The SEC announced securities charges against the lending platform over its Abra Earn service but also said the firm had settled with pending civil penalties and an injunction.
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that cryptocurrency platform Abra had agreed to a settlement over allegations the firm did not register the offers and sales of its lending product.
In an Aug. 26 notice, the regulator said Plutus Lending, doing business as Abra, “without admitting or denying the SEC’s allegations,” had agreed to pay civil penalties to be determined by a court and an injunction prohibiting the firm from violating securities laws. The SEC filed charges against the lending platform for failing to register the offers and sales of Abra Earn and operating as an unregistered investment company.
The SEC alleged Abra marketed its Earn service as a way for investors to earn interest “auto-magically” and instead generated income for itself. The platform began offering Abra Earn to US investors in July 2020, facilitating roughly $600 million in assets globally at its peak.
