Newsflash: SEC Director Says Ether Is Not a Security

A top official at the US Securities and Exchange Commission said that ether — the native currency of the Ethereum network — is not a security according to federal guidelines.

Speaking on Thursday at the Yahoo Finance All Markets Summit: Crypto, William Hinman, director of the SEC’s division of corporate finance, said that, at least “as currently structured,” ether will not be regulated as a security by the SEC.

“When we think about how ether today is operating, at least, we see a highly decentralized” network, not the type of centralized actor that characterizes securities offerings, Hinman said. “In its current state, we don’t see value regulating it.”