Ripple Sheds New Light on Hinman’s SEC Speech: A Game Changer for Cryptocurrency?

Stuart Alderoty, Ripple’s Chief Legal Officer, has provided fresh insight into the controversial 2018 speech by former SEC Division Director, Bill Hinman. Despite multiple warnings from senior SEC officials, Hinman’s message seemed to create more confusion than clarity in the crypto space.

Why is this important?

• Alderoty’s analysis of Hinman’s speech and the internal SEC documents surrounding it potentially sheds new light on the SEC’s view of cryptocurrency as a security.
• Despite being cautioned by other SEC officials, Hinman allegedly ignored the advice and delivered a potentially confusing message to the crypto market.
• The fallout from the speech is still impacting legal cases today, including the ongoing case between the SEC and Ripple.

Decoding the Speech

In June 2018, Hinman delivered a controversial speech suggesting a cryptocurrency might not be a security if it’s “sufficiently decentralized.” However, Ripple’s analysis, based on internal SEC documents, suggests that Hinman ignored repeated warnings from senior SEC officials who feared his speech could further confuse the crypto market.

Alderoty revealed that Brett Redfearn, the SEC’s Head of Trading and Markets, warned Hinman that his speech could lead to “greater confusion on what is a security.” He suggested tying the speech more closely to the Howey analysis, but Hinman apparently disregarded the suggestion, introducing factors not identified by the Supreme Court’s Howey case.

Ethereum: The Central Argument

Hinman’s view that a network was decentralized enough when no information asymmetries exist was also disputed within the SEC. Officials pointed out that a network’s creator would likely have more information than a retail holder, thus making the statement misleading. Despite the warnings, Hinman not only ignored the advice but also declared that he didn’t see the need to regulate Ethereum as a security.

Alderoty ended his analysis questioning why Hinman’s speech, which he claims deviated from law and created greater confusion, was allowed to be delivered and why it is still available on the SEC’s website.