Testimony on “Virtual Currencies: The Oversight Role of the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission”
by
Jay Clayton
Chairman, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Before the
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
United States Senate
February 6, 2018
Chairman Crapo, Ranking Member Brown and distinguished senators of the Committee,
thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today.1
 I am pleased that the Committee is
holding this hearing to bring greater focus to the important issues that cryptocurrencies, initial
coin offerings (ICOs) and related products and activities present for American investors and our
markets.
I am also pleased to join my counterpart, Commodity Futures Trading Commission
(CFTC) Chairman Christopher Giancarlo, for our second time testifying together before
Congress. Since I joined the Commission in May, Chairman Giancarlo and I have built a strong
relationship. Cryptocurrencies, ICOs and related subjects are the latest in a host of market issues
on which we and our staffs have been closely collaborating to strengthen our capital markets for
investors and market participants.2

The mission of the SEC is to protect investors, maintain fair, orderly and efficient
markets and facilitate capital formation. We do so through our enforcement of the federal
securities laws and our oversight of the securities markets and their participants including (1)
approximately $75 trillion in securities trading annually on U.S. equity markets; (2) the
disclosures of approximately 4,100 exchange-listed public companies with an approximate
aggregate market capitalization of $31 trillion; and (3) the activities of over 26,000 registered
entities and self-regulatory organizations, including investment advisers, broker-dealers, transfer
agents, securities exchanges, clearing agencies, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), the
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Municipal Securities Rulemaking
Board (MSRB), among others.
For those who seek to raise capital to fund an enterprise, as many in the ICO space have
sought to do, a primary entry into the SEC’s jurisdiction is the offer and sale of securities, as set
forth in the Securities Act of 1933.
3
 As I will explain in greater detail below, determining what
 1 The views expressed in this testimony are those of the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission and
do not necessarily represent the views of the President, the full Commission, or any Commissioner.
2 See Jay Clayton and J. Christopher Giancarlo, Regulators are Looking at Cryptocurrency, Wall St. J. (Jan. 24,
2018), available at https://www.wsj.com/articles/regulators-are-looking-at-cryptocurrency1516836363?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=2.
3 Under Section 2(a)(1) of the Securities Act and Section 3(a)(10) of the Exchange Act, a security includes, among
other items, “an investment contract.” See 15 U.S.C. §§ 77b-77c. An investment contract is an investment of
money in a common enterprise with a reasonable expectation of profits to be derived from the entrepreneurial or
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falls within the ambit of a securities offer and sale is a facts-and-circumstances analysis, utilizing
a principles-based framework that has served American companies and American investors well
through periods of innovation and change for over 80 years.
The cryptocurrency and ICO markets, while new, have grown rapidly, gained greater
prominence in the public conscience and attracted significant capital from retail investors. We
have seen historical instances where such a rush into certain investments has benefitted our
economy and those investors who backed the right ventures. But when our laws are not
followed, the risks to all investors are high and numerous – including risks caused by or related
to poor, incorrect or non-existent disclosure, volatility, manipulation, fraud and theft.
To be clear, I am very optimistic that developments in financial technology will help
facilitate capital formation, providing promising investment opportunities for institutional and
Main Street investors alike. From a financial regulatory perspective, these developments may
enable us to better monitor transactions, holdings and obligations (including credit exposures)
and other activities and characteristics of our markets, thereby facilitating our regulatory mission,
including, importantly, investor protection.
At the same time, regardless of the promise of this technology, those who invest their
hard-earned money in opportunities that fall within the scope of the federal securities laws
deserve the full protections afforded under those laws. This ever-present need comes into focus
when enthusiasm for obtaining a profitable piece of a new technology “before it’s too late” is
strong and broad. Fraudsters and other bad actors prey on this enthusiasm.
The SEC and the CFTC, as federal market regulators, are charged with establishing a
regulatory environment for investors and market participants that fosters innovation, market
integrity and ultimately confidence. To that end, a number of steps the SEC has taken relating to
cryptocurrencies, ICOs and related assets are discussed below.
