Ep. 73. The SEC won't let crypto be

Simon's in the studio with Adi Ben Ari, Founder of Applied Blockchain. First up, the SEC settles Securities Registration charges against 2 ICO startups. The SEC’s announcement centred on two firms: CarrierEQ Inc., also known as Airfox, and Paragon Coin Inc., both of which conducted token sales last year. Airfox raised $15 million through its sale, while Paragon raised $12 million. After Friday’s SEC actions, experts say ICO party ‘Is truly over’. U.S. regulator stated that “there is a path to compliance with the federal securities laws” for startups issuing tokens, even if “issuers have conducted an illegal unregistered offering of digital asset securities” already. Firm tied to cryptocurrency entrepreneur faces SEC investigation. Securities regulators are investigating Salt Lending Holdings $50 million cryptocurrency sale. The company, which loans money to people using their cryptocurrency as collateral, received a subpoena from the SEC in February seeking records related to a $50 million digital-token sale it held last year, the people familiar with the matter said. Crypto’s Too Expensive? Binance Sent $600 Million in Bitcoin for Just $7. The transaction in block 550211 was a transfer of just over $1 million. For this transaction, Binance paid just over $8 in fees. Another transaction, $600 million at the time it was sent, made it the largest unspent transaction output existing to date. Shell and BP back blockchain platform to modernise commodities trading. Oil industry giants Shell and BP are among a group of firms planning to launch a blockchain platform to automate post-trade processes in the energy industry by the end of 2018, consortium building the platform is called VAKT Global. Deloitte Blockchain Chief: Bad Crypto Headlines Making Clients ‘Nervous’. "Can we stop talking about my bad brother?” That’s how Linda Pawczuk, leader of Deloitte Consulting’s financial services industry blockchain group, describes the conversations she often has these days with executives and board members of client companies. Kraken credits clients with Bitcoin SV (BSV) and launches BSV Trading. The recent Bitcoin Cash hard fork resulted in two (for now) viable chains: Bitcoin Cash (following the Bitcoin Cash ABC protocol and roadmap published by bitcoincash.org) Bitcoin SV (following the Bitcoin Cash SV protocol and roadmap published by nChain) WARNING: Bitcoin SV does NOT meet Kraken’s usual listing requirements. It should be seen as an extremely high risk investment. There are many red flags that traders should be aware of. This week's episode of Blockchain Insider was produced by Laura Watkins and Petrit Berisha. Edited by Alex Woodhouse. Special Guest: Adi Ben-Ari. Links: SEC Settles Securities Registration Charges Against 2 ICO Startups - CoinDesk After Friday's SEC Actions, Experts Say ICO Party 'Is Truly Over' - CoinDesk Firm Tied to Cryptocurrency Entrepreneur Faces SEC Investigation - WSJ Crypto's Too Expensive? Binance Sent $600 Million in Bitcoin for Just $7 Shell, BP Back Blockchain Platform to Modernise Commodities Trading IBM and Maersk Struggle to Sign Partners to Shipping Blockchain - CoinDesk Deloitte Blockchain Chief: Bad Crypto Headlines Making Clients ‘Nervous’ - CoinDesk Kraken Credits Clients with Bitcoin SV (BSV) and Launches BSV Trading | Kraken Blog