The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a complaint against Payward Inc. and Payward Ventures Inc., collectively known as Kraken, for operating their cryptocurrency trading platform without the necessary registrations. The complaint, filed in San Francisco, alleges violations dating back to September 2018. Kraken is accused of functioning as an unregistered exchange, broker, dealer, and clearing agency, amalgamating the roles of these entities without proper registration. This reportedly deprived investors of crucial protections, such as SEC inspection and safeguards against conflicts of interest.
The SEC’s complaint outlines several concerns, including Kraken’s provision of a marketplace for securities transactions, effectively operating as an exchange; engaging in securities transactions for customers, thus acting as a broker; buying and selling securities for its own account, functioning as a dealer; and…