Message for Main Street Investors
Before discussing regulation in more detail, I would like to reiterate my message to Main
Street investors from a statement I issued in December.4
 Cryptocurrencies, ICOs and related
products and technologies have captured the popular imagination – and billions of hard-earned
dollars – of American investors from all walks of life. In dealing with these issues, my key
consideration – as it is for all issues that come before the Commission – is to serve the long term
interests of our Main Street investors. My efforts – and the tireless efforts of the SEC staff –
have been driven by various factors, but most significantly by the concern that too many Main
Street investors do not understand all the material facts and risks involved. Unfortunately, it is

managerial efforts of others. See SEC v. Edwards, 540 U.S. 389, 393 (2004); SEC v. W.J. Howey Co., 328 U.S. 293,
301 (1946); see also United Housing Found., Inc. v. Forman, 421 U.S. 837, 852-53 (1975). 4 In December, I issued a statement that provided my general views on the cryptocurrency and ICO markets. The
statement was directed principally at two groups: 1) Main Street investors and 2) market professionals – including,
for example, broker-dealers, investment advisers, exchanges, lawyers and accountants – whose actions impact Main
Street investors. See Statement on Cryptocurrencies and Initial Coin Offerings (Dec. 11, 2017), available at
https://www.sec.gov/news/public-statement/statement-clayton-2017-12-11.
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clear that some have taken advantage of this lack of understanding and have sought to prey on
investors’ excitement about the quick rise in cryptocurrency and ICO prices.5
There should be no misunderstanding about the law. When investors are offered and sold
securities – which to date ICOs have largely been –they are entitled to the benefits of state and
federal securities laws and sellers and other market participants must follow these laws.
Yes, we do ask our investors to use common sense, and we recognize that many
investment decisions will prove to be incorrect in hindsight. However, we do not ask investors
to use their common sense in a vacuum, but rather, with the benefit of information and other
requirements where judgments can reasonably be made.
This is a core principle of our federal securities laws and is embodied in the SEC’s
registration requirements. Investors should understand that to date no ICOs have been registered
with the SEC, and the SEC also has not approved for listing and trading any exchange-traded
products (such as ETFs) holding cryptocurrencies or other assets related to cryptocurrencies. If
any person today says otherwise, investors should be especially wary.
Investors who are considering investing in these products should also recognize that these
markets span national borders and that significant trading may occur on systems and platforms
outside the U.S. Investors’ funds may quickly travel overseas without their knowledge. As a
result, risks can be amplified, including the risk that U.S. market regulators, such as the SEC and
state securities regulators, may not be able to effectively pursue bad actors or recover funds.
Further, there are significant security risks that can arise by transacting in these markets,
including the loss of investment and personal information due to hacks of online trading
platforms and individual digital asset “wallets.” A recent study estimated that more than 10% of
proceeds generated by ICOs – or almost $400 million – has been lost to such attacks.6
 And less
than two weeks ago, a Japanese cryptocurrency market lost over $500 million in an apparent
hack of its systems.7
In order to arm investors with additional information, the SEC staff has issued investor
alerts, bulletins and statements on ICOs and cryptocurrency-related investments, including with
 5 In one instance, the SEC brought an enforcement action against a purported bitcoin mining company that claimed
to have a product “so easy to use that it is ‘Grandma approved.’” In this case, in less than six months, the company
allegedly raised more than $19 million from more than 10,000 investors. The SEC charged that company with
operating a Ponzi scheme. See Press Release 2015-271, SEC Charges Bitcoin Mining Companies (Dec. 1, 2015),
available at https://www.sec.gov/news/pressrelease/2015-271.html; SEC Obtains Final Judgment Against Founder
of Bitcoin Mining Companies Used to Defraud Investors (Oct. 4, 2017), available at
https://www.sec.gov/litigation/litreleases/2017/lr23960.htm. 6 See EY Research: Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) (Dec. 2017), available at
http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/ey-research-initial-coin-offerings-icos/%24File/ey-research-initialcoin-offerings-icos.pdf.
7 See Reuters, Japan Raps Coincheck, Orders Broader Checks after $530 Million Cryptocurrency Theft, Jan. 28,
2018, available at https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-cryptocurrency/japan-raps-coincheck-orders-broaderchecks-after-530-million-cryptocurrency-theft-idUSKBN1FI06S.
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respect to the marketing of certain offerings and investments by celebrities and others.8 If
investors choose to invest in these products, they should ask questions and demand clear
answers. I would strongly urge investors – especially retail investors – to review the sample
questions and investor alerts issued by the SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy.
