- SEC Chairman Gary Gensler has made statements regarding the crypto space on CNBC Squawk Box.
- Questions were raised about the SEC’s recent move to issue a Wells Notice to Robinhood Crypto and whether Ethereum is a commodity or a security.
- Gensler emphasized that the SEC is following the law in the crypto space and investors are not receiving necessary disclosures.
SEC Chairman Gary Gensler discusses the regulatory landscape of the crypto space, including the SEC’s recent actions and the classification of Ethereum.
SEC Chairman: We’re following the law in the crypto space!
As reported by CoinOtag, the US SEC issued a Wells Notice to Robinhood Crypto. Following the distribution of these notices, which indicate planned enforcement actions against multiple crypto organizations, SEC Chairman Gary Gensler states that investors are not receiving vital disclosures. Gensler responded to the host’s questions on CNBC Squawk Box, including the SEC’s recent move to issue a Wells Notice to Robinhood Crypto. Gensler emphasized that the SEC is following the law and that investors are not receiving necessary disclosures about these assets.
Is Ethereum a security or a commodity?
Robinhood’s Wells Notice is one of several files opened against crypto assets last month. Crypto company Consensys, behind MetaMask Wallet, and decentralized crypto exchange Uniswap also stated last month that they received Wells Notices from the SEC. The SEC is also battling in court with crypto exchanges Binance and Coinbase. CNBC host asked Gary Gensler about Ethereum. The host wanted to know from an authoritative source whether ETH is a security or a commodity. Gensler, without giving a direct answer, made the following statement: “The fundamental question, in my view, is how do we protect American investors? At the moment, they are not receiving the necessary or required disclosures.”
Conclusion
While the SEC and Chairman Gary Gensler have not clearly stated whether Ethereum is a security, Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Rostin Behnam has said that ETH is a commodity. Meanwhile, multiple issuers are competing for a spot Ethereum ETF, although these have faced delays in recent weeks. Therefore, optimism that the SEC would approve by the end of May has decreased. The regulatory landscape of the crypto space continues to evolve, with the SEC taking a proactive approach to ensure investor protection.
