Requirements for offers and sales of digital commodities by digital commodity related persons and digital commodity affiliated persons

The Securities Act of 1933 (15 U.S.C. 77a et seq.), as amended by section 202, is further amended by inserting after section 4B the following: 4C. Requirements for offers and sales of digital commodities by digital commodity related persons and digital commodity affiliated persons (a) In general It shall be a violation of this Act for a digital commodity affiliated person or a digital commodity related person to offer or sell a digital commodity acquired directly from its issuer, or an agent or underwriter thereof, pursuant to an investment contract in reliance on section 4(a)(8) or another exemption under this Act, other than as provided in this section. (b) Commission jurisdiction (1) Where a digital commodity affiliated person or a digital commodity related person offers or sells a digital commodity acquired directly from its issuer, or an agent or underwriter thereof, pursuant to an investment contract in reliance on section 4(a)(8), or another exemption under this Act, other than as provided in this section, such digital commodity affiliated person or digital commodity related person shall be considered an issuer of such investment contract. (2) For the purposes of this section, the Commission shall have jurisdiction and enforcement authority with respect to an offer or sale of a digital commodity described in subsection (a). (c) Restrictions on digital commodity related persons and digital commodity affiliated persons (1) Prior to being a mature blockchain system Prior to the blockchain system to which a digital commodity relates being certified as a mature blockchain system under section 42 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, units of the digital commodity acquired by a digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person directly from its issuer, or an agent or underwriter thereof, pursuant to an investment contract in reliance on section 4(a)(8), or another exemption under this Act, may be offered or sold by such digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person if— (A) reports with respect to such digital commodity, where required under section 4B(b)(3) (or, with respect to a digital commodity not issued in reliance on section 4(a)(8), a comparable set of reports where required by the Commission) have been filed with the Commission; (B) the digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person has held the units for not less than 12 months from the date the units were delivered; and (C) the aggregate amount of the units of the digital commodity offered or sold by the digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person is— (i) in any 12-month period, not greater than 15 percent of the total units of the digital commodity acquired directly from its issuer by the digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person; and (ii) not greater than 50 percent of the total units of the digital commodity acquired directly from its issuer by the digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person. (2) After becoming a mature blockchain system After the blockchain system to which a digital commodity relates is certified as a mature blockchain system under section 42 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, units of the digital commodity acquired by a digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person directly from its issuer, or the issuer’s agent or underwriter, pursuant to an investment contract in reliance on section 4(a)(8) or another exemption under this Act, may be— (A) offered or sold by a digital commodity related person; or (B) offered or sold by a digital commodity affiliated person if— (i) information described in section 4B(b)(5)(C), where required (or, with respect to a digital commodity not issued in reliance on section 4(a)(8), a comparable set of information, where required) is publicly available; (ii) the digital commodity affiliated person has held the units for not less than the earlier of— (I) 12 months from the date the units were delivered; or (II) 3 months following the date on which the blockchain system is certified as a mature blockchain system under section 42 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and (iii) the aggregate amount of the units of the digital commodity offered or sold by the digital commodity affiliated person in any 12-month period does not exceed the greater of— (I) 8 percent of the total outstanding amount of the digital commodity; or (II) 25 percent of the total units of the digital commodity acquired directly from its issuer by the digital commodity affiliated person. (d) Use of a digital commodity in the programmatic functioning of the blockchain system For purposes of this section, the use of a digital commodity in the programmatic functioning of the blockchain system to which it relates is not an offer or sale of a digital commodity. (e) Manipulative and deceptive devices; reporting (1) In general It shall be unlawful for any digital commodity issuer, digital commodity related person, or digital commodity affiliated person, directly or indirectly, by the use of any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce or of the mails, to use or employ, in connection with the purchase or sale of any digital commodity, any manipulative or deceptive device or contrivance in contravention of such rules and regulations as the Commission may prescribe as necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors. (2) Affirmative defense Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Commission shall issue rules to implement paragraph (1), including by providing any affirmative defenses to an enforcement action thereunder as the Commission may prescribe as necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors. (3) Reporting Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Commission shall issue rules to prescribe such transaction