9

These warnings are not an effort to undermine the fostering of innovation through our
capital markets – America was built on the ingenuity, vision and spirit of entrepreneurs who
tackled old and new problems in new, innovative ways. Rather, they are meant to educate Main
Street investors that many promoters of ICOs and cryptocurrencies are not complying with our
securities laws and, as a result, the risks are significant.
With my remaining testimony, I would like to provide the Committee an overview of the
Commission’s ongoing work on cryptocurrencies and ICOs.
Cryptocurrencies and Related Products and Trading
Speaking broadly, cryptocurrencies purport to be items of inherent value (similar, for
instance, to cash or gold) that are designed to enable purchases, sales and other financial
transactions. Many are promoted as providing the same functions as long-established currencies
such as the U.S. dollar but without the backing of a government or other body. While
cryptocurrencies currently being marketed vary in different respects, proponents of
cryptocurrencies often tout their novelty and other potential beneficial features, including the
ability to make transfers without an intermediary and without geographic limitation and lower
transaction costs compared to other forms of payment. Critics of cryptocurrencies note that the
purported benefits highlighted by proponents are unproven and other touted benefits, such as the
personal anonymity of the purchasers and sellers and the absence of government regulation or
oversight, could also facilitate illicit trading and financial transactions, as well as fraud.
The recent proliferation and subsequent popularity of cryptocurrency markets creates a
question for market regulators as to whether our historic approach to the regulation of sovereign
currency transactions is appropriate for these new markets. These markets may look like our
regulated securities markets, with quoted prices and other information. Many trading platforms
are even referred to as “exchanges.” I am concerned that this appearance is deceiving. In reality,
investors transacting on these trading platforms do not receive many of the market protections
that they would when transacting through broker-dealers on registered exchanges or alternative
 8 Statement on Potentially Unlawful Promotion of Initial Coin Offerings and Other Investments by Celebrities and
Others (Nov. 1, 2017), available at https://www.sec.gov/news/public-statement/statement-potentially-unlawfulpromotion-icos;
Investor Alert: Public Companies Making ICO-Related Claims (Aug. 28, 2017), available at
https://www.sec.gov/oiea/investor-alerts-and-bulletins/ia_icorelatedclaims; Investor Bulletin: Initial Coin Offerings
(July 25, 2017), available at https://www.sec.gov/oiea/investor-alerts-and-bulletins/ib_coinofferings; Investor
Alert: Bitcoin and Other Virtual Currency-Related Investments (May 7, 2014), available at
https://www.investor.gov/additional-resources/news-alerts/alerts-bulletins/investor-alert-bitcoin-other-virtualcurrency;
Investor Alert: Ponzi Schemes Using Virtual Currencies (July 23, 2013), available at
https://www.sec.gov/investor/alerts/ia_virtualcurrencies.pdf. 9 See Sample Questions for Investors Considering a Cryptocurrency or ICO Investment Opportunity (Dec. 2017),
available at https://www.sec.gov/news/public-statement/statement-clayton-2017-12-11#_ftnref8.
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trading systems (ATSs), such as best execution, prohibitions on front running, short sale
restrictions, and custody and capital requirements. I am concerned that Main Street investors do
not appreciate these differences and the resulting substantially heightened risk profile.
It appears that many of the U.S.-based cryptocurrency trading platforms have elected to
be regulated as money-transmission services. Traditionally, from an oversight perspective, these
predominantly state-regulated payment services have not been subject to direct oversight by the
SEC or the CFTC. Traditionally, from a function perspective, these money transfer services
have not quoted prices or offered other services akin to securities, commodities and currency
exchanges. In short, the currently applicable regulatory framework for cryptocurrency trading
was not designed with trading of the type we are witnessing in mind. As Chairman Giancarlo
and I stated recently, we are open to exploring with Congress, as well as with our federal and
state colleagues, whether increased federal regulation of cryptocurrency trading platforms is
necessary or appropriate. We also are supportive of regulatory and policy efforts to bring clarity
and fairness to this space.
The SEC regulates securities transactions and certain individuals and firms who
participate in our securities markets. The SEC does not have direct oversight of transactions in
currencies or commodities, including currency trading platforms.
