Ripple got charged with selling of unregistered securities

By: Miguel A. Rodriguez

13:01, 23 December 2020

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SEC charged Ripple with selling $1.3 billion in unregistered securities

After last week Robinhood got accused by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of misleading its clients about how it makes profit, SEC filed charges against Ripple this week.

According to the Commission, Ripple, Christian Larsen, and CEO Bradley Garlinghouse raised over $1.3 billion through an unregistered security offering. Stephanie Avakian, SEC’s Enforcement Division director stated, “We allege that Ripple, Larsen, and Garlinghouse failed to register their ongoing offer and sale of billions of XRP to retail investors, which deprived potential purchasers of adequate disclosures about XRP and Ripple’s business and other important long-standing protections that are fundamental to our robust public market system.” Moreover, Larsen and Garlinghouse conducted personal unregistered XRP sales worth $600 million.

But according to Bradley Garlinghouse, the lawsuit was expected. He didn’t fail to add that SEC’s allegations are “fundamentally wrong as a matter of law and fact,” bringing attention to the fact that his company’s cryptocurrency, XRP is, after all, a currency, and it does not have to be registered as an investment contract.

While Ripple finds itself in a pickle, Bitcoin recently reached an all-time high as it traded at $23,400 after it surged more than 12% on December 17. Since the beginning of the year, it gained over 200%.

Following the news, XRP lost $2 billion in market value, as it traded 12% lower, according to CoinMarketCap.

Read here all about Robinhood’s charges!

Sources: forbes.com, cnbc.com

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This information/research prepared by Miguel A. Rodriguez does not take into account the specific investment objectives, financial situation, or particular needs of any particular person. The research analyst primarily responsible for the content of this research report, in part or in whole, certifies that the views about the companies and their securities expressed in this report accurately reflect his/her personal views and consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk.The research provided does not constitute the views of KW Investments Ltd nor is it an invitation to invest with KW Investments Ltd. The research analyst also certifies that no part of his/her compensation was, is, or will be, directly, or indirectly, related to specific recommendations or views expressed in this report.The research analyst in not employed by KW Investments Ltd. You are encouraged to seek advice from an independent financial adviser regarding the suitability of the investment, under a separate engagement, as you deem fit that conforms to your specific investment objectives, financial situation, or particular financial needs before making a commitment to invest. The laws of the Republic of Seychelles shall govern any claim relating to or arising from the contents of the information/ research provided.