reporting and beneficial ownership disclosure obligations applicable to digital commodity related persons and digital commodity affiliated persons, as necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors. (4) Differentiation between persons In issuing rules required under paragraphs (2) and (3), the Commission shall differentiate between digital commodity related persons and digital commodity affiliated persons as necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors. (f) Rules for previously-Issued digital commodities (1) Units received prior to January 1, 2020 If a unit of a digital commodity was received by a digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person prior to January 1, 2020, the unit of the digital commodity may be offered or sold by the digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person without condition. (2) Certain units related to a non-mature blockchain system If a unit of a digital commodity was received by a digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person between January 1, 2020, and June 1, 2025, and the blockchain system to which the digital commodity relates is not certified as a mature blockchain system under section 42 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the unit of the digital asset may be offered or sold by a digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person if— (A) reports with respect to such digital commodity comparable to the reports described under section 4B(b)(3), where required by the Commission, have been filed with the Commission; (B) the digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person meets any requirements pursuant to subsection (e)(3); and (C) the digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person has held the units for not less than 12 months from the date the units were delivered. (3) Certain units related to a mature blockchain system If a unit of a digital commodity was received by a digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person between January 1, 2020, and June 1, 2025, and the blockchain system to which the digital commodity relates is certified as a mature blockchain system under section 42 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, it may be offered or sold by a digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person if— (A) information described in section 4B(b)(5)(C) or comparable thereto, where required by the Commission, is publicly available; and (B) the digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person has held the units for not less than 12 months from the date the units were delivered. (g) Rulemaking on further usage of digital commodities Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Commission may issue rules to exempt, unconditionally or on stated terms or conditions, a digital commodity related person or a digital commodity affiliated person from the requirements of this section for the offer or sale of a digital commodity in order to foster the development of mature blockchain systems and fair and orderly markets..

The Securities Act of 1933 (15 U.S.C. 77a et seq.), as amended by section 202, is further amended by inserting after section 4B the following: 4C. Requirements for offers and sales of digital commodities by digital commodity related persons and digital commodity affiliated persons (a) In general It shall be a violation of this Act for a digital commodity affiliated person or a digital commodity related person to offer or sell a digital commodity acquired directly from its issuer, or an agent or underwriter thereof, pursuant to an investment contract in reliance on section 4(a)(8) or another exemption under this Act, other than as provided in this section. (b) Commission jurisdiction (1) Where a digital commodity affiliated person or a digital commodity related person offers or sells a digital commodity acquired directly from its issuer, or an agent or underwriter thereof, pursuant to an investment contract in reliance on section 4(a)(8), or another exemption under this Act, other than as provided in this section, such digital commodity affiliated person or digital commodity related person shall be considered an issuer of such investment contract. (2) For the purposes of this section, the Commission shall have jurisdiction and enforcement authority with respect to an offer or sale of a digital commodity described in subsection (a). (c) Restrictions on digital commodity related persons and digital commodity affiliated persons (1) Prior to being a mature blockchain system Prior to the blockchain system to which a digital commodity relates being certified as a mature blockchain system under section 42 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, units of the digital commodity acquired by a digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person directly from its issuer, or an agent or underwriter thereof, pursuant to an investment contract in reliance on section 4(a)(8), or another exemption under this Act, may be offered or sold by such digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person if— (A) reports with respect to such digital commodity, where required under section 4B(b)(3) (or, with respect to a digital commodity not issued in reliance on section 4(a)(8), a comparable set of reports where required by the Commission) have been filed with the Commission; (B) the digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person has held the units for not less than 12 months from the date the units were delivered; and (C) the aggregate amount of the units of the digital commodity offered or sold by the digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person is— (i) in any 12-month period, not greater than 15 percent of the total units of the digital commodity acquired directly from its issuer by the digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person; and (ii) not greater than 50 percent of the total units of the digital commodity acquired directly from its issuer by the digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person. (2) After becoming a mature blockchain system After the blockchain system to which a digital commodity relates is certified as a mature blockchain system under section 42 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, units of the digital commodity acquired by a digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person directly from its issuer, or the issuer’s agent or underwriter, pursuant to an investment contract in reliance on section 4(a)(8) or another exemption under this Act, may be— (A) offered or sold by a digital commodity related person; or (B) offered or sold by a digital commodity affiliated person if— (i) information described in section 4B(b)(5)(C), where required (or, with respect to a digital commodity not issued in reliance on section 4(a)(8), a comparable set of information, where required) is publicly available; (ii) the digital commodity affiliated person has held the units for not less than the earlier of— (I) 12 months from the date the units were delivered; or (II) 3 months following the date on which the blockchain system is certified as a mature blockchain system under section 42 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and (iii) the aggregate amount of the units of the digital commodity offered or sold by the digital commodity affiliated person in any 12-month period does not exceed the greater of— (I) 8 percent of the total outstanding amount of the digital commodity; or (II) 25 percent of the total units of the digital commodity acquired directly from its issuer by the digital commodity affiliated person. (d) Use of a digital commodity in the programmatic functioning of the blockchain system For purposes of this section, the use of a digital commodity in the programmatic functioning of the blockchain system to which it relates is not an offer or sale of a digital commodity. (e) Manipulative and deceptive devices; reporting (1) In general It shall be unlawful for any digital commodity issuer, digital commodity related person, or digital commodity affiliated person, directly or indirectly, by the use of any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce or of the mails, to use or employ, in connection with the purchase or sale of any digital commodity, any manipulative or deceptive device or contrivance in contravention of such rules and regulations as the Commission may prescribe as necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors. (2) Affirmative defense Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Commission shall issue rules to implement paragraph (1), including by providing any affirmative defenses to an enforcement action thereunder as the Commission may prescribe as necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors. (3) Reporting Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Commission shall issue rules to prescribe such transaction reporting and beneficial ownership disclosure obligations applicable to digital commodity related persons and digital commodity affiliated persons, as necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors. (4) Differentiation between persons In issuing rules required under paragraphs (2) and (3), the Commission shall differentiate between digital commodity related persons and digital commodity affiliated persons as necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors. (f) Rules for previously-Issued digital commodities (1) Units received prior to January 1, 2020 If a unit of a digital commodity was received by a digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person prior to January 1, 2020, the unit of the digital commodity may be offered or sold by the digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person without condition. (2) Certain units related to a non-mature blockchain system If a unit of a digital commodity was received by a digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person between January 1, 2020, and June 1, 2025, and the blockchain system to which the digital commodity relates is not certified as a mature blockchain system under section 42 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the unit of the digital asset may be offered or sold by a digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person if— (A) reports with respect to such digital commodity comparable to the reports described under section 4B(b)(3), where required by the Commission, have been filed with the Commission; (B) the digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person meets any requirements pursuant to subsection (e)(3); and (C) the digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person has held the units for not less than 12 months from the date the units were delivered. (3) Certain units related to a mature blockchain system If a unit of a digital commodity was received by a digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person between January 1, 2020, and June 1, 2025, and the blockchain system to which the digital commodity relates is certified as a mature blockchain system under section 42 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, it may be offered or sold by a digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person if— (A) information described in section 4B(b)(5)(C) or comparable thereto, where required by the Commission, is publicly available; and (B) the digital commodity related person or digital commodity affiliated person has held the units for not less than 12 months from the date the units were delivered. (g) Rulemaking on further usage of digital commodities Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Commission may issue rules to exempt, unconditionally or on stated terms or conditions, a digital commodity related person or a digital commodity affiliated person from the requirements of this section for the offer or sale of a digital commodity in order to foster the development of mature blockchain systems and fair and orderly markets..