Good morning! Here’s what’s up.
Securities Enforcement Forum West 2026
Greetings from the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, where we just wrapped up yesterday’s Securities Enforcement Forum West! We’ll share videos and highlights from the event here next week.
People
Teresa Goody Guillén, former attorney in the SEC’s Office of the General Counsel, has launched a new law firm, Bellementis PLLC.
Clips ✂️
Crypto prediction markets are turning into dangerous national security risks, and Congress wants to ban them An in-depth investigation into insider trading by Bubblemaps analysts reveal how accurate bets on U.S. attacks on Iran were, exposing a trend that experts fear poses immense risks to the United States’ national security. In an interview with CoinDesk, Nicolas Vaiman, Bubblemaps co-founder and CEO, expressed deep concern over the national security implications of this new alleged wave of insider trading. He warned that if those observing the predictions markets can spot irregular trades, so can enemies of the United States. “The issue here is they can make war plans accordingly,” Vaiman said. “Just to put it bluntly, this could potentially expose the lives of many people.” Vaiman said U.S. adversaries could easily spot the insider trading patterns and use that information to plan their own military strategies. by CoinDesk |
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SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce to Exit She previously conducted research on financial markets at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and also served as senior counsel on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; as counsel to SEC Chairman Paul Atkins when he served as an SEC commissioner; and as a staff attorney in the SEC's Division of Investment Management. Regent University bills itself as America's premier Christian university, with nearly 14,000 students, that's "committed to mentoring and forming the next generation of Christian lawyers." Peirce earned her J.D. from Yale Law School and her bachelor's degree in economics from Case Western Reserve University. She clerked for Judge Roger B. Andewelt of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. With Peirce's departure in November, the agency could be down to only two commissioners — Atkins, as well as Mark Uyeda, both Republicans. Caroline Crenshaw, the agency's only Democratic commissioner, left in early January. by ThinkAdvisor |
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👉 Bloomberg reports that Peirce emphasized in a statement yesterday that her departure date has not been set yet. “Until I leave the commission, my focus is on the work of the SEC,” Peirce said.
Crypto industry braces for quantum computing threat But digital assets firms are speeding up their preparations for a “post-quantum” age, as tech companies slash the timelines for developing practical quantum computers to as soon as 2030. “The threat has moved from theoretical to credible,” said Ayo Akinyele, head of engineering at RippleX, the blockchain development arm of crypto group Ripple. The company is exploring post-quantum cryptography, with securing wallets its first priority, and expects to transition its infrastructure to this within the next two years. The risk is especially stark for the crypto industry because theft from blockchains can be anonymous and irretrievable, whereas traditional finance institutions generally have multiple safeguards allowing them to track and stop money flows. The quantum threat is becoming more stark as traditional financial firms such as big banks invest in blockchain-based technology and explore the use of digital tokens. by FT |
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