Official announcement from OpenSea or the SEC

OpenSea Receives Wells Notice from SEC Threatening to Sue Over NFTs

Aug 28, 2024, 01:56 PM

OpenSea, a prominent NFT marketplace, has received a Wells Notice from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), indicating the agency's intent to potentially sue the platform. The SEC believes that some non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on OpenSea's platform might be classified as securities, threatening to sue. OpenSea's CEO, Devin Finzer, expressed shock at the SEC's move, arguing that NFTs are fundamentally creative goods such as art, collectibles, and video game items, and should not be regulated as securities. This action by the SEC is part of its broader scrutiny of the cryptocurrency industry, which has faced increasing regulatory pressure. OpenSea has stated its readiness to contest the SEC's classification of NFTs as securities.