Tag: Cryptocurrencies

Kim Kardashian Fined For Promoting Crypto Without Disclosure

On By crowdfundattnyIn Cryptocurrencies, Promoting Crypto, Securities Laws1 Comment

I was disappointed to learn that Kim Kardashian doesn’t read my blog posts, at least not all of them. With her hectic lifestyle she probably misses out on a lot of other fun stuff as well. Had Kim read my blog post on May 2, 2018 she would have known about section 17(b) of the Securities Act of 1933:

It shall be unlawful for any person. . . . to publish, give publicity to, or circulate any notice, circular, advertisement, newspaper, article, letter, investment service, or communication which, though not purporting to offer a security for sale, describes such security for a consideration received or to be received, directly or indirectly, from an issuer, underwriter, or dealer, without fully disclosing the receipt, whether past or prospective, of such consideration and the amount thereof [italics added].

Kim was paid $250,000 to promote EMAX tokens to her 330 million Instagram followers. “ARE YOU GUYS INTO CRYPTO????” she wrote, including a link to Ethereum Max’s website. Whoops! By failing to disclose her compensation she violated section 17(b) and will now pay a $1.26 million fine to the SEC.

Sometimes it’s tempting to think of the SEC as all-powerful. In reality the SEC is a tiny agency compared with the size of the markets it regulates. Faced with a chronic shortage of resources, the SEC picks and chooses the cases to enforce, looking for easy cases with maximum visibility. Well, they couldn’t have asked for a better one. As of today another 330 million people know about section 17(b), almost doubling the number who knew from this blog.

Matt Damon, looking for a lawyer?

Questions? Let me know.

IRS Issues New Guidance on Taxation of Cryptocurrencies

On By crowdfundattnyIn Cryptocurrencies, UncategorizedLeave a comment

MSR Update

The Internal Revenue Service just issued more guidance on the taxation of cryptocurrencies. The guidance comes in the form of Revenue Ruling 2019-24 and a set of FAQs. Officially, the guidance applies only to Federal income taxes. However, states are likely to follow the IRS rules.

Revenue Ruling 2019-24 is about hard forks in a distributed ledger. The IRS concludes that the hard fork is not itself a taxable event – that is, if you hold a cryptocurrency immediately before a hard fork and still hold it immediately after, the hard fork has no tax consequences. On the other hand, if you receive an air drop of the new cryptocurrency following the hard fork, you’re taxed on the value of the air drop.

Otherwise, there are no surprises in the new guidance. Thus:

  • Cryptocurrency is treated for Federal income tax purposes just like any other property, a diamond or a rusty 1964 Chevrolet. Cryptocurrency is not treated like U.S. dollars in any sense.
  • If you receive cryptocurrency in exchange for something else, whether property or services, you’re treated as having received a payment equal to the value of the cryptocurrency at the time you received it. If the bitcoin was worth $3,000 at the time you received it, you received a payment of $3,000 for each bitcoin you received, even if the bitcoin was worth $500 the month before or $10,000 the month afterward.
  • When you dispose of cryptocurrency, you have gain or loss based on the difference between the amount you paid for the cryptocurrency – your tax “basis” – and the amount you received for it, just as if you were selling the 1964 Chevy.
  • In general, you have capital gain or loss from selling cryptocurrency. But if you’re in the business of trading cryptocurrency the cryptocurrency will be treated as “inventory” and you’ll have ordinary income or loss.
  • Cryptocurrency received for services is treated as income for purposes of self-employment taxes as well as for purposes of income taxes.
  • Most people would guess that receiving cryptocurrency is taxable, g., my employer paid me $5,000 of ether, so I’m taxed on $5,000 of income. Less obvious is that you’re subject to tax when you pay someone with cryptocurrency. For example, if you’re the employer and pay your employee $5,000 of ether, you have engaged in a taxable sale of your ether, as if you had sold the ether for $5,000 and then turned around given $5,000 of cash to your employee.
  • If you trade one cryptocurrency for another, it’s a taxable sale. There is no such thing as a tax-free exchange of cryptocurrency, as there is for real estate.
  • If you own a bunch of bitcoin and want to use some to buy a house, you can choose which of your bitcoin to use (presumably the bitcoin with the highest tax basis).
  • If you receive cryptocurrency as a gift, it’s not taxable. Caution: there is no such thing as a business “gift.”
  • You can make a charitable contribution using cryptocurrency. If you’ve held the cryptocurrency for more than a year, your deduction is generally equal to the value of the cryptocurrency. Otherwise, your deduction is the lesser of the value of the cryptocurrency or your tax basis.
  • If you contribute cryptocurrency to an LLC or partnership, it’s not taxable at the time of the contribution. But when the LLC later disposes of the cryptocurrency, you will be taxed on any gain that was “built in” to the cryptocurrency at the time you contributed it.
  • If you own multiple crypto wallets, you can transfer among them without tax consequences.

Questions? Let me know.

Syndications, Cryptocurrencies and Crowdfunding, Oh My!

