SEC Flexes Funny Bone in Fictional Token Offering

The Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) has taken to using humor and sarcasm to educate retail investors about the potential risks of purchasing tokens in initial coin offerings (“ICOs”).This week, the SEC issued a press release presenting “a hot investment opportunity.” The release pointed to a website touting the HoweyCoin—a fictional crypto token intending to disrupt the luxury travel industry—as “one of the largest cryptocurrency platforms ever built” and promising that it would provide potential investors with “excitement and guaranteed returns.” The website closely mimics common components of ICO issuer websites, including offers for tiered pre-sale purchaser discounts and an invitation to review a whitepaper, and contains egregious claims that the tokens are SEC-compliant, images of opulence, and fake celebrity endorsements for good measure. Read the full blog post on Blockchain and the Law.