Consensys 起訴 SEC，挑戰以太幣的安全分類

MetaMask 加密貨幣錢包的創始人 Consensys 已對 SEC 提起訴訟，尋求阻止該機構對涉嫌證券違規行為採取執法行動。該訴訟旨在澄清以太幣（按市值計算第二大加密貨幣）作為證券的地位，美國證券交易委員會此前曾表示過這一點，但並未明確證實。

Consensys Initiates Legal Proceedings Against SEC to Challenge Ether's Security Classification

Consensys 對 SEC 提起法律訴訟，挑戰 ETH 的安全分類

In a preemptive move to avert an impending enforcement action, Consensys, the software development firm behind the popular MetaMask cryptocurrency wallet, has filed a lawsuit against the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The lawsuit aims to compel the agency to clarify its stance on whether ether (ETH), the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, constitutes a security.

為了避免即將發生的執法行動，流行的 MetaMask 加密貨幣錢包背後的軟體開發公司 Consensys 已對美國證券交易委員會 (SEC) 提起訴訟。該訴訟旨在迫使該機構澄清其對市值第二大加密貨幣以太幣（ETH）是否構成證券的立場。

On April 10, Consensys received a "Wells Notice" from the SEC, indicating the agency's intent to pursue an enforcement action against the company. The notice alleges that Consensys violated the Securities and Exchange Act of 1933 by offering unregistered securities through its MetaMask Swaps and MetaMask Staking products.

4 月 10 日，Consensys 收到 SEC 發出的“威爾斯通知”，表明該機構打算對該公司採取執法行動。通知稱，Consensys 透過其 MetaMask Swaps 和 MetaMask Stake 產品提供未經註冊的證券，違反了 1933 年《證券交易法》。

MetaMask Swaps allows users to trade digital assets through decentralized exchanges, while MetaMask Staking connects to Ethereum-based services that reward participants for holding and securing the network.

MetaMask Swaps 允許用戶透過去中心化交易所交易數位資產，而 MetaMask Stake 連接到基於以太坊的服務，獎勵參與者持有和保護網路。

Joseph "Joe" Lubin, co-founder of Ethereum and CEO of Consensys, expressed concern over the SEC's lack of clarity regarding ether's status. "It appears to us that the SEC is interested in slowing, harming, or destroying Ethereum and in disconnecting American developers and users from the Ethereum network," he said.

以太坊聯合創始人兼 Consensys 執行長 Joseph“Joe”Lubin 對 SEC 對以太坊地位缺乏明確性表示擔憂。他說：“在我們看來，美國證券交易委員會的興趣是減緩、損害或摧毀以太坊，並切斷美國開發商和用戶與以太坊網路的連接。”

"We find it bizarre that Chair [Gary] Gensler hasn't been able to say, unlike so many before him in the SEC and the CFTC, whether ether is a security. So we wonder if the court can be made to finally rule on that issue."

“我們覺得奇怪的是，與 SEC 和 CFTC 的許多前任主席不同，[Gary] Gensler 主席無法明確以太幣是否是一種證券。因此，我們想知道是否可以讓法院做出最終裁決那個問題。”

An SEC spokesperson declined to comment on the lawsuit.

美國證券交易委員會發言人拒絕就該訴訟發表評論。

Consensys' legal challenge highlights a long-standing frustration within the cryptocurrency industry over the SEC's perceived lack of clarity on the classification of digital assets, particularly ether. The agency faces a May deadline to rule on applications for spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) based on ether from major investment firms such as BlackRock and Fidelity.

Consensys 的法律挑戰凸顯了加密貨幣產業長期以來對 SEC 認為數位資產（尤其是以太幣）分類缺乏明確性的不滿。該機構面臨 5 月的最後期限，對貝萊德和富達等主要投資公司基於以太坊的現貨交易所交易基金 (ETF) 的申請進行裁決。

Notably, ether has been conspicuously absent from the list of tokens that the SEC has previously identified as unregistered securities in its enforcement actions against Coinbase, Kraken, and Binance over the past year. This omission has raised questions about the agency's stance on ether.

值得注意的是，在過去一年中，SEC 在針對 Coinbase、Kraken 和 Binance 的執法行動中，將以太幣明確排除在 SEC 認定為未註冊證券的代幣清單中。這項遺漏引發了人們對該機構對以太幣立場的質疑。

Former SEC senior officials have criticized the agency's inconsistent approach, arguing that it creates uncertainty for market participants. In 2018, former SEC Director of Corporate Finance William Hinman stated that ether was sufficiently decentralized to no longer meet the standards of the Howey Test, which determines what constitutes an investment contract and would therefore be subject to U.S. securities laws.

美國證券交易委員會前高級官員批評該機構不一致的做法，認為這給市場參與者帶來了不確定性。 2018 年，前 SEC 企業財務總監 William Hinman 表示，以太坊已經足夠去中心化，不再符合 Howey 測試的標準，該測試決定什麼構成投資合同，因此將受到美國證券法的約束。

However, Gensler has since hinted that ether could be considered a security, without explicitly stating so.

然而，Gensler 此後暗示以太坊可以被視為一種證券，但沒有明確說明。

"I do think this is the case where we get the answer to whether ether falls within a definition of security once and for all," said Paul Grewal, Coinbase's chief legal officer. "I can't imagine any way that that can be resolved other than the court entering a judgment on that basic question. And I think everybody knows the answer: ether is not a security, it's a commodity."

Coinbase 首席法律官 Paul Grewal 表示：“我確實認為，在這種情況下，我們可以一勞永逸地得到以太幣是否屬於安全定義的答案。” 「除了法院對這個基本問題做出判決之外，我無法想像有什麼辦法可以解決這個問題。我認為每個人都知道答案：以太不是一種證券，而是一種商品。”

The lawsuit has had minimal impact on the price of ether, which has declined by 0.8% to $3,142 in the past 24 hours.

該訴訟對以太幣價格影響甚微，過去 24 小時內以太幣價格下跌 0.8% 至 3,142 美元。

The outcome of Consensys' legal challenge will have significant implications for the cryptocurrency industry, providing much-needed clarity on the regulatory status of ether and potentially influencing the SEC's approach to other digital assets in the future.

Consensys 法律挑戰的結果將對加密貨幣產業產生重大影響，為以太坊的監管狀況提供急需的清晰度，並可能影響 SEC 未來對其他數位資產的處理方式。