BRAEDEN ANDERSON

Welcome to Anderson Insights.

We provide authoritative analysis on securities and commodities regulation, SEC and FINRA enforcement, and legal developments affecting crypto, digital assets, fintech, and financial services, authored by Braeden Anderson.

Please enjoy our legal writings. If you want to talk anything through, send Braeden an email.

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K. Braeden Anderson 10/17/24 K. Braeden Anderson 10/17/24

SEC Alleges Cumberland DRW Sold $2 Billion in Unregistered Securities

In a new enforcement action that adds fuel to the ongoing regulatory battle over digital assets, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has sued Chicago-based crypto trading firm Cumberland DRW. The lawsuit, filed on October 10, 2024, accuses Cumberland of operating as an unregistered broker and handling over $2 billion worth of crypto assets—specifically, tokens like Solana and Polygon—that the SEC claims are unregistered securities.

K. Braeden Anderson 10/16/24 K. Braeden Anderson 10/16/24

Start-Up AI and Robotics Company and CEO Face SEC Charges for Investor Fraud

In a recent enforcement action, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Destiny Robotics Corp., a start-up specializing in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, along with its founder and CEO, Megi Kavtaradze, for allegedly defrauding investors through false and misleading statements about the company’s operations and products.

K. Braeden Anderson 10/16/24 K. Braeden Anderson 10/16/24

Regulatory Update and Recent SEC Actions – October 2024

October 2024 has seen the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) continue its aggressive enforcement actions and regulatory updates, targeting a wide range of issues from improper record-keeping to non-compliance with new marketing rules. This month also saw key personnel changes within the SEC, the disbandment of the Climate and ESG Task Force, and the adoption of rules affecting venture capital funds and registered investment companies. Below are the highlights of recent SEC actions and regulatory developments.

K. Braeden Anderson 10/15/24 K. Braeden Anderson 10/15/24

SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda Criticizes Agency’s Crypto Policy as a “Disaster”

In a striking rebuke of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) approach to cryptoc regulation, SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda publicly criticized the agency's handling of the industry, calling it a "disaster" during a Fox Business panel on October 10. Uyeda's remarks reflect growing internal dissent over how the SEC, under the leadership of Chair Gary Gensler, has enforced crypto policy without providing the much-needed clarity the sector requires.

K. Braeden Anderson 10/14/24 K. Braeden Anderson 10/14/24

Is the SEC Finished with NPAs and DPAs in FCPA Cases?

In 2010, the SEC introduced Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPAs) and Non-Prosecution Agreements (NPAs) as part of a strategy to strengthen its enforcement efforts by encouraging cooperation from companies and individuals. However, since then, the SEC has rarely used these tools, employing DPAs only twice and NPAs three times, mostly in FCPA enforcement actions. The last use of either agreement was in 2016 in cases involving Nortek and Akamai Technologies. Since then, the SEC has not returned to NPAs or DPAs, raising questions about whether the agency has moved away from these agreements for resolving FCPA cases.

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Braeden Anderson

K. Braeden Anderson serves as a Partner at Gesmer Updegrove LLP, where he leads the firm’s Blockchain & Digital Assets and Securities Enforcement & Investigations practices. He also chairs Mackrell International’s Blockchain & Digital Assets Group and its Securities Enforcement & Investigations Group.

Named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America (2025) for Financial Services Regulation Law and Securities Regulation, Mr. Anderson has built a national reputation as a securities regulatory and enforcement attorney operating at the intersection of traditional finance and emerging technologies. His practice focuses on advising financial institutions, fintech companies, investment advisers (including robo-advisors), broker-dealers, trading platforms, and digital asset companies in complex regulatory, enforcement, and compliance matters before the SEC, CFTC, FINRA, DOJ, and state regulators.

Within the digital asset and blockchain space, Mr. Anderson regularly counsels clients on issues involving market structure, tokenization, robo-advisor and broker-dealer registration, custody frameworks, AML and KYC obligations, and secondary trading considerations for regulated assets. His work spans both established financial institutions and early-stage ventures, helping clients operate within rapidly evolving regulatory environments with precision and strategic clarity.

Mr. Anderson also represents professional athletes and sports organizations in connection with regulatory and investigative matters requiring careful handling and discretion.

Prior to joining Gesmer, Mr. Anderson founded a Washington, D.C.-based law firm. He previously served as Assistant General Counsel at Robinhood Markets, Inc. (HOOD), where he advised on significant regulatory and enforcement matters. Earlier in his career, he practiced at Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Sidley Austin LLP in New York and Washington, D.C., representing clients in matters involving major federal enforcement authorities and providing regulatory advice on complex financial matters.

Mr. Anderson is an active contributor to the national conversation on securities and digital asset regulation. He publishes a widely followed weekly newsletter that has reached millions of legal and financial professionals and produces video content on YouTube for an audience of over 160,000 subscribers. He is also the editor of this legal publication, Anderson Insights, where he provides in-depth analysis for regulators, in-house counsel, and compliance professionals.

Mr. Anderson is also the creator of The Long Game with Braeden Anderson, a new digital series on YouTube exploring the intersection of golf, discipline, and high-performance thinking, featuring match-play conversations with legal executives and business leaders.

He was recently recognized as the most-read fintech thought leader in the United States in Mondaq’s Spring 2025 Thought Leadership Awards.