Bored Ape NFT Buyers Claim OpenSea Sold Illegal Securities

As a seasoned analyst with over two decades of experience in the financial industry, I find this development between OpenSea and the SEC intriguing. Having witnessed the meteoric rise and fall of various digital assets, I can’t help but see parallels with the early days of traditional securities markets.


Two users of OpenSea, a well-known NFT marketplace, have initiated a collective legal action, asserting that the platform has been illegally selling unregistered securities. Anthony Synayderman and Ital Bronshtein submitted their case in a federal court in Florida on September 19th. They claim that the NFTs they bought, including items from the now-valueless Bored Ape Yacht Club collection, have lost their value due to these alleged violations of the law.

The lawsuit highlights a recent disclosure from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding a Wells notice sent to OpenSea, which suggests the company may face legal action for trading unregistered securities. 

Bored Ape NFT Buyers Claim OpenSea Sold Illegal Securities

A Wells Notice signifies that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is currently examining a matter and may choose to initiate legal action against the party concerned.

According to Shnayderman and Bronshtein’s analysis, similar to the cases of Stoner Cats 2 and Impact Theory, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has determined that certain Non-Fungible Token (NFT) projects may indeed fall under the category of unregistered securities.

It’s contended that the NFTs they purchased align with the criteria for investment contracts as defined by the Howey Test, a legal benchmark used to identify transactions classified as investment contracts.

Adam Moskowitz, head of The Moskowitz Law Firm and legal advisor for Shnayderman and Bronshtein, underscored the importance of having a regulated system for selling NFTs, suggesting, “Given the continuous changes in regulations today, there ought to be a procedure to sell NFTs within a well-managed regulatory framework.

He voiced optimism about working together with OpenSea, aiming to establish a more beneficial structure for consumers and the cryptocurrency sector in the future.

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2024-09-23 11:18