SEC’s Clayton Defends ICOs, as long as they “Follow the Rules”

The United States’ Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) may seem to be in sort of a “witch hunt” when it comes to fraudulent ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings.) The truth of that sentence may depend on each person’s view, but to the contrary of what some people within the industry may think, the organism is not against them, at all.

Jay Clayton, currently acting as the SEC’s chairman, recently spoke about the ICOs advantages and benefits for the industry, as an efficient method of raising funds to achieve specific objectives. However, the remarks came with a caveat.

In the same vein, Clayton delivered a speech last week, and the primary subject of his intervention was the SEC’s progress in the year and the future plans for 2019. He stated that he believed that “ICO scan be effective ways for entrepreneurs and others to raise capital,” butsecurities rules must be followed. He implied that fulfilling them will bebeneficial for all parties involved in the initiative.

Securities Laws must be Followed

He stated that “the novel technological nature of an ICO does not change the fundamental point that, when a security is being offered, our securities laws must be followed.” SEC has worked hard all year long to protect investors against potential fraudulent projects and ICOs, with moderate success.

The organization, according to its leader, has spent a significant amount of time” delivering their focus and energies on blockchain and crypto-related assets, and the situation is going to continue in2019 as SEC aims to achieve a safer environment for fund-raising projects.

Clayton also stated that “a number of concerns have been raised regarding the digital assets and ICO markets, including that, as they are currently operating, there is substantially less investorprotection than in the traditional equities and fixed income markets, withcorrespondingly greater opportunities for fraud and manipulation.”

It is not the first time that Clayton, acting as SEC’s most trustworthy spokesperson, has talked about the possible consequences of manipulation of the crypto market. In fact, it has been a common occurrence for quite some time now. He recently said that “the prices retail investors are seeing are those they should rely on, and free from manipulation – not free from volatility, but free from manipulation.”

Awareness is Increasing in the United States

The United States, as a country, is slowly, but surely gaining awareness about the potential pitfalls of crypto markets manipulation, as seen by recent bills in the Congress that aim to prevent the issue. They ask for help from the CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission)and other financial “supervisors” to create a proper plan to achieve smoother regulation regarding crypto assets. The main goal is to protect investors, which are the most vulnerable agents in the ecosystem because of the reasons that Clayton outlined.

Regarding the existence of FinHub, a SECinitiative that intends to simplify startups’ products legal implications, Clayton explained that “as the FinHub and our other activities demonstrate, our door remains open to those who seek to innovate and raise capital in accordance with the law.”

By Andres Chavez