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Tag: SEC

  • Hinman documents: Everything you need to know

    Hinman documents: Everything you need to know

    The Hinman documents are a collection of internal SEC messages concerning a speech given by former SEC Director William Hinman in 2018. These documents have been at the center of attention in the ongoing SEC v. Ripple lawsuit. In this article, we will explore the Hinman documents, their expected unsealing date, and their potential impact on the crypto market and XRP holders. We will also discuss why these documents are important for both the SEC v. Ripple case and the crypto industry as a whole.

    What are the Hinman documents?

    The Hinman documents relate to internal SEC messages concerning a speech given by former SEC Director William Hinman in 2018. In that speech, Hinman stated that cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum may initially be classified as securities. But, as they become more decentralized, can transition into something more similar to a commodity.

    Ripple requested these documents in discovery during their lawsuit with the SEC and received them on 21st October 2022. The SEC attempted to keep the documents sealed by claiming that they were not relevant to the case. However, on 16th May 2023, Judge Torres denied the SEC’s motion to seal and ruled that the documents were subject to public access.

    When will the Hinman Speech Documents be unsealed?

    The Hinman documents are expected to be unsealed on 13th June 2023.

    What can we expect from the Hinman documents?

    We can expect to see emails and comments made by Hinman, Valerie Szczepanik and SEC staff in relation to Hinman’s speech, as well as drafts of the speech itself. These documents will only have limited redactions.

    Would the Hinman documents refer to the XRP token?

    The Hinman documents may mention XRP because the SEC enforcement team was dealing with XRP in other matters around the same time Hinman’s speech was being drafted and commented on. Additionally, XRP ranked 2 or 3 in market capitalization following Bitcoin and Ethereum at that time. (Phentermine) So, XRP was definitely in the forefront of the SEC’s minds at the material time.

    Why are the Hinman documents important for crypto?

    The Hinman documents are important for the crypto industry because they talk about how cryptocurrencies could transition from securities to commodities. This means that the legal status of cryptocurrencies could change over time as they become more decentralized. This will have a significant impact on the future of cryptocurrency regulations. The outcome of the SEC’s case against Ripple could also set a legal precedent. This would in turn affect the entire crypto industry.

    Why are the Hinman documents important to the SEC v. Ripple case?

    The Hinman documents are important to the SEC v. Ripple case. Including all current and potential enforcement actions by the SEC against other crypto projects, exchanges, companies, and tokens. This is because the documents may contain comments suggesting that XRP does not satisfy all elements of the Howie Test. This implies that it is not a security for purposes of the Federal Securities Laws.

    Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse is anticipating the release of these documents, saying that they will be “well worth the wait”. This suggests Ripple expects the documents to contain information favouring Ripple and their contentions that XRP is not a security.

    Predictions on the likely outcome of the SEC vs Ripple lawsuit?

    There are predictions that there will be a 25% chance that Ripple will see an outright victory in the SEC vs Ripple lawsuit. Versus a 5% chance of an outright win by the SEC.

    What is the potential impact of the Hinman documents on the crypto market and XRP holders?

    The release of the Hinman documents could shed light on the SEC’s views on crypto. Especially as the SEC pursues its case against Ripple. The entire crypto industry is closely watching the case over whether XRP is a security. This is because it could set a legal precedent which would affect the entire industry. This ruling could also affect Ripple’s fair notice defense and the court could issue a summary judgment ruling soon. Some suggest that the court may even announce it before 30th September 2023. Therefore, the release of the Hinman documents could have an impact on the crypto market and XRP holders.

    Lawyer John Deaton is positive that the SEC vs Ripple lawsuit will be in Ripple’s favour. He also predicts that in such case, the prices of the XRP token may go up from US$2 to $10. As at 13th June 2023, the price of XRP is US$0.52.

  • Binance Will NOT Acquire FTX: What is Next?

    Binance Will NOT Acquire FTX: What is Next?

    Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) decided that Binance will not go through with the deal to acquire FTX, one day after he announced that he intended to acquire FTX. This shocking turn of events could create a ripple effect throughout the crypto market, affecting all investors and businesses. In case you are out of the loop, our previous article “SBF vs CZ War” covers the core timeline of what has been happening that led to this event. You can also check out our latest video — FTX Collapsing: Biggest Disaster in Crypto? for more insight.

    Why Did Binance Back Out of the Acquisition Deal?

    Binance announced on Twitter that they will not go through with the deal to acquire FTX as a result of “corporate due diligence” and “mishandled customer funds” in FTX’s books pending investigations by U.S. regulatory agencies.

    This is in reference to speculations of FTX violating its own terms of service by using customer funds for trading and loaning it out to Alameda Research for a bailout in Q2 2022 following the Terra Luna collapse. To simply put, instead of keeping customer funds on FTX as liquid cash, FTX used customer funds to buy FTT tokens to bail out Alameda. (https://www.algerie360.com/)

    After this revelation, FTX users were rushing to cash out fearing the exchange might be going insolvent. This led to a liquidity crunch, forcing FTX to halt all crypto withdrawals. We are talking about at least $8 billion of user funds stuck on the exchange which possibly cannot be saved, according to Wall Street Journal.

