- Back to menuPrices
- Back to menuResearch
- Back to menu
- Back to menu
- Back to menu
- Back to menu
- Back to menuWebinars & Events
The SEC’s Escalating Battle Against Crypto
An overview of the SEC’s insider-trading charges filed last week.
ABOUT
This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Chainalysis and FTX US.
On today’s episode, NLW catches listeners up on the criminal charges filed against a former Coinbase employee and two of his associates last week around insider trading. The charges come from the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission, and it is the SEC’s charges that have the biggest implications. Nine of the tokens traded are being labeled by the SEC as securities, but the token issuers are not being given a chance to defend themselves. In a wildly unusual breach of protocol, a commissioner from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission accused the SEC of “regulation by enforcement” in a public press release response. NLW breaks down the escalation on the part of the SEC.
See also: SEC Will Need to Prove Tokens Are Securities in Coinbase Insider-Trading Case, Legal Expert Says
“The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. The music you heard today behind our sponsors is “The Now” by Aaron Sprinkle. Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.
HOST
NLW is an independent strategy and communications consultant for leading crypto companies as well as host of The Breakdown – the fastest-growing podcast in crypto. Whittemore has been a VC with Learn Capital, was on the founding team of Change.org, and founded a program design center at his alma mater Northwestern University that helped inspire the largest donation in the school’s history.

EPISODES
The EU Has Now Become the Global Crypto Regulatory Leader
The just-passed legislation puts the European Union in a leadership position.
Apr 23, 2023
Hasta La Vista, U.S.! Crypto Companies Look Abroad
U.S. crypto leaders are heading offshore due to unclear rules and regulatory capture by the Securities and Exchange C...
Apr 22, 2023
A Landmark Moment for Crypto in Europe as MiCA Passes
The Markets in Crypto Assets bill is the first major global comprehensive crypto legislation.
Apr 22, 2023
The Case for U.S. Stablecoin Regulation
For the second straight day, the House Financial Services Committee held a hearing on crypto-related issues.
Apr 20, 2023

The Mining Pod
Feb 10, 2025

CoinDesk Podcast Network
The top stories and best shows in the blockchain world, delivered daily from the team at CoinDesk.
Dec 20, 2023

Markets Daily Crypto Roundup
Tune in as CoinDesk runs down daily action in bitcoin markets and some of the most important recent industry development.
Dec 19, 2023

Unchained
Unchained, your no hype resource for all things crypto by former Forbes senior editor Laura Shin, author of The Cryptopians.
Dec 18, 2023