin be a security are squarely in the crosshairs of our enforcement division.” Chair Clayton is very concerned that Main Street investors are getting caught up in the hype and investing money they cannot afford to lose, without proper (if any) disclosure, and without understanding the risks. He also reiterates previous messaging that to date no ICO has been registered with the SEC and that ICO’s are international in nature such that the SEC may not be able to recover lost funds or effectively pursue bad actors. Cybersecurity is also a big risk associated with ICO investments and the cryptocurrency market as a whole. Chair Clayton cites a study that more than 10% of total ICO proceeds, estimated at over $400 million, has been lost to hackers and cyberattacks.

It is becoming increasingly certain that the U.S. will impose a new regulatory regime over those tokens that are not a true cryptocurrency, which would likely include all tokens issued on the Ethereum blockchain for capital raising purposes. Clayton made the distinction between Bitcoin, which is decentralized, on a public Blockchain and mined or produced by the public and other “securities tokens” which are the cryptocurrencies that developed by an organization and created and issued primarily for capital formation and secondary trading.

Many tokens are being fashioned that outright and purposefully resemble equity in an enterprise as a new way to represent equity and capital ownership. Clearly this falls directly within the SEC jurisdiction, and state corporate regulatory oversight as well. Furthermore, there are instances where a token is issued in a capital-raising securities offering and later becomes a commodity, or instances where a token securities offering is bundled to include options or futures contracts, implicating both SEC and CFTC compliance requirements.

In the Banking Committee testimony, the SEC and CFTC presented a united front, confirming that they are cooperating and working together to ensure effective oversight. Both agencies have established virtual currency task forces and their respective enforcement divisions are cooperating and sharing information. Also, both agencies have launched efforts to educate the public on virtual currencies, with the CFTC publishing numerous articles and creating a dedicated “Bitcoin” webpage.

In addition to cooperating with each other, they are also cooperating and communicating with the NASAA, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, FinCen, the IRS, state regulators and others.

The Technology

Consistent with all statements by the regulators, both the SEC and CFTC agree that that blockchain technology is disruptive and has the potential to, and likely will, change the capital markets. Moreover, both agencies consistently reiterate their support of these changes and desire to foster innovation. In fact, the new technology has the potential to help regulators better monitor transactions, holdings and obligations and other market activities.

Chair Giancarlo’s testimony states that “DLT is likely to have a broad and lasting impact on global financial markets in payments, banking, securities settlement, title recording, cyber security and trade reporting and analysis. When tied to virtual currencies, this technology aims to serve as a new store of value, facilitate secure payments, enable asset transfers, and power new applications.” In addition, smart contracts have the ability to value themselves in real time and report information to data repositories.

However, regulation and oversight need to be fashioned that properly address the new technology and business operations. Both agencies are engaging in discussions with industry participants at all levels. A few of the key issues that will need to be resolved include custody, liquidation, valuation, cybersecurity at all levels, governance, clearing and settlement, and anti-money laundering and know-your-customer matters.

Overall, Chair Giancarlo seemed more positive and excited about blockchain and Bitcoin, pointing out current uses including a recent transaction where 66 million tons of American soybeans were handled in a blockchain transaction to China. Chair Clayton, while likely also very enthusiastic about the technology, is currently more focused on the fraud and misuse that has consumed this space recently.

Current Regulations and Needed Change

While the agencies investigate and review needed changes to the regulatory environment, both maintain that current regulations can be relied upon to address the current state of the market. On the SEC side, Chair Clayton walked the Banking Committee through previous SEC statements and the DAO Section 21(a) report issued in July 2017. He again confirmed that the Howey Test remains the appropriate standard for determining whether a particular token involves an investment contract and the application of the federal securities laws. The current registration and exemption requirements are also appropriate for ICO offerings. An issuer can either register an offering, or rely on exemptions such as Regulation D for any capital-raising transaction, including those involving tokens.

Conversely, the current regulatory framework related to exchange traded fund products (ETF’s) needs some work before a virtual currency product could be approved. Issues remain surrounding liquidity, valuation, custody of holdings, creation, redemption and arbitrage. In that regard, in a coming blog, I will review an SEC letter dated January 18, 2018 entitled “Engaging on Fund Innovation and Cryptocurrency-related Holdings” outlining why a crypto-related ETF would not be approved at this time. Senator Mark Warner was quick to point out that there seems to be a regulatory disconnect where an SEC governed ETF is not approved, but a CFTC-governed Bitcoin future is allowed.

The current federal broker-dealer registration requirements remain the best test to determine if an exchange or other offering participant is required to be registered and a member of FINRA. Chair Clayton repeats his warning shot to gatekeepers such as attorneys and accountants that are involved in ICO’s and the crypto marketplace as a whole. Chair Clayton expresses concern that crypto markets often look similar to regulated securities markets and even are called “exchanges”; however, “investors transacting on these trading platforms do not receive many of the market protections that they would when transacting through broker-dealers on registered exchanges or alternative trading systems (ATSs), such as best execution, prohibitions on front running, short sale restrictions, and custody and capital requirements.”

CFTC Chair Giancarlo reiterated that current regulations related to futures, options, and derivatives contracts, and the registration (or lack thereof through self-certification) of spot currency exchanges are being utilized in the virtual currency market. However, the part of the regulatory system that completely defers to state law may need change. In particular, check cashing, payment processing and money transmission services are primarily state regulated. Many of the Internet-based cryptocurrency trading platforms have registered as payment services and are not subject to direct oversight by the SEC or the CFTC, and both agencies expressed concern about this jurisdictional gap.

Giancarlo was especially critical of this state-by-state approach and suggested new federal legislation, including legislation related to data reporting, capital requirements, cybersecurity standards, measures to prevent fraud, price manipulation, anti-money laundering, and “know your customer” protections. “To be clear, the CFTC does not regulate the dozens of virtual currency trading platforms here and abroad,” Giancarlo said, clarifying that the CFTC can’t require cyber-protections, platform safeguards and other things that consumers might expect from traditional marketplaces.

Chair Clayton expressed the same concerns, especially the lack of protections for Main Street investors. Chair Clayton stated, “I think our Main Street investors look at these virtual currency platforms and assume they are regulated in the same way that a stock is regulated and, as I said, it’s far from that and I think we should address that.”

I am always an advocate of federal oversight of capital markets matters that cross state lines. A state-by-state approach is always inconsistent, expensive, and inefficient for market participants.

Both agencies are clear that regardless of the technology and nomenclature, they are and will continue to actively pursue cases of fraud and misconduct. Current regulations or questions related to needed changes do not affect this role. However, Chair Clayton did impress upon the Banking Committee that the current hiring freeze and budgetary restraints are an impediment. The SEC specifically needs more attorneys in their enforcement and trading and markets divisions.

Further Reading on DLT/Blockchain and ICO’s

For an introduction on distributed ledger technology, including a summary of FINRA’s Report on Distributed Ledger Technology and Implication of Blockchain for the Securities Industry, see HERE.

For a summary of SEC Chief Accountant Wesley R. Bricker’s statements on ICO’s and accounting implications, see HERE.

For an update on state distributed ledger technology and blockchain regulations, see HERE.

For a summary of the SEC and NASAA statements on ICO’s and updates on enforcement proceedings as of January 2018, see HERE.

For a summary of the SEC and CFTC joint statements on cryptocurrencies, including The Wall Street Journal op-ed article and information on the International Organization of Securities Commissions statement and warning on ICO’s, see HERE.

For a review of the CFTC role and position on cryptocurrencies, see HERE.

The Author

Contact Legal & Compliance LLC. Technical inquiries are always encouraged.

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