Renowned analyst Hassan Tyler disapproves of SEC chair Gary Gensler’s regulatory tactics, asserting that Gensler hasn’t learned from the SEC’s loss in the XRP case.
Ripple’s Legal Triumph Over SEC
The Ripple case, initiated by former SEC chair Jay Clayton in December 2020, accused Ripple of selling $1.3 billion in unregistered XRP securities.
Following Gensler’s appointment as SEC chair the next year, he adopted an enforcement-centric approach to regulating cryptocurrencies, leading to his classification of tokens other than Bitcoin as securities.
However, this stance faced a significant setback in July when the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) ruled against Gensler’s claim. The court’s decision was a blow to Gensler’s assertion, particularly as it declared that XRP, in itself, does not qualify as an investment contract.
Furthermore, the court ruled that most of Ripple’s XRP sales, including programmatic transactions, did not violate the law, contradicting the SEC’s initial allegations.
Consequences of SEC’s Non-Compliance
Despite the setback with Ripple, Gensler and the SEC under his leadership persist in an enforcement-centric regulatory approach. Recently, the SEC charged Kraken Exchange with violating securities laws, listing 16 cryptocurrencies, including ADA, SOL, MATIC, ALGO, and NEAR.
Tyler highlights the real-world consequences of the SEC’s refusal to adhere to the law, asserting that ongoing failures affect markets, investors, and the U.S.’s credibility as an innovation capital destination.
He warns of harm to millions of U.S. investors and a continued pattern of SEC officials favoring certain entities. In addition, Tyler emphasizes the need for the SEC to change its crypto regulatory approach.
According to Tyler, if the relevant authorities do not change the SEC’s leadership, Congress needs to get involved by imposing a clear crypto regulatory framework on the SEC, highlighting the agency’s responsibilities within the emerging market.
