Cryptocurrency Enforcement

Greenberg Traurig’s Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team comprises dedicated former government officials and experienced white collar defense attorneys with the industry-specific knowledge and skills to help clients navigate today’s complex and evolving cryptocurrency enforcement landscape.

With cryptocurrencies and other digital assets continuing to gain market acceptance and market share, scrutiny from regulators and law enforcement is on the rise. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and Department of Justice (DOJ) all have announced an increased focus on regulation and enforcement in this space. For example, in October 2021, DOJ announced the creation of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET) to spearhead complex investigations and prosecutions of criminal misuse of cryptocurrency and to recover illicit proceeds laundered through cryptocurrency.

Our team consists of former federal prosecutors and high-ranking officials from the DOJ and SEC, including from the DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), National Security Division, and the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. We guide clients through the enforcement landscape, including internal investigations, representation in government investigations, and defense of civil and criminal cases involving alleged fraud, market manipulation, Bank Secrecy Act violations, violations of securities and commodities laws, and sanctions violations.

Our representative engagements include the following:

• Represent cryptocurrency exchanges, decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms, other digital asset providers, and individuals facing regulatory and enforcement inquiry.
• Represent clients before the DOJ, SEC, CFTC, state attorneys general, and other regulators in investigations, enforcement actions, and related complex litigation.
• Defend clients subject to federal and state criminal prosecution and/or civil enforcement alleging fraud, market manipulation, insider trading, and related claims in the cryptocurrency space.
• Defend clients in Bank Secrecy Act, anti-money laundering, and sanctions investigations and prosecutions. Regularly counsel clients concerning such compliance issues to avoid enforcement exposure.
• Advise clients on securities laws and related legal and regulatory assessments for fungible and non-fungible tokens in concert with the firm’s securities team and financial regulatory compliance group.
• Represent clients subject to hacking, ransomware, and other critical cyber-related issues in the blockchain space.