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The SEC’s newly formed Cyber and Emerging Technologies Unit (CETU) marks a significant escalation in the agency’s efforts to combat cryptocurrency fraud. Announced on February 20, 2025, CETU replaces the previous Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit, expanding its scope to address the growing wave of scams targeting retail investors in the crypto space. With high-profile incidents like Argentine President Javier Milei’s alleged “rug pull” and meme coin launches by the Trump family fresh in mind, the unit aims to root out bad actors exploiting blockchain technology for illicit gains. Led by Laura D’Allaird, CETU will leverage a team of 30 fraud specialists and attorneys to investigate and prosecute misconduct, focusing on areas like market manipulation and hacking of crypto assets. This initiative signals a tougher stance on crypto crime, promising to enhance investor protection while fostering legitimate innovation in the sector. The SEC’s Acting Chairman Mark T. Uyeda emphasized that CETU will “clear the way for innovation to grow” by eliminating fraudulent practices that undermine trust in digital currencies. Artificial intelligence-driven fraud is another key battleground for the SEC’s new Cyber and Emerging Technologies Unit. As AI tools become more sophisticated, scammers are using machine learning and generative AI to create convincing social media scams, fake websites, and phishing schemes targeting unsuspecting investors. CETU’s expanded mandate includes combating these advanced threats, ensuring that emerging technologies aren’t misused to perpetrate financial fraud. The unit’s focus on AI scams comes at a critical time, as the rapid adoption of AI in finance has opened new vulnerabilities. By deploying its team’s substantial fintech and cyber expertise, CETU aims to stay ahead of bad actors using AI to manipulate markets or deceive investors. This proactive approach is expected to bolster cybersecurity in the financial sector, protecting retail investors from the next wave of tech-driven misconduct. Beyond crypto and AI, CETU’s broader mission includes enhancing cybersecurity across all emerging technologies, from blockchain to cloud computing. The unit will address compliance issues and cyber-related threats that could erode trust in financial markets, such as data breaches and unauthorized access to digital assets. This holistic approach reflects the SEC’s recognition that cybersecurity is integral to maintaining market efficiency and investor confidence. Under Laura D’Allaird’s leadership, CETU will complement the work of the SEC’s Crypto Task Force, led by Commissioner Hester Peirce, to create a robust defense against cyber threats. By prioritizing areas like dark web fraud and social engineering attacks, the unit aims to create a safer environment for innovation while holding perpetrators accountable. This move is seen as a game-changer for the SEC’s enforcement capabilities in an increasingly digital world. The launch of CETU underscores the SEC’s commitment to balancing technological innovation with robust regulation. While emerging technologies like AI, blockchain, and 5G offer transformative potential, they also introduce new risks that require vigilant oversight. CETU’s mandate includes facilitating capital formation and market efficiency by clearing out fraudulent actors, allowing legitimate projects to thrive without fear of misconduct tarnishing their reputation. Acting Chairman Mark T. Uyeda highlighted that CETU will “root out those seeking to misuse innovation to harm investors,” ensuring that emerging tech sectors can grow sustainably. By targeting specific threats like AI-driven fraud and crypto market manipulations, the unit aims to build a foundation of trust that encourages investment in cutting-edge technologies. This strategic focus positions the SEC as a forward-thinking regulator in the digital age.

Societe Generale-FORGE, a subsidiary of Societe Generale Group and licensed investment firm, has deployed its euro-backed stablecoin on the Stellar network. With several stablecoin issuers getting regulatory approval to offer the Markets in Crypto Assets-compliant stablecoins in Europe, SG-FORGE announced it selected Stellar ( XLM ) blockchain network for its own launch. On Feb. 20, Societe Generale-FORGE said its multi-chain strategy takes flight with the deployment of the MiCA-compliant stablecoin EURCV CoinVertible on Stellar. The digital euro stablecoin will leverage Stellar’s fast, scalable and cost-effective network, with the overall benefit to users being the boost this product will give to the blockchain platform’s cross-border payments ecosystem. In this case, SG-FORGE’s stablecoin will see further adoption across financial institutions and asset managers. “Our upcoming integration with Stellar represents a pivotal moment in bridging traditional finance with the digital asset ecosystem. Stellar’s approach and established connections with asset managers and TradFi institutions align perfectly with our mission to achieve broader adoption of stablecoins within the financial system,” Guillaume Chatain, chief revenue officer at SG-FORGE, said. The integration will also not just bring EURCV to traditional finance users, but also bolster XLM utility in the broader decentralized finance and web3 space. One of the big developments the partnership will power is asset tokenization, a sector that continues to grow in leaps amid the entry of global behemoths such as BlackRock, Fidelity Investments and Franklin Templeton. Societe Generale-FORGE, founded in 2018, operates under Societe Generale Group. The firm’s operations includes digital asset and blockchain services and solutions, with these offered to institutional issuers and investors. It launched the EURCV stablecoin on Ethereum in April 2023. SG-FORGE previously revealed plans to debut the stablecoin on the XRP Ledger, with this targeted for 2025. The company has regulatory approval as an electronic money institution from the Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution. It also holds a digital asset service provider license. DASP is a registration authorized by the financial markets regulator Autorité des Marchés Financiers.