On By crowdfundattnyIn Cryptocurrencies, Podcasts, Real EstateLeave a comment

Real Estate Nerds Podcast: Syndications, Cryptocurrencies and Crowdfunding, Oh My!

real estate nerdsCLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Mark Roderick fills us in on how the rich can take care of themselves and the non-rich need the government which is why he thinks crowdfunding is so important to the regular Joe. Since the JOBS Act of 2012, Mark has spent much of his time in the crowdfunding space.

If you have ever thought to yourself the internet is a ruthless landscape slowly squeezing the middleman and driving human being up the value chain? Then you’ll want to tune into this week’s episode where Mark will explain everything from syndications to cryptocurrencies to crowdfunding, oh my!

Questions? Let me know.

Amendments and Supplements in a Regulation A Offering

On By crowdfundattnyIn Featured, Filing Financial Statements & Other Reports, Regulation A, Regulation A PlusLeave a comment

Pigeon Point lighthouse USA, California, Big Sur

Your Offering Statement has been qualified by the SEC. Now something changes. Do you have to file something with the SEC? If so, what and how?

Changes Reported on Form 1-U

Some changes must be reported using Form 1-U:

  • If the issuer has entered into or terminated a material definitive agreement that has resulted in or would reasonably be expected to result in a fundamental change to the nature of its business or plan of operation.
  • The bankruptcy of the issuer or its parent company.
  • A material modification of either (i) the securities that were issued under Regulation A, or (ii) the documents (g., a Certificate of Incorporation) defining the rights of the securities that were issued under Regulation A.
  • A change in the issuer’s auditing firm.
  • A determination that any previous financial statements cannot be relied on.
  • A change in control of the issuer.
  • The departure or termination of the issuer’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, or principal accounting officer, or a person performing any of those functions even if he or she doesn’t have a title.
  • The sale of securities in an unregistered offering (g., Rule 506(c)).

Form 1-U may be used, at the issuer’s discretion, to disclose any other events or information that the issuer deems of importance to the holders of its securities.

NOTE:  If an event has already been reported on an annual or semi-annual report, the same event does not have to be reported again on Form 1-U.

NOTE:  A report on Form 1-U must be filed even if the Regulation A offering has ended.

Amendments

After the offering is qualified by the SEC, the issuer must file an amendment of its Offering Statement “to reflect any facts or events arising after the qualification date. . . .which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the offering statement.”

Examples of fundamental changes:

  • A change in the offering price of the security.
  • A change in the focus of the issuer’s business, g., we were going to focus on cryptocurrencies, but now we’re pivoting to blockchain-based financial services.
  • The bankruptcy of the issuer.
  • A change in the type of security offered, g., from preferred stock to common stock or vice versa.

An amendment of an Offering Statement must be approved by the SEC before it becomes effective, which means waiting.

Even more important, depending on the nature of the change, the issuer might be required to stop selling securities or even stop offering securities (i.e., shut down its website and all marketing activities) while the amendment is pending.

Supplements

After the offering is qualified by the SEC, the issuer must file a supplement of its Offering Circular to reflect “information. . . .that constitutes a substantive change from or addition to the information set forth” in the original offering circular.

Examples of substantive changes or additions:

  • A new Chief Marketing Officer joined the management team.
  • The issuer’s patent application, disclosed in the original Offering Circular, was approved.
  • The issuer moved its principal office.

Unlike amendments, supplements do not require SEC approval and do not require that that the issuer stop selling or issuing securities. Instead, the supplement must be filed with the SEC within five days after it is first used.

Real Estate Supplements

While its offering is live, an issuer in the real estate business — a REIT, for example — must file a supplement “[w]here a reasonable probability that a property will be acquired arises.” Not when the property is purchased, but when there is a “reasonably probability” that it will be purchased.

The SEC doesn’t specify what information to include in these supplements, except to disclose “all compensation and fees received by the General Partner(s) and its affiliates in connection with any such acquisition.” Including a statement of any significant risks associated with the property is a good idea, too.

Having filed a separate supplement for each property, the real estate issuer must then file an amendment at least once every quarter that consolidates the supplements and includes financial statements for the properties. Notwithstanding the general rule for amendments, however, the issuer doesn’t have to stop offering or selling securities pending SEC approval.

Supplement vs. Amendment

An amendment is required for “fundamental changes,” while only a supplement is required for “substantive changes.” Where to draw the line?

There’s a lot at stake. If an issuer uses a supplement where it should have used an amendment, it will be using an Offering Statement that has not been qualified by the SEC. Meaning, the whole offering will be illegal.

The SEC won’t say whether it believes a given change requires a supplement or an amendment, leaving the decision to the issuer and its lawyer. The SEC will, however, allow an issuer to file an amendment even for non-fundament changes, i.e., where a supplement would have done the trick. Filing an amendment takes a little longer, costs a little more, but eliminates the risk of guessing wrong.

Often, however, an issuer wants to make a change but doesn’t want to go through the amendment process. In those cases, the rule of thumb should be as follows:

Would an investor of ordinary prudence want to re-think his investment decision based on the new information?

If the answer to that question is Yes, the new information should be provided via amendment. If the answer is No, it can be provided supplement.

