Securities Enforcement. Corporate Investigations. Financial Regulation.
Independent analysis of the laws, regulations, investigations, and enforcement actions shaping modern financial markets.
BRAEDEN ANDERSON
Braeden is one of the top securities lawyers in the country and was recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America in the Financial Services Regulation Law and Securities Regulation categories. This honor is awarded to only the top 2% of attorneys in the United States and is based on a comprehensive peer-review survey.
Braeden helped lead Gesmer Updegrove to recognition in The Legal 500 United States for Corporate Investigations & White Collar Crime, Tier 3, and Finance: Fintech, Tier 4.
Braeden is active in the U.S. securities enforcement community through Securities Docket, where he has served on the 2025 and 2026 Advisory Boards and contributed video commentary through the Weekly Update.
Braeden was named the #1 United States author in FinTech in Mondaq’s Spring 2025 Thought Leadership Awards, reflecting the national reach and influence of his writing on fintech, securities regulation, and digital asset policy.
Code Without a License? The SEC Signals a Path for Crypto Interfaces Outside Broker Registration
The SEC has drawn a new line between software and securities intermediaries. This analysis examines the implications for DeFi interfaces, transaction-based fees, and evolving market structure.
“Number Go Down” and Other Schadenfreude: The SEC at ETHDenver
SEC Chairman Paul Atkins and Commissioner Hester Peirce used their ETHDenver 2026 remarks to outline the SEC’s evolving approach to crypto regulation, including a possible innovation exemption for tokenized securities, new guidance on investment contracts, and planned rulemaking on custody and transfer agent modernization. This post summarizes what they said and what it signals for crypto issuers, exchanges, broker-dealers, and blockchain developers.
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.
Crypto Isn’t Subject to Wash Sale Rules—and That’s a Good Thing
Tax policy and cryptocurrency often intersect in fascinating and sometimes contentious ways, and one prime example is the ongoing debate over the application of the wash sale rules to digital assets. These rules, codified under section 1091 of the tax code, are a cornerstone of tax law for traditional securities, designed to curb tax-motivated sales. However, they currently do not apply to crypto assets—and that’s not a loophole; it’s a deliberate and defensible policy decision rooted in sound tax principles.