While there are cryptocurrencies that, at least as currently designed, promoted and used,
do not appear to be securities, simply calling something a “currency” or a currency-based
product does not mean that it is not a security. To this point I would note that many products
labeled as cryptocurrencies or related assets are increasingly being promoted as investment
opportunities that rely on the efforts of others, with their utility as an efficient medium for
commercial exchange being a distinct secondary characteristic. As discussed in more detail
below, if a cryptocurrency, or a product with its value tied to one or more cryptocurrencies, is a
security, its promoters cannot make offers or sales unless they comply with the registration and
other requirements under our federal securities laws.
10
In this regard, the SEC is monitoring the cryptocurrency-related activities of the market
participants it regulates, including brokers, dealers, investment advisers and trading platforms.
Brokers, dealers and other market participants that allow for payments in cryptocurrencies, allow
customers to purchase cryptocurrencies (including on margin) or otherwise use cryptocurrencies
to facilitate securities transactions should exercise particular caution, including ensuring that
their cryptocurrency activities are not undermining their anti-money laundering and know-yourcustomer
obligations.11 As I have stated previously, these market participants should treat
payments and other transactions made in cryptocurrency as if cash were being handed from one
party to the other.
 10 It is possible to conduct an offer and sales of securities, including an ICO, without triggering the SEC’s
registration requirements. For example, just as with a Regulation D exempt offering to raise capital for the
manufacturing of a physical product, an ICO that is a security can be structured so that it qualifies for an applicable
exemption from the registration requirements.
11 I am particularly concerned about market participants who extend to customers credit in U.S. dollars – a relatively
stable asset – to enable the purchase of cryptocurrencies, which, in recent experience, have proven to be a more
volatile asset.
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Finally, financial products that are linked to underlying digital assets, including
cryptocurrencies, may be structured as securities products subject to the federal securities laws
even if the underlying cryptocurrencies are not themselves securities. Market participants have
requested Commission approval for new products and services of this type that are focused on
retail investors, including cryptocurrency-linked ETFs. While we appreciate the importance of
continuing innovation in our retail fund space, there are a number of issues that need to be
examined and resolved before we permit ETFs and other retail investor-oriented funds to invest
in cryptocurrencies in a manner consistent with their obligations under the federal securities
laws. These include issues around liquidity, valuation and custody of the funds’ holdings, as
well as creation, redemption and arbitrage in the ETF space.
Last month, after working with several sponsors who ultimately decided to withdraw
their registration statements, the Director of our Division of Investment Management issued a
letter to provide an overview of certain substantive issues and related questions associated with
registration requirements and to encourage others who may be considering a fund registered
pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940 to engage in a robust discussion with the staff
concerning the above-mentioned issues.12 Until such time as those questions have been
sufficiently addressed, I am concerned about whether it is appropriate for fund sponsors that
invest substantially in cryptocurrencies and related products to register. We will continue
engaging in a dialogue with all interested parties to seek a path forward consistent with the
SEC’s tripartite mission.
ICOs and Related Trading
Coinciding with the substantial growth in cryptocurrencies, companies and individuals
increasingly have been using so-called ICOs to raise capital for businesses and projects.
Typically, these offerings involve the opportunity for individual investors to exchange currency,
such as U.S. dollars or cryptocurrencies, in return for a digital asset labeled as a coin or token.
The size of the ICO market has grown exponentially in the last year, and it is estimated that
almost $4 billion was raised through ICOs in 2017. Note that this number may understate the
size of the ICO market (and the potential for loss) as many ICOs “trade up” after they are issued.
These offerings can take different forms, and the rights and interests a coin is purported
to provide the holder can vary widely. A key question all ICO market participants – promoters,
sellers, lawyers, officers and directors and accountants, as well as investors – should ask: “Is the
coin or token a security?” As securities law practitioners know well, the answer depends on the
facts. But by and large, the structures of ICOs that I have seen involve the offer and sale of
securities and directly implicate the securities registration requirements and other investor
protection provisions of our federal securities laws. As noted above, the foundation of our
federal securities laws is to provide investors with the procedural protections and information
they need to make informed judgments about what they are investing in and the relevant risks
 12 See Staff Letter: Engaging on Fund Innovation and Cryptocurrency-related Holdings (Jan. 18, 2018), available at
https://www.sec.gov/divisions/investment/noaction/2018/cryptocurrency-011818.htm.
