Ripple Blasts SEC: Accuses Agency of Political Witch Hunt in Crypto Enforcement

Regarding the OneCoin fraud case, Ripple Labs’ Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty has noted that crypto frauds could be contested in ways other than political. Ripple CLO Calls Out SEC’s Political Approach

Ripple's Legal Offensive: Unmasking the SEC's Political Agenda in Crypto Enforcement

As the embers of the OneCoin crypto fraud case smolder, Ripple Labs' Chief Legal Officer, Stuart Alderoty, has ignited a scathing critique of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), accusing the agency of weaponizing its regulatory powers for political gain.

Alderoty's salvo comes in the wake of the recent four-year prison sentence handed down to Irina Dilkinska, the former Legal and Compliance head of OneCoin, for her role in the massive pyramid scheme that defrauded investors of over $4 billion. While the SEC has hailed this conviction as a victory, Alderoty sees it as a symptom of a systemic problem: the SEC's relentless pursuit of crypto companies through political posturing rather than sound legal reasoning.

"Crypto frauds can be contested in ways other than political," Alderoty wrote in a recent post, pointing to the increasing criticism that the SEC is engaging in "regulation by enforcement."

This accusation was further fueled by SEC Director Gurbir Grewal's assertion that the commission operates with "integrity" in crypto regulation. Grewal's attempt to deflect claims of SEC overreach drew a sharp rebuke from Alderoty, who cited a litany of instances where federal courts have rebuked the SEC for failing to act in good faith.

One such case is the infamous Debt Box saga, where the SEC accused Debt Box of defrauding investors and obtained a restraining order and asset freeze. However, the SEC later admitted to presenting false statements in court, leading to a stinging rebuke from the judge. XRP lawyer John E. Deaton has also raised concerns about potential government overreach in this case.

Alderoty's criticism extends to the SEC's treatment of Ripple in its ongoing lawsuit, with a district judge admonishing the SEC for its "lack of faithful allegiance to the law." In the SEC's lawsuit against Grayscale Investments, the court found that the SEC acted in an "arbitrary and capricious" manner.

These inconsistencies and questionable tactics have led many to question the SEC's true motives, particularly in light of its recent enforcement actions against Binance, Coinbase, and Kraken. Ripple supporters are now calling for new laws to rein in the SEC's excessive powers and protect the nascent crypto industry from unwarranted political attacks.

The OneCoin case, in Alderoty's view, serves as a stark reminder that crypto regulation should be based on sound legal principles rather than political vendettas. As he warns, "The SEC's political approach to crypto enforcement has done nothing but harm to the industry and investors, and it is time for this to stop."