OpenSea has staged a dramatic comeback, reclaiming 71.5% of the Ethereum NFT market share in the past week. Just four weeks ago, its share stood at 25.5%, with Blur dominating the space. The Block reports that this surge coincides with OpenSea’s long-awaited announcement of its native token, SEA, on Feb. 13. Since the token reveal, OpenSea’s daily trading volume has skyrocketed, averaging $17.4 million, nearly five times its pre-announcement average of $3.47 million. The number of daily transactions also more than doubled, jumping from 6,100 to 14,700 trades. The bulk of this growth came in the past week, as OpenSea’s market share spiked from 42.4% to 71.5%, largely at Blur’s expense . OpenSea has encountered obstacles in its incentive rollout, despite the momentum. After users accused the platform of promoting wash trading and giving fee production precedence over actual ecosystem engagement, it recently suspended its XP-based incentives system. Devin Finzer, CEO of OpenSea, recognized the criticism and said the team is reassessing its strategy even though liquidity incentives are still crucial. In place of the XP system, OpenSea has introduced “XP shipments,” a new rewards model targeting early adopters of its OS2 marketplace . Users who provided feedback via Discord have already received the first batch of XP rewards, while a second round is being distributed to those who have purchased NFTs on OS2. In addition, XP multipliers are available for those who’ve held top-volume NFT collections for more than three months. Although information about the SEA token is still limited, OpenSea has stated that U.S. users are eligible for the airdrop and that allocation will be based on past platform activity, which could potentially compensate traders who were active during the 2021 NFT bull run.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has officially acknowledged the applications for XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) submitted by multiple asset management firms, including CoinShares, Canary Capital, and WisdomTree. Ripple emerged from legal difficulties due to SEC securities allegations after a prolonged struggle following the lawsuit in 2020. After the SEC’s lawsuit, Ripple escaped legal difficulties and XRP evolved to become an operational platform. The SEC’s lawsuit forced Ripple to encounter major obstacles that led to exchanges Coinbase and Binance blocking XRP trading . Ripple succeeded in winning legal battles against its challenges despite facing major obstacles. The XRP digital token met clarity from Judge Analisa Torres who recognized it as exempt from security regulations. The legal breakthrough enabled The court under Judge Torres established in 2024 that retail XRP purchases by Ripple were separate from their institutional deals. New regulatory developments changed the status of XRP while making it more acceptable within this space. Lawyer John Deaton noticed that the recent court victories of Ripple combined with Donald Trump’s projected win in the 2024 presidential election transformed the XRP market environment positively. Ripple’s favorable outlook with its token results from Trump’s crypto-friendly position and changes in SEC regulatory practices. Major asset management firms received important approval from the SEC to file XRP ETF applications which represents an essential strategic step for Ripple. The filing of numerous regulation 19b-4 applications at CBOE and Nasdaq exchanged after Grayscale suggested converting its XRP Trust into an ETF generated this recognition. Ripple community members believe XRP has gained legitimacy as an investment tool after the SEC became more receptive to XRP ETFs. The cryptocurrency faces a promising turn in its future development because of ongoing progress within regulatory areas. DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice. We encourage you to do your own research before investing.

⚡️ NEW: Barstool Sports Founder Dave Portnoy reacts to the SEC creating a cyberunit for cryptocurrency fraud. “Let’s clean up this space! Together we can win.”