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involved. In addition, our federal securities laws provide a wide array of remedies, including
criminal and civil actions brought by the DOJ and the SEC, as well as private rights of action.
The Commission previously urged market professionals, including securities lawyers,
accountants and consultants, to read closely an investigative report it released. On July 25, 2017,
the Commission issued a Report of Investigation pursuant to Section 21(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 193413 regarding an ICO of DAO Tokens.14 In the Report, the Commission
considered the particular facts and circumstances presented by the offer and sale of DAO Tokens
and concluded that DAO Tokens were securities based on longstanding legal principles, and
therefore that offers and sales of the DAO Tokens were subject to the federal securities laws.
The Report also explained that issuers of distributed ledger or blockchain technology-based
securities must register offers and sales of such securities unless a valid exemption from
registration applies, and that platforms that provide for trading in such securities must register
with the SEC as national securities exchanges or operate pursuant to an exemption from such
registration.
The Commission’s message to issuers and market professionals in this space was clear:
those who would use distributed ledger technology to raise capital or engage in securities
transactions must take appropriate steps to ensure compliance with the federal securities laws.
The Report and subsequent statements also explain that the use of such technology does not
mean that an offering is necessarily problematic under those laws. The registration process
itself, or exemptions from registration, are available for offerings employing these novel
methods.
The statement I issued in December that was directed to Main Street investors and market
professionals provided additional insight into how practitioners should view ICOs in the context
of our federal securities laws. Certain market professionals have attempted to highlight the
utility or voucher-like characteristics of their proposed ICOs in an effort to claim that their
proposed tokens or coins are not securities. Many of these assertions that the federal securities
laws do not apply to a particular ICO appear to elevate form over substance. The rise of these
form-based arguments is a disturbing trend that deprives investors of mandatory protections that
clearly are required as a result of the structure of the transaction. Merely calling a token a
“utility” token or structuring it to provide some utility does not prevent the token from being a
security.15 Tokens and offerings that incorporate features and marketing efforts that emphasize
 13 Section 21(a) of the Exchange Act authorizes the Commission to investigate violations of the federal securities
laws and, in its discretion, to “publish information concerning any such violations.” The Report does not constitute
an adjudication of any fact or issue addressed therein, nor does it make any findings of violations by any individual
or entity.
14 Report of Investigation Pursuant to Section 21(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934: The DAO (July 25,
2017), available at https://www.sec.gov/litigation/investreport/34-81207.pdf. 15 See SEC v. C.M. Joiner Leasing Corp., 320 U.S. 344, 351 (1943) (“[T]he reach of the [Securities] Act does not
stop with the obvious and commonplace. Novel, uncommon, or irregular devices, whatever they appear to be, are
also reached if it be proved as matter of fact that they were widely offered or dealt in under terms or courses of
dealing which established their character in commerce as ‘investment contracts,’ or as ‘any interest or instrument
commonly known as a ‘security’.”); see also Reves v. Ernst & Young, 494 U.S. 56, 61 (1990) (“Congress’ purpose
in enacting the securities laws was to regulate investments, in whatever form they are made and by whatever name
they are called.”).
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the potential for profits based on the entrepreneurial or managerial efforts of others continue to
contain the hallmarks of a security under U.S. law. It is especially troubling when the promoters
of these offerings emphasize the secondary market trading potential of these tokens, i.e., the
ability to sell them on an exchange at a profit. In short, prospective purchasers are being sold on
the potential for tokens to increase in value – with the ability to lock in those increases by
reselling the tokens on a secondary market – or to otherwise profit from the tokens based on the
efforts of others. These are key hallmarks of a security and a securities offering.
On this and other points where the application of expertise and judgment is expected, I
believe that gatekeepers and others, including securities lawyers, accountants and consultants,
need to focus on their responsibilities. I have urged these professionals to be guided by the
principal motivation for our registration, offering process and disclosure requirements: investor
protection and, in particular, the protection of our Main Street investors.16
I also have cautioned market participants against promoting or touting the offer and sale
of coins without first determining whether the securities laws apply to those actions. Engaging
in the business of selling securities generally requires a license, and experience shows that
excessive touting in thinly traded and volatile markets can be an indicator of “scalping,” “pump
and dump” and other manipulations and frauds. Similarly, my colleagues and I have cautioned
those who operate systems and platforms that effect or facilitate transactions in these products
that they may be operating unregistered exchanges or broker-dealers that are in violation of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
I do want to recognize that recently social media platforms have restricted the ability of
users to promote ICOs and cryptocurrencies on their platforms. I appreciate the responsible step.
