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 7/22/25 K. Braeden Anderson 7/22/25

Treasury Postpones Effective Date of Investment Adviser AML Rule; Signals Broader Reassessment of Regulatory Framework

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) announced today its intent to postpone the effective date of its final rule imposing anti-money laundering (“AML”) and countering the financing of terrorism (“CFT”) requirements on investment advisers (the “IA AML Rule”).

K. Braeden Anderson 7/22/25 K. Braeden Anderson 7/22/25

FINRA's $25K Rule Is on the Chopping Block: What a Lower PDT Threshold Could Mean for Retail Trading

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is reportedly preparing a seismic change to its pattern day trading (PDT) rule—a rule that, since 2001, has required investors to maintain a minimum $25,000 account balance to engage in more than three margin-based day trades in a rolling five-day period. Under a draft proposal is reportedly under internal review, that threshold may soon drop to just $2,000.

K. Braeden Anderson 7/22/25 K. Braeden Anderson 7/22/25

SEC Whistleblower Awards Slow Amid Record Denials and Heightened Scrutiny

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) once-robust whistleblower program appears to be undergoing a shift. Recent data show a sharp decline in award approvals alongside a dramatic increase in denials, signaling that the Commission is elevating the bar for claimants and taking a more exacting approach to eligibility.

K. Braeden Anderson 7/21/25 K. Braeden Anderson 7/21/25

The WNBA Compensation Debate: Both Sides Have a Point — And That’s Exactly the Issue

There’s a knee-jerk reaction many people have when they hear that WNBA players want higher pay. They scoff. They quote profit margins. They cite low attendance numbers from five years ago. They say the league “loses money.” And for many years, that was true. The WNBA wasn’t a profitable enterprise — not by traditional P&L standards. But that’s not the full story. In fact, it’s not even the right metric anymore.

K. Braeden Anderson 7/18/25 K. Braeden Anderson 7/18/25

GENIUS Act Passes the House: A Defining Moment for U.S. Crypto Policy

Praised by SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins in an official statement, the GENIUS Act reflects years of bipartisan effort to create a coherent legal framework for crypto asset innovation in the United States. The bill’s passage represents more than regulatory progress—it is a signal that U.S. policy is beginning to shift from enforcement-by-default to regulation-by-design.

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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.