Floyd Mayweather and DJ Khaled charged over cryptocurrency reviews
The SEC says the two failed to disclose payments they received for promoting investments in initial coin offerings
Washington — Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr and music producer “DJ Khaled” failed to disclose payments they received for promoting investments in initial coin offerings (ICOs), the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said on Thursday. Neither Mayweather nor Khaled Mohamed Khaled admitted or denied the regulator's charges, but agreed to pay a combined $767,500 in fines and penalties, the SEC said in a statement. Reuters reported this week on the rise in self-proclaimed social media personalities who charge thousands of dollars for positive reviews of cryptocurrencies without disclosing their investments in the asset. The SEC issued a warning about promotion of online fundraisers known as ICOs on November 1 2017. “Any celebrity or other individual who promotes a virtual token or coin that is a security must disclose the nature, scope and amount of compensation received in exchange for the promotion,” the SEC said in a public statement posted on its website. Echoing this sentiment o...
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