Infamous cryptocurrency advocate John McAfee, who is running for President of the United States with a campaign platform that focuses on cryptocurrency, is furious over the Security and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) decision to classify most initial coin offerings (ICOs) as securities. He is demanding a debate with SEC chairman Jay Clayton that would he hopes to be broadcast on CNN.
McAfee makes a significant portion of his money from advertising ICOs on his Twitter feed where he has 827,000 followers. Apparently, he makes USD 105,000 per promotional ICO Tweet, which he admits is “embarrassingly” huge. This is all down to a supposed “McAfee Effect” where cryptocurrency prices jump after they are promoted in his Tweets.
It is, therefore, no surprise that McAfee is upset about the recent declaration from the SEC that ICOs will be treated as securities if there is an organization making money from conducting the ICO, and if people who invest in the ICO expect a return on their investment. If ICOs are considered securities then John McAfee could end up facing severe legal consequences for promoting ICOs that aren’t properly licensed by the SEC.
He says that he will no longer work for future ICOs under the current conditions, but promises to fight the SEC’s decision. He believes that ICOs don’t meet the criteria for the Howey Test which was created by the Supreme Court to define what a security is.
McAfee says that if the SEC tries to prosecute any ICO activity prior to the date of their announcement, then he will become “the greatest thorn in the side of the SEC since the founding of our Constitution”.
McAfee has challenged the SEC to a debate on CNN, having previously lambasted the FBI and NSA on CNN and RT, respectively. In typically provocative fashion, he welcomes the opportunity to “rip the SEC a new butthole”.
He will have certainly raised eyebrows by posting the phone number and email of SEC Chairman Jay Clayton on his Twitter feed, urging his followers to pressure Clayton to give in to McAfee’s demands.
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