上周二,美國領(lǐng)先的加密貨幣交易所Coinbase在與證券交易委員會(SEC)的最新法律戰(zhàn)中獲勝,,美國地方法官凱瑟琳·費拉裁定,該公司可以將一起備受關(guān)注的案件——涉及哪些加密貨幣屬于證券——直接提交給美國第二巡回上訴法院,。
這一裁決并不一定意味著Coinbase將在核心證券問題上獲勝,,但它確實讓公司可能更快拿到最終裁決。正如費拉在其23頁的裁決書中所述,,此舉反映了法官們在如何在加密貨幣領(lǐng)域執(zhí)行現(xiàn)有證券法方面存在分歧,,希望隨著案件在司法系統(tǒng)中的推進(jìn),,這一問題能夠得到解決,盡管上訴法院仍需同意審理此案,。
Coinbase首席法務(wù)官保羅·格利瓦爾在X上表示:“我們感謝法院的審慎考慮,。我們將前往第二巡回法院?!?/p>
美國證券交易委員會的發(fā)言人拒絕對這一裁決置評,。目前正值該機構(gòu)的新主席即將上任,他可能會完全撤銷訴訟,。
證券爭議
多年來,,證券交易委員會一直試圖解決一個與區(qū)塊鏈這個顛覆性行業(yè)相關(guān)的關(guān)鍵問題:加密貨幣是否應(yīng)該像股票和債券一樣,視為傳統(tǒng)證券,?證券交易委員會已同意將比特幣視為像黃金或石油一樣的大宗商品,,除此之外,它一直認(rèn)為幾乎所有其他數(shù)字資產(chǎn)都屬于證券,,因此在其管轄范圍之內(nèi),。這也意味著,由于絕大多數(shù)加密貨幣的發(fā)行機構(gòu),、交易所和托管人沒有在證券交易委員會注冊登記,,因此他們違反了證券法。
證券交易委員會已經(jīng)對頂級發(fā)行機構(gòu)和交易所提起了多起訴訟,,引起廣泛關(guān)注,,首先是2020年對備受歡迎的加密貨幣XRP背后的公司Ripple提起的投訴,當(dāng)時證券交易委員會的主席是杰伊·鮑威爾,。隨后在鮑威爾備受爭議的繼任者加里·蓋斯勒領(lǐng)導(dǎo)下,,該機構(gòu)執(zhí)行了一系列執(zhí)法行動。在這些案件中,,證券交易委員會認(rèn)為,,Coinbase等公司在其平臺上向投資者發(fā)行未注冊的證券(如Solana),違反了關(guān)鍵法律,。
由于這些案件由不同法官和聯(lián)邦法院審理,,導(dǎo)致法律裁決各不相同,一些法官(包括費拉)似乎支持證券交易委員會的主張,,但有些法官(如負(fù)責(zé)Ripple訴訟的法官)卻質(zhì)疑該機構(gòu)的立場,,認(rèn)為出售加密貨幣并不總是構(gòu)成投資合同。
去年3月,,費拉否決了Coinbase主張駁回證券交易委員會訴訟的動議的關(guān)鍵方面——這是預(yù)料之中的舉動,,但表明她在最終裁定中可能會支持證券交易委員會。Coinbase認(rèn)為加密貨幣應(yīng)被視為具有重大經(jīng)濟意義的問題,從而應(yīng)該限制證券交易委員會對證券監(jiān)管的解釋,,且Coinbase認(rèn)為他們沒有收到證券交易委員會關(guān)于監(jiān)管方法的公平通知,,費拉在裁決中否決了這些主張。她還認(rèn)為,,在Coinbase平臺上提供和銷售加密貨幣似乎是投資合同,,因此應(yīng)視為證券。然而,,費拉同意駁回證券交易委員會關(guān)于自托管錢包的部分案件,。
盡管費拉法官的裁決為Coinbase的未來道路帶來了不確定性,但由于她與其他法官的裁決存在沖突,,該案件最終幾乎肯定會由上訴法院作出裁定,,甚至可能會提交到最高法院。如果Coinbase敗訴,,其可以提供的產(chǎn)品類型將受到限制,,這會顯著影響其運營能力。在上周二的裁決中,,費拉同意“在重要法律問題上的裁定存在沖突,,需要第二巡回法院的指導(dǎo)?!盧ipple訴訟也可能會提交至第二巡回法院,。
費拉作出裁定時,正值證券交易委員會的關(guān)鍵時期,。在唐納德·特朗普當(dāng)選總統(tǒng)后,,蓋斯勒宣布他將于今年1月辭去主席職務(wù)。特朗普曾表示,,他將在第二個總統(tǒng)任期內(nèi)采取對加密貨幣更有利的立場,。一些法律專家認(rèn)為,證券交易委員會在其新任主席,、前委員保羅·阿特金斯的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)下,,甚至可能會撤銷對加密貨幣公司的訴訟。(財富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:劉進(jìn)龍
審校:汪皓
上周二,,美國領(lǐng)先的加密貨幣交易所Coinbase在與證券交易委員會(SEC)的最新法律戰(zhàn)中獲勝,,美國地方法官凱瑟琳·費拉裁定,該公司可以將一起備受關(guān)注的案件——涉及哪些加密貨幣屬于證券——直接提交給美國第二巡回上訴法院,。
這一裁決并不一定意味著Coinbase將在核心證券問題上獲勝,,但它確實讓公司可能更快拿到最終裁決。正如費拉在其23頁的裁決書中所述,,此舉反映了法官們在如何在加密貨幣領(lǐng)域執(zhí)行現(xiàn)有證券法方面存在分歧,,希望隨著案件在司法系統(tǒng)中的推進(jìn),這一問題能夠得到解決,盡管上訴法院仍需同意審理此案,。
Coinbase首席法務(wù)官保羅·格利瓦爾在X上表示:“我們感謝法院的審慎考慮。我們將前往第二巡回法院,?!?/p>
美國證券交易委員會的發(fā)言人拒絕對這一裁決置評。目前正值該機構(gòu)的新主席即將上任,,他可能會完全撤銷訴訟,。
證券爭議
多年來,證券交易委員會一直試圖解決一個與區(qū)塊鏈這個顛覆性行業(yè)相關(guān)的關(guān)鍵問題:加密貨幣是否應(yīng)該像股票和債券一樣,,視為傳統(tǒng)證券,?證券交易委員會已同意將比特幣視為像黃金或石油一樣的大宗商品,除此之外,,它一直認(rèn)為幾乎所有其他數(shù)字資產(chǎn)都屬于證券,,因此在其管轄范圍之內(nèi)。這也意味著,,由于絕大多數(shù)加密貨幣的發(fā)行機構(gòu),、交易所和托管人沒有在證券交易委員會注冊登記,因此他們違反了證券法,。
