The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) finds itself in the midst of a legal battle that promises to shed light on the murky regulation of cryptocurrency airdrops. The lawsuit, led by the DeFi Education Fund (DEF) and Beba Collection, a Texas apparel brand, calls into question the SEC’s regulatory interpretation, which to date has remained ambiguous regarding the status of freely distributed cryptocurrencies.
Central to this legal clash is the SEC’s analysis of the BEBA token. The company Beba Collection seeks an affirmative court ruling that BEBA tokens, offered as part of a promotion, do not classify as securities. This argument is based on the idea that there is no monetary investment on the part of token recipients, one of the pillars of the Howey test, frequently used to determine the nature of a security.
The lawsuit further raises questions about the SEC’s adherence to the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), alleging that, under Gensler’s leadership, the commission deviated from standard regulatory development procedures, which require transparency and the incorporation of public feedback, opting for a more aggressive stance in its inspections without a constructive dialogue with the cryptocurrency community.
The DeFi Education Fund strongly criticizes this approach, arguing that such an attitude creates an atmosphere of unnecessary fear in the sector, with companies operating under the constant threat of regulatory intervention.
A favorable ruling in this case would not only challenge the SEC’s current stance on cryptocurrencies, but could also significantly clarify the landscape for future airdrops, setting a precedent that they do not qualify as securities transactions.
The cryptocurrency community is following the development of this case with great interest, anticipating that a positive verdict could encourage more innovation and provide clearer regulatory guidelines, mitigating the SEC’s strong enforcement actions.
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The views and opinions expressed by the author, or anyone mentioned in this article, are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment or other advice. Investing in or trading cryptocurrencies carries a risk of financial loss.
Source: https://portalcripto.com.br/sec-enfrenta-processo-sobre-regulacao-de-airdrops-de-criptomoedas/
