In a Sept. 28 announcement, the SEC said former Hydrogen CEO Michael Ross Kane hired Moonwalkers and its CEO Tyler Ostern “to create the false appearance of robust market activity” following the distribution of Hydro tokens through an airdrop, bounty programs, and direct sales in 2018. Kane then had Moonwalkers sell the tokens in the “artificially inflated market” for more than $2 million in profit on behalf of Hydrogen.
“As we allege, the defendants profited from their manipulation by creating a misleading picture of Hydro’s market activity,” said Joseph Sansone, chief of the SEC Enforcement Division’s market abuse unit. “The SEC is committed to ensuring fair markets for all types of securities and will continue to expose and hold market manipulators accountable.”