The regulator alleged that the company"engaged in the offer and sale of securities" and"acted as an unregistered broker" through its digital asset wallet called MetaMask.
Crypto firms focused on ethereum and decentralized finance have been heavily targeted by the SEC this year.The SEC on Friday sued Consensys in federal court in Brooklyn over allegations that the company"engaged in the offer and sale of securities" and"acted as an unregistered broker" through its digital asset wallet called MetaMask.
"Consensys violated the federal securities laws by failing to register as a broker and failing to register the offer and sale of certain securities,"In April, Consensys, which provides blockchain software, tried to preempt the SEC's action with its own lawsuit, alleging overreach on the part of the regulator. The 10-year-old company said its suit followed three subpoenas issued last year, plus a Wells notice from the SEC that claimed Consensys was violating federal securities laws.
So far this year, the SEC has sent Wells notices, filed lawsuits, or reached settlements with a host of crypto firms focused on ethereum and decentralized finance, including ShapeShift, TradeStation and Uniswap. The agency is alsoJustice John Roberts says the Supreme Court's last decisions of this term are coming on Monday
"The Enforcement Division of the SEC responded by notifying us that it is closing its investigation into Ethereum 2.0 and will not pursue an enforcement action against Consensys," the company wrote in a statement"This is just the latest example of its regulatory overreach — a transparent attempt to redefine well-established legal standards and expand the SEC's jurisdiction via lawsuit," the company said.