BNB
by BSCN
July 11, 2024
This decision comes a year after the SEC issued a Wells Notice to Paxos, suggesting potential enforcement action.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has officially ended its investigation into Paxos, the issuer of the Binance USD (BUSD) stablecoin, according to a recent Fortune report. This decision comes a year after the SEC issued a Wells Notice to Paxos, indicating potential enforcement action against the firm.
On July 9th, Jorge Tenreiro, the acting chief of the SEC’s crypto assets and cyber unit, informed Paxos that he would not recommend enforcement action. Walter Hessert, head of strategy at Paxos, expressed relief, stating:
“The termination of this investigation formally is an enormous relief for us. It’s what we expected all along, and it really should create, hopefully, more certainty in the market among what we see as a growing number of large enterprises.”
Paxos received a Wells Notice from the SEC in February 2023, suggesting impending enforcement action over the dollar-backed BUSD stablecoin, which Paxos issued in partnership with Binance.
The SEC argued that BUSD was a security because it generated profits for Binance and Paxos, and some of the profits were passed on to Binance users. Paxos disagreed, asserting that BUSD was backed 1:1 with dollar-denominated reserves.
As a result of this notice, stablecoins, which are pegged to the value of a fiat currency, remain in a regulatory gray zone. In contrast to other crypto assets, stablecoins lack a profit expectation, a crucial factor in determining securities.
The investigation continued for over a year, with the SEC maintaining that it was “active and ongoing” as of July 3rd. However, the agency’s stance shifted after a federal judge ruled in favor of Binance on June 28th.
The court held that the sales of BUSD did not constitute a securities offering, leading the SEC to drop the charge. This development offers a degree of clarity and relief to the market, which has been grappling with regulatory uncertainty.
Crypto community members, including Ran Neuner, responded to the news by saying the SEC literally destroyed Paxos which had over $20bn in TVL and was making over $1 billion by forcing the issuer to shut down.
HOW IS THIS OK????
— Ran Neuner (@cryptomanran) July 11, 2024
The SEC literally destroyed a business that had over $20bn in TVL and was making over a $1bn by forcing the issuer to shut it down - to only then droop the case after it was dead!!!!!!
THIS SHOULD BE PUNISHED!!! pic.twitter.com/eGuzYKttwV
While Congress continues to delay legislation to regulate the growing crypto asset class, the SEC’s decision provides a temporary reprieve for stablecoin issuers.
The SEC’s decision marks an unexpected win for the stablecoin sector, which includes companies like PayPal and VanEck. The end of the investigation into Paxos and BUSD highlights the need for clear regulatory guidelines to foster innovation and protect investors in the evolving cryptocurrency landscape.
Disclaimer
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of BSCNews. The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. BSCNews assumes no responsibility for any investment decisions made based on the information provided in this article
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