SEC Punishes Kraken for Selling Unregistered Securities

For selling unregistered securities, cryptocurrency exchange Kraken

Is being investigated by the SEC, which could result in a settlement in the near future.

According to reports, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is looking into cryptocurrency exchange Kraken for allegedly marketing unregistered securities in the nation. It is currently unclear which cryptocurrency coins or offerings the financial watchdog is looking into.

Kraken Under SEC Scanner 

According to the most recent source, the investigation into Kraken is allegedly far along, and it's probable that a resolution could be reached soon. Since FTX's demise at the end of last year, the industry has been under increased American scrutiny, and any action taken against Kraken might have significant repercussions.

The SEC has often maintained that the majority of the tokens being traded are securities and should be subject to the agency's regulations, so a settlement with the regulator may put pressure on other cryptocurrency companies to reach agreements with the regulator. Investigations by the SEC may result in fines and other penalties for businesses and individuals rather than enforcement action, though this is not always the case.

The San Francisco-based cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, which has a daily trading volume of over $650 million worldwide, is the third largest in the world, according market data. On its website, the business states that it supports more than 185 different cryptocurrencies, but it's not clear how many of those may really be traded by users in the United States.

Previous Run-ins with the Law

Late in 2017, Kraken and the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Treasury came to an agreement regarding allegations that it had broken US sanctions against Iran. This settlement had nothing to do with the initial accusations. The corporation agreed to pay little more than $360,000 and invest $100,000 in sanctions compliance as part of the arrangement. At the time, OFAC stated that Kraken voluntarily informed the government of the alleged violations and assisted with the investigation.

Furthermore, Coinbase Global Inc., a competitor of Kraken's, is being investigated by the SEC for its token listings, as CoinGabbar has revealed. The government did identify a number of tokens provided on the exchange as securities in a lawsuit issued against a former Coinbase employee and two other people as part of an insider trading action, but it hasn't specifically accused Coinbase of distributing unregistered securities.

The ongoing SEC investigation and the sudden closure of its activities in Abu Dhabi, less than a year after receiving a local licence, give the impression that the Kraken exchange is in a precarious situation. It had previously stopped operating in Japan because to the country's tightening regulatory environment and declining cryptocurrency demand.