Ethereum aflat sub control potențial SEC după fuziune: WSJ

Ethereum’s latest software update may have caught the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chair’s attention to categorize the second-largest cryptocurrency as a security, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

Chair Gary Gensler shared his comments hours after Ethereum’s successful update, known as The Combina, which shifted its framework from proof of work to dovada mizei.

According to the report, Gensler spoke about the Howey test, which is a test used by courts to determine if an asset is a security. He stated that cryptocurrencies and intermediaries that allow holders to “stake” their coins might have to pass that test.

Howey test also examines whether investors expect to earn a return from the work of third parties, according to the WSJ.

“From the coin’s perspective…that’s another indicia that under the Howey test, the investing public is anticipating profits based on the efforts of others,” Gensler told reporters after a congressional hearing.

However, he did not provide firm clarity. According to the WSJ report, Gensler said he was not referring to any specific cryptocurrency.

Under the laws passed in the 1930s, securities — assets such as stocks and bonds — issuers must file extensive disclosures with the SEC. Exchanges and brokers conducting securities trading must comply with rules designed rigidly for the safety of investors to protect them from conflict of interest, according to the WSJ.

Currently, due to the undeterminable nature of cryptocurrencies, issuers and trading platforms face strict liabilities if they sell any assets that are deemed to be securities by the SEC or courts.

One way through which cryptocurrency rețele – including Solana, Cardano and, as of this week, Ether – verify transactions is staking, which allows investors to lock up their tokens for a specified amount of time to receive a return.

Gensler commented about crypto exchange offering staking services, saying it “looks very similar—with some changes of labelling—to lending.”

Over the past year, Gensler has reiterated that firms offering crypto-lending products should register with the agency. After failing to conform to the SEC’s request, BlockFi Lending was forced to pay $100 million in February.

The Merge has shifted Ethereum into a more environmentally sustainable framework by reducing Ethereum’s energy consumption. It will also set the stage for future improvements that will make the platform easier and cheaper to use, according to a report from Blockchain.News.

Detaliile tehnice ale Merge sunt extrem de complexe, dar, practic, procesul se rezumă la o schimbare a modului în care sunt verificate tranzacțiile cu criptomonede.

The report added that after completing the Merge, Ethereum has now shifted from a verification system called proof of work (PoW) to “proof-of-stake” (PoS) – which consumes less energy and does not involve an energy-guzzling computational race, unlike its previous system. PoS also deposits or “stakes” a certain amount of participants’ crypto savings in a pool, which additionally enters them into a lottery. The new system also has a reward system; every time a crypto transaction requires approval, a winner is selected to verify the exchange and receive a reward.

Popular estimates show that Ethereum’s shift to proof of stake will reduce its energy consumption by more than 99%.

Dezvoltatorii implicați în Merge au spus că trecerea de la PoW la PoS va face mai ușoară și mai prietenoasă proiectarea actualizărilor viitoare care scad taxele de gaz - costurile de executare a unei tranzacții în criptomonede asociate cu platforma Ethereum, Ether.

Finalizarea fuziunii a venit după ani de studiu intens și dezbatere. Fondat în 2013 de Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum este acum condus de o rețea liberă de programatori din întreaga lume, care și-au petrecut luni de zile reunindu-se pe apeluri video transmise pe YouTube pentru a discuta despre complexitățile Merge.

Sursa imaginii: Shutterstock