Enforcement
A number of concerns have been raised regarding the cryptocurrency and ICO markets,
including that, as they are currently operating, there is substantially less investor protection than
in our traditional securities markets, with correspondingly greater opportunities for fraud and
manipulation. The ability of bad actors to commit age-old frauds with new technologies coupled
with the significant amount of capital – particularly from retail investors – that has poured into
cryptocurrencies and ICOs in recent months and the offshore footprint of many of these activities
have only heightened these concerns.
In September 2017, the Division of Enforcement established a new Cyber Unit focused
on misconduct involving distributed ledger technology and ICOs, the spread of false information
through electronic and social media, brokerage account takeovers, hacking to obtain nonpublic
information and threats to trading platforms.17 The Cyber Unit works closely with our crossdivisional
Distributed Ledger Technology Working Group, which was created in November
 16 See Opening Remarks at the Securities Regulation Institute (Jan. 22, 2018), available at
https://www.sec.gov/news/speech/speech-clayton-012218. 17 See Press Release 2017-176, SEC Announces Enforcement Initiatives to Combat Cyber-Based Threats and Protect
Retail Investors (Sept. 25, 2017), available at https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2017-176.
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2013. We believe this approach has enabled us to leverage our enforcement resources
effectively and coordinate well within the Commission, as well as with other federal and state
regulators.
To date, we have brought a number of enforcement actions concerning ICOs for alleged
violations of the federal securities laws. In September 2017, we brought charges against an
individual for defrauding investors in a pair of ICOs purportedly backed by investments in real
estate and diamonds.18 According to the SEC’s complaint, investors provided approximately
$300,000 in funding and were told they could expect sizeable returns despite neither company
having real operations. In December 2017, we obtained an emergency asset freeze to halt an
alleged ICO fraud that purportedly raised up to $15 million from thousands of individual
investors beginning in August 2017.
19 According to the complaint, the scam was operated by a
recidivist securities law violator and promised investors a more than 1,300 percent profit in
under 29 days. As another example, after being contacted by the SEC last December, a company
halted its ICO to raise capital for a blockchain-based food review service, and then settled
proceedings in which we determined that the ICO was an unregistered offering and sale of
securities in violation of the federal securities laws.20 Before tokens were delivered to investors,
the company refunded investor proceeds after the SEC intervened.
And most recently, we halted an allegedly fraudulent ICO that targeted retail investors
promoting what it portrayed as the world’s first decentralized bank.21 We were able to freeze
some of the allegedly ill-gotten cryptocurrency assets and obtained a receiver to try to marshal
these assets back to harmed investors.
I also have been increasingly concerned with recent instances of public companies, with
no meaningful track record in pursuing distributed ledger or blockchain technology, changing
their business models and names to reflect a focus on distributed ledger technology without
adequate disclosure to investors about their business model changes and the risks involved. A
number of these instances raise serious investor protection concerns about the adequacy of
disclosure especially where an offer and sale of securities is involved. The SEC is looking
closely at the disclosures of public companies that shift their business models to capitalize on the
perceived promise of distributed ledger technology and whether the disclosures comply with the
federal securities laws, particularly in the context of a securities offering.
With the support of my fellow Commissioners, I have asked the SEC’s Division of
Enforcement to continue to police these markets vigorously and recommend enforcement actions
against those who conduct ICOs or engage in other actions relating to cryptocurrencies in
violation of the federal securities laws. In doing so, the SEC and CFTC are collaborating on our
 18 Press Release 2017-185, SEC Exposes Two Initial Coin Offerings Purportedly Backed by Real Estate and
Diamonds (Sept. 29, 2017), available at https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2017-185-0. 19 Press Release 2017-219, SEC Emergency Action Halts ICO Scam (Dec. 4, 2017), available at
https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2017-219. 20 Press Release 2017-227, Company Halts ICO After SEC Raises Registration Concerns (Dec. 11, 2017), available
at https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2017-227. 21 Press Release 2018-8, SEC Halts Alleged Initial Coin Offering Scam (Jan. 30, 2018), available at
https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2018-8.
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