The U.S. Securities and Trade Fee (SEC) imposed cease-and-desist orders and fines upon three events concerned in UpToken on April 28.
SEC names events concerned in UpToken ICO
The SEC stated that Up World and Coinme — in addition to Neil Bergquist, founder and CEO of each corporations — have been concerned in a cryptocurrency securities providing.
That providing concerned the ICO sale of an Ethereum-based cryptocurrency known as UpToken, which was supposed to fund the deployment of latest Coinme ATMs.
The three events efficiently raised about $3.65 million of cryptocurrency from the ICO, and Coinme partially spent these funds on new ATMs. Customers who bought UpToken acquired reductions and rewards once they used the token with Coinme ATMs.
Nevertheless, the SEC complained that the members bought securities with out registering and with out acquiring an exemption from registration.
Moreover, the SEC stated that Up World and Bergquist falsely claimed that Up World would restrict the provision of UpToken and that Coinme would wish to purchase again the asset from buyers, thus creating demand and rising token worth. In reality, Up World and Bergquist secured a big provide of UpToken earlier than and throughout the ICO.
Moreover, Up World and Bergquist reported deceptive fundraising quantities, stating that as much as $18.9 million had been raised when solely $3.7 million had been raised.
Concerned events face fines, working necessities
The SEC’s order would require all three events to destroy all UpToken of their possession.
Up World and Coinme may even be required to publish a discover of the order and request that different buying and selling platforms take away the token from their companies. The 2 corporations should additionally indefinitely chorus from participating in any cryptocurrency safety providing.
Bergquist should chorus from participating in crypto securities choices for simply three years and can be allowed to commerce different cryptocurrencies on a private foundation.
Every occasion may even pay a superb to the SEC. Up World pays $3.52 million, CoinMe pays $250,000 and Bergquist pays $150,000.
Collectively, these fines are near the quantity raised by the UpToken ICO.