For example, an investor who liked the cryptocurrency space might not be interested in the financial services space, while the addition of a new CMO might be interesting and useful, but unlikely to affect the investment decision.

Contrary to popular belief, the main risk of this or any other violation of the securities laws is not that the SEC will bring your offering to a screeching halt or fine you. Those things are possible, but the SEC has more important things on its plate. The main risk is that an investor will lose money and hire a clever lawyer, who will then seize on your mistake (or your alleged mistake) as grounds to get the investor’s money back.

Supplement vs. Form 1-U

If a change falls within any of the specified categories of Form 1-U, then it should be reported on Form 1-U rather than via supplement.

If the offering has ended, then supplements are no longer relevant and changes should be reported on Form 1-U.

If the offering is still live and the change does not fall within any of the specified categories of Form 1-U, then it can be reported on either Form 1-U or via supplement, take your pick. However, supplements may not be accompanied by exhibits. So if you need to change or add an exhibit (e.g., you’ve modified your Subscription Agreement or entered into a material contract that doesn’t constitute a fundamental change), you should use form 1-U.

Questions? Let me know.

Cryptocurrencies: There’s Nothing New Under The Sun

On By crowdfundattnyIn Blockchain Technology, Cryptocurrencies3 Comments

Blockchain technology is revolutionary, promising to disrupt many of today’s industries. In contrast, the cryptocurrencies that live on the blockchain – to avoid confusion, I’m going to refer to cryptocurrencies as “tokens” – are really just high-tech manifestations of traditional ideas.

Broadly speaking, there are three kinds of tokens today:

  • Tokens like Bitcoin that are intended to function as currencies
  • Tokens that represent economic interests in businesses, e., securities
  • Tokens that give the holder some kind of contract right in the business conducted by the issuer, g., a distributed storage network

Tokens that are intended to function as currencies are like, well, they’re like currencies. They’re secure, they’re anonymous (maybe), they’re decentralized, but fundamentally they’re like paper money. The idea of paper money was revolutionary, rendering the barter economy obsolete. A digital representation of paper money is incrementally better, but not revolutionary.

Tokens that are securities – digital stock certificates – are helpful and better than paper or Excel spreadsheets but obviously not revolutionary.

The most interesting kind of tokens are the third:  tokens that give the holder the right to participate in a business.

Imagine you’re Henry Ford designing an automobile. You need a lot of capital. Your investment banker suggests you sell stock on Wall Street, but someone else suggests a different approach. You publish design specifications for your new automobile in something you happen to call a “Whitepaper,” and you sell to the public a limited number of licenses giving the holder the right to manufacture tires (or oil filters, or whatever) based on those specifications.

You just sold tokens, even though the blockchain doesn’t exist and you keep track of the sales in a red leather book.

Financially, you’ve pre-sold licensing rights. Some pros and cons versus selling stock:

  • On the plus side, you still own 100% of your company.
  • On the minus side, you have reduced or eliminated a future revenue stream for the company, e., licensing revenue.
  • On the plus side, because the tokens weren’t a security, you didn’t incur all that time and cost.
  • On the minus side, you really, really care about the quality of your cars – the whole future of your business depends on it – but the tokens might not end up in the hands of the highest-quality suppliers. That’s especially true in a market frenzy that reminds you of Tulip Mania in 1637, where many buyers are low-information speculators.
  • On the plus side, if raising money by pre-selling licensing rights happens to be a super-cool thing, the token sale might raise a lot more money than the licensing rights are actually worth.
  • On the minus side, you didn’t get to deal with securities lawyers.

What about the pros and cons to token buyers?

  • On the minus side, you have far less legal protection, as a buyer and owner of the token, than you would as the buyer and owner of securities in a public company.
  • On the plus side, your specialized expertise as a parts designer or manufacturer might give you a unique ability to increase the value of Ford, and therefore the value of your token.
  • On the minus side, while you know a lot about your own abilities, and might know a lot about Henry Ford and his team, you know nothing at all about the other token buyers. If they turn out to be lousy parts designers and manufacturers, you lose.
  • On the plus side, if you think Ford Motor Company is going to be hugely successful and tokens are the only thing they’re selling, you have no choice.
  • On the minus side, the token probably gives you the right to benefit from only one aspect of the company’s business, g., parts for the the Model T. If the company pivots or expands, you might find yourself left behind.
  • On the plus side, if you’re in a Tulip Mania market, maybe you’ll buy the token today and next week you can double your money selling it to someone else.
  • On the minus side, if we look hard at Ford’s Whitepaper we realize it’s very ambiguous. Do I or Ford really know what I’m getting? Or is this going to end up in litigation?

Who knows where the pros and cons come out. Someday economists will explain whether and in what circumstances a token is more economically efficient than a traditional security.

I feel quite sure that tokens that are currencies and tokens that are digital stock certificates are here to stay, because while not revolutionary, each represents an undeniable, if incremental, improvement over today’s technology. I’m not so sure about tokens that represent prepaid products or services. Until we hear from the economists, the jury is still out.

Questions? Let me know.