The chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Gary Gensler, declined to comment on whether Ethereum is considered a security by the regulator, despite multiple applications for spot Ethereum ETFs being considered. Gensler stated that the decision on whether a cryptocurrency is a security depends on the facts and circumstances of each case. The SEC has delayed its decision on approving the iShares Ethereum Trust from BlackRock, as well as applications from Fidelity, Invesco, and Galaxy Digital. Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart predicted that the SEC will continue to delay a decision on Ethereum ETF applications until May 23.

According to a report from investment bank TDCowen, Gary Gensler, the chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, is expected to continue bringing cryptocurrency cases after winning the insider trading lawsuit against Coinbase. Last week, the Western District Court in Washington made a favorable ruling for the SEC in an insider trading case. Therefore, it is expected that Gensler will continue to file lawsuits for at least the next two years until the end of his term in June 2026.

The head of the South Korean financial regulatory agency will meet with Gary Gensler, the chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in May of this year to discuss the classification of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and approve spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds. Currently, South Korea does not classify NFTs as "virtual assets" because the government believes that their impact on the financial market is minimal compared to cryptocurrencies. Lee Bok-hyun, the head of the Financial Supervisory Service, plans to discuss whether NFTs should be legally classified as virtual assets with Gensler, as speculation surrounding NFTs increases with the value of major cryptocurrencies.

Gary Gensler, the chairman of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, stated in an interview that if President Joe Biden wins re-election in November, he "absolutely" plans to continue serving as the head of Wall Street's top regulatory agency, saying "I like this job."

Gary Gensler, the chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, revealed in an interview with Fortune magazine that he did not spend most of his time on virtual currencies. After Hillary Clinton's defeat, Gensler was invited to teach at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he stated that he would "try to remain neutral and not take a bullish or bearish stance on Bitcoin." The US Securities and Exchange Commission stated that it sued multiple Bitcoin exchanges, including Coinbase, because the virtual currencies they traded were not registered as securities and there were other illegal activities. Gensler believes that the Hong Kong action is clearly within the jurisdiction of the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

SEC Chair Gary Gensler expressed concerns about fraud and noncompliance in the crypto industry, including issues such as commingling customer funds and trading against customers. He also warned investors to be cautious and prepared to lose all their assets. The SEC remains the most prominent regulatory body for the US crypto industry. In other news, the developer behind Hegic reportedly purchased a third of all tokens associated with their other platform before announcing its closure and liquidation, resulting in potential profits for Hegic. CoinDesk's Regulation Team will be sharing their predictions for 2023, and readers are invited to share their own expectations for 2024. News outlets are reporting on topics such as Sam Bankman-Fried's involvement in the 2022 midterm elections and Bhutan's plans to build a megacity for economic development, but there are no notable hearings or events in the crypto industry this week.

Gary Gensler, Chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), remained silent when asked by reporters whether the industry would soon see a spot Bitcoin ETF. Gensler said he would not make a "prediction" about the matter, and previously stated that the agency's review process was a "time-tested process." In his speech on Wednesday, Gensler reiterated his position that Bitcoin is considered a commodity, while expressing concern about the entire crypto industry.

Cathie Wood, CEO of ARK Invest, said in an interview with CNBC that it is difficult to come up with a reasonable explanation for SEC Chairman Gary Gensler's opposition to spot ETFs for Bitcoin, given his extensive knowledge of Bitcoin. Prior to serving as SEC Chairman, Gensler taught cryptocurrency and blockchain courses at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

SEC Chairman Gary Gensler stated that cryptocurrencies are rife with "fraud and manipulation," and I am proud of the cryptocurrency cases we have handled. Investors need to understand the use cases of tokens.

According to Gary Gensler, Chairman of the US SEC, in a post on X platform, he congratulated Satoshi Nakamoto on the 15th anniversary of his famous white paper, which paved the way for cryptocurrencies. Any cryptocurrency company that deceives investors should start complying with securities laws.