SEC refuse de créer des règles spécifiques pour le secteur des cryptomonnaies

The American financial markets watchdog, the SEC, rejected Coinbase’s request on Friday to create specific rules to adapt its texts to the cryptocurrency sector. In a letter to Coinbase, the SEC said it “disagrees” with Coinbase’s claims that regulations, exchange norms, and custody are not “applicable” to cryptoassets.

Furthermore, the SEC criticized Coinbase for submitting a request without proposing “text or substance” for the new rules requested. “On the contrary, it includes a summary of the subject and more than 100 questions that the applicant considers important to consider,” the commission continues.

SEC Chairman Gary Gensler added in a statement that there is “nothing in the cryptographic securities markets that suggests that investors or issuers have less protection under the securities laws.” “Existing laws and regulations already apply to the cryptoassets market,” he emphasized.

For several years, the SEC has maintained that some digital currencies are financial securities, such as stocks or bonds, and are therefore subject to its supervision as an investment product, a view that has been highly contested.

This setback comes as Coinbase will have to defend itself against separate SEC lawsuits accusing it of failing to register with stock market authorities. A Coinbase official, Paul Grewal, chief legal officer, responded in a tweet that the platform will appeal this decision to the courts. On Wall Street, Coinbase’s stock was down 3.43% as of 19:40 GMT. Bitcoin, the star of cryptocurrencies, was down 1.70% at $42,153.