Nexo Eyes SEC Broker Dealer License While U.S. Competitors Face Regulatory Pressure

There’s truly never a dull moment in DeFi. Reports have emerged this week that interest-yielding platform Nexo is pursuing an acquisition of an SEC licensed broker dealer with the intent to offer a “modified version” of the company’s products. How this would impact their current offering is unclear. The move comes at a time of seemingly increased rocky roads for DeFi platforms. Interest-Generating Products & Disruptive DeFi Along with the company’s pursuit of a licensed broker dealer, Nexo is also in talks with nationally chartered banks. The platform is reportedly interested in finding a chartered bank partner that will sell Nexo products, likely with the intent to have better buy-in with U.S. regulators. Additionally, reports state that the platform is looking at applying for an exemption to offer securities to non-accredited investors. Nexo is a London-based platform, which may play out to be a substantial advantage versus competitors that are stateside. In recent weeks, U.S. state regulators have started to focus on DeFi platforms that are U.S.-based, namely Celsius and BlockFi. Regulators in a handful of states in the U.S. have begun issuing cease and desist demands for both firms. Meanwhile, major U.S.-based exchange Coinbase has been in a back-and-forth with SEC with regards to the exchange’s potential interest-yielding product, Coinbase Lend. Coinbase seems to have now placed an ...