    This is the most likely scenario, ascertained and corroborated by many crypto experts. jonwu.eth on Twitter gives a perfect summary of how everything went down. Funnily enough, FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) deleted his Tweet which he assured clients that their assets are fully protected. But as of now, these speculations are not officially confirmed. This is where U.S. regulators (SEC, DOJ) are stepping in to investigate FTX for potential securities-law violations, according to Wall Street Journal.

    How This Will Affect All Investors

    Binance acknowledged that the collapse of FTX will severely impact all retail investors, but will continue to build towards a stronger decentralized ecosystem. This is reiterated by CZ in his internal message sent to all Binance teams globally.

    source: @cz_binance (Twitter)

    It is not just user funds that are stuck on FTX, but other crypto projects’ as well. According to CoinDesk, many crypto businesses and ventures have exposure to FTX in one way or another, whether via storing funds, providing liquidity or borrowing and lending. This affects all ecosystems throughout the crypto industry as wild price swings trigger a domino effect of forced liquidations across the market, similar to Three Arrows Capital or Voyager Digital after the Terra Luna collapse.

    It is the first time Bitcoin (BTC) has fallen below $16,000 since November 2020, a 77% decrease from its all-time high last year. Since BTC has broken past its first support level of $19,000, it would take time for its range to be established after capitulation event. As BTC is the first and largest cryptocurrency by market cap, it practically dictates the price actions of all altcoins including Ethereum (ETH). We can expect the market to be highly volatile in the coming weeks.

    source: @CryptoCapo_ (Twitter)
  • Top Cryptocurrency News Today (22 July 2022)

    Top Cryptocurrency News Today (22 July 2022)

    Ethereum Massively Scales to 100K Transactions Per Second Post-Merge, What Will Happen to “ETH Killers?”

    Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin addressed at the Ethereum Community Conference in Paris that the network will hit the 55% roadmap completion level after its much-anticipated “Merge” in September. The biggest problem that has been plaguing Ethereum is scalability. In its current state, Ethereum can only process 12 to 25 transactions per second with an average confirmation time of around six minutes. As a result, the network gets congested, leading to extremely high gas fees.

    The shift from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake post-merge will enable Ethereum to process 100,000 transactions per second, according to Buterin, which is significantly higher than even centralized financial services like Visa and Mastercard. This will greatly benefit the ecosystem as users can enjoy instant transactions and low gas fees. So the question is, “What will happen to Ethereum Killer coins such as Solana or Avalanche?” If Buterin is able to deliver what he promised, then Ethereum will most certainly be the front-runner of all smart-contract platforms. The whole purpose of Ethereum Killers is to have a competitive advantage over Ethereum in terms of scalability. Will we see the end of Ethereum Killers after September?

    Zipmex Suspends Withdrawals, Joins Growing List of Struggling Crypto Exchanges

    Zipmex, a cryptocurrency exchange based in Southeast Asia, has frozen withdrawals until further notice due to “volatile market conditions” and the “resulting financial difficulties of key business partners.” Much like the rest of the crypto fallout, the insolvency of Zipmex’s counterparty has caused the company to face liquidity issues. According to their official statement, Zipmex’s current exposure to crypto lender Babel Finance is $48 million, with an additional $5 million to Celsius Network, which filed for bankruptcy last week.

    With the series of defaults continuing to haunt the industry, investors should be cautious when dealing with any crypto exchange at the moment. Consider holding your funds in hardware wallets like Ledger Nano X, Ledger Nano S or Trezor Model T.

    Coinbase Urges SEC to Begin Regulating Digital Asset Securities after Inside Trading Bust, Desperate Move?

    Coinbase has called on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to develop a viable regulatory framework for digital asset securities following the arrest of a Coinbase ex-manager involved in inside-trading earlier today. With rumours of Coinbase’s insolvency growing, communities are speculating whether this initiative is an attempt to revive the crypto exchange. Coinbase has yet to comment on that matter but explained that the existing rules for traditional securities being inapplicable to crypto assets calls for new rulemaking. However, they also added that the procedure should involve the public’s input rather than behind closed doors. Will we be seeing Coinbase making a comeback or are they just delaying the inevitable?

    Binance Unveils Scholarship Program! Future of Crypto Looking Good?

    Binance is sponsoring a scholarship program that focuses on improving education that will empower the next generation of blockchain experts. Scholarships will be available for vocational education (currently for 1,000 Ukrainian students), for undergraduate studies and for master’s degrees, providing opportunities for scholars to acquire experience in the blockchain ecosystem.

    This is a huge step forward as education in blockchain and cryptocurrency is still limited and inaccessible to most people, not to mention a growing pandemic of student loan debts worldwide. Fostering an environment for new talent means faster development in the space, especially when the future of crypto is at stake.