證券交易委員會已經(jīng)對頂級發(fā)行機構(gòu)和交易所提起了多起訴訟,,引起廣泛關(guān)注,首先是2020年對備受歡迎的加密貨幣XRP背后的公司Ripple提起的投訴,,當(dāng)時證券交易委員會的主席是杰伊·鮑威爾,。隨后在鮑威爾備受爭議的繼任者加里·蓋斯勒領(lǐng)導(dǎo)下,該機構(gòu)執(zhí)行了一系列執(zhí)法行動,。在這些案件中,,證券交易委員會認(rèn)為,Coinbase等公司在其平臺上向投資者發(fā)行未注冊的證券(如Solana),,違反了關(guān)鍵法律,。
由于這些案件由不同法官和聯(lián)邦法院審理,導(dǎo)致法律裁決各不相同,,一些法官(包括費拉)似乎支持證券交易委員會的主張,,但有些法官(如負(fù)責(zé)Ripple訴訟的法官)卻質(zhì)疑該機構(gòu)的立場,認(rèn)為出售加密貨幣并不總是構(gòu)成投資合同,。
去年3月,,費拉否決了Coinbase主張駁回證券交易委員會訴訟的動議的關(guān)鍵方面——這是預(yù)料之中的舉動,但表明她在最終裁定中可能會支持證券交易委員會,。Coinbase認(rèn)為加密貨幣應(yīng)被視為具有重大經(jīng)濟意義的問題,,從而應(yīng)該限制證券交易委員會對證券監(jiān)管的解釋,且Coinbase認(rèn)為他們沒有收到證券交易委員會關(guān)于監(jiān)管方法的公平通知,費拉在裁決中否決了這些主張,。她還認(rèn)為,,在Coinbase平臺上提供和銷售加密貨幣似乎是投資合同,因此應(yīng)視為證券,。然而,,費拉同意駁回證券交易委員會關(guān)于自托管錢包的部分案件。
盡管費拉法官的裁決為Coinbase的未來道路帶來了不確定性,,但由于她與其他法官的裁決存在沖突,,該案件最終幾乎肯定會由上訴法院作出裁定,甚至可能會提交到最高法院,。如果Coinbase敗訴,,其可以提供的產(chǎn)品類型將受到限制,這會顯著影響其運營能力,。在上周二的裁決中,,費拉同意“在重要法律問題上的裁定存在沖突,需要第二巡回法院的指導(dǎo),?!盧ipple訴訟也可能會提交至第二巡回法院。
費拉作出裁定時,,正值證券交易委員會的關(guān)鍵時期,。在唐納德·特朗普當(dāng)選總統(tǒng)后,蓋斯勒宣布他將于今年1月辭去主席職務(wù),。特朗普曾表示,,他將在第二個總統(tǒng)任期內(nèi)采取對加密貨幣更有利的立場。一些法律專家認(rèn)為,,證券交易委員會在其新任主席,、前委員保羅·阿特金斯的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)下,甚至可能會撤銷對加密貨幣公司的訴訟,。(財富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:劉進(jìn)龍
審校:汪皓
On Tuesday, the leading U.S. crypto exchange Coinbase won its latest legal battle against the Securities and Exchange Commission, as U.S District Judge Katherine Failla ruled the company can take a closely watched case—which turns on which cryptocurrencies are securities—directly to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
The ruling does not necessarily mean Coinbase will prevail on the core securities question, but it does accelerate the timeline by which the company can expect a definitive ruling. As laid out in Failla’s 23-page ruling, the move reflects the disagreement among judges about how to enforce existing securities laws for the crypto sector, with the hope that the matter can be settled as it moves up the judicial food chain, though the appeals court still has to agree to hear the case.
“We appreciate the Court’s careful consideration,” said Coinbase chief legal officer Paul Grewal on X. “On to the Second Circuit we go.”
A spokesperson for the SEC declined to comment on the ruling, which comes as a new chairman is poised to take over the agency, and could drop the case altogether.
Securities dispute
For years, the SEC has been trying to settle a key question with the disruptive blockchain sector: Should cryptocurrencies be treated as traditional securities, such as stocks and bonds? With the exception of Bitcoin, which the agency has agreed should be treated as a commodity like gold or oil, the SEC has maintained that nearly every other digital asset is a security, and therefore under its purview. That also means that because the vast majority of issuers, exchanges, and custodians for cryptocurrencies do not register with the SEC, they are violating securities laws.
