Popular messaging app Kik is shutting down due to a Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit regarding ICO activity for the company’s cryptocurrency, kin. Ted Livingston, Founder and CEO of Kik and Kin, denies the allegations and maintains that the SEC’s case is based on mischaracterizations, but that shutdown for Kik is necessary to focus on defending the crypto branch of the company. Whatever the reality, new attention is being directed at ICO scams in general, which have a storied history.
Also Read: Devs Remove BIP70 Payment Protocol From Bitcoin Core’s Default Settings
Scammers: Ruining a Good Thing for Everyone
ICO regulation is a hot topic in the crypto space these days, as the past two years have seen changes in the legal landscape governing such activities globally. In June, an amendment to crypto-friendly Japan’s Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (FIEA) dictated that ICOs must be registered and strictly licensed as securities offerings. Across the pond, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has been equally unforgiving when it comes to ICOs, stifling the moon Lambo dreams of many a con, but also potentially killing legitimate projects, as may be the case with Kik’s messaging app. Typically ICO scams involve big promises of easy money to be made via investment, future products to be delivered, or both. While Kik’s fate is now sealed, Kin’s is not, and many past efforts at bona fide scamming, lawsuits, and regulatory abuse bubble back to the surface of crypto’s less-than-glamorous memory of ICOs past.
Lambos, Sky-High Promises, and Sly Exits
Arguably the most infamous ICO and crypto scam to date, Bitconnect showered enthusiasts