The SEC has brought a number of high-profile lawsuits against both top issuers and exchanges, beginning with with a 2020 complaint against Ripple, the company behind the popular XRP cryptocurrency, under Chair Jay Powell. This was followed by a string of enforcement actions led by Powell’s controversial successor, Chair Gary Gensler. In these cases, the SEC has argued that companies like Coinbase are breaking key laws by offering unregistered securities like Solana to investors on its platform.
Because the cases have appeared before different judges and federal courts, the resulting legal rulings have been mixed, with some judges (including Failla) appearing to side with the SEC’s arguments, and others, such as the judge overseeing the Ripple suit, taking issue with the agency’s stances and arguing that the sale of cryptocurrencies do not always constitute investment contracts.
In March, Failla denied the key aspects of Coinbase’s motion to dismiss the SEC’s lawsuit—an expected move, but one that suggested that she would side with the SEC in her final decision. In her ruling, Failla rejected Coinbase’s argument that crypto should count as a “major question” of economic significance, and therefore limit the SEC’s interpretation of securities oversight, as well as that the exchange had not received fair notice of the agency’s approach to supervision. She also argued that the offer and sale of cryptocurrencies on Coinbase’s platform appeared to be investment contracts, and therefore should be treated as securities. Failla did, however, agree to throw out a portion of the SEC’s case concerning self-custodied wallets.
While the decision created a murky path forward for Coinbase, contrasting rulings by other judges meant the final decision at the case would almost certainly occur at the appellate level, and possibly even to the Supreme Court. A loss would significantly impact Coinbase’s ability to operate by limiting the types of assets it could offer. With her ruling on Tuesday, Failla agreed that “conflicting decisions on an important legal issue necessitate the Second Circuit’s guidance.” The Ripple lawsuit will also likely move to the Second Circuit.
Failla’s decision comes at a crossroads for the SEC, with Gensler announcing that he would step down as chair in January following the election of Donald Trump, who has signaled he would take a more favorable approach toward crypto during his second term as president. Some legal experts have suggested that the SEC under its new chair, former commissioner Paul Atkins, might even drop its lawsuits against crypto companies.