Key Takeaways
What does this SEC greenlight mean for the DEPIN sector?
It could encourage contributions to DEPIN networks without concerns over regulatory risk.
How did the market respond?
The market size of the segment increased by 3% to $34B.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) gave DEPIN (decentralized physical infrastructure networks) one of its clearest signals yet.
In a “no action” letter, the regulator said it will not “recommend enforcement action” against Double Zero’s 2Z token distribution. The agency added,
“Programmatic transfers that are conducted in the manner and under the circumstances described in your letter are not registered under Section 5 of the Securities Act.”
Source: SEC
Double Zero runs a low-latency DEPIN that leverages underutilized physical fiber to help blockchains overcome frictions in traditional networks.
In return, the firm plans to allocate its native token, 2Z, to participants who share their resources for the network.
DEPIN tokens bounce on clarity
Reacting to the update, Commissioner Hester Peirce clarified that DEPIN tokens are not investment contracts but “incentives” to help build a network.
Noting that the category sits outside the scope of securities law, she added,
“Treating such tokens as securities would suppress the growth of networks of distributed providers of services.”
Peirce cautioned that markets should determine the success of such blockchain projects, and not regulators.
Double Zero welcomed the clarity, stressing that,
“Contributors can receive 2Z without fear of being caught in an unregulated securities transaction.”
Double Zero is currently in testnet, with Solana [SOL], Sui [SUI], and other chains and could hit mainnet soon. That said, the regulatory clarity lifted the sector.
Sector-wide rally
Zebec Network [ZBCN], Helium IOT [IOT] and Dynex [DNX] led the daily gainers list with double-digit rallies in the past 24 hours. The overall size of the sector surged 3% to $34 billion.
Source: CoinMarketCap
This is the third category of crypto tokens that the SEC has cleared as non-securities. In March, the regulator greenlighted proof-of-work (PoW) or mining systems like Bitcoin [BTC] and Dogecoin [DOGE] as non-security.
Similarly, in May, the SEC said proof-of-stake (PoS) chains like Ethereum[ETH], Solana [SOL] and liquid staking tokens like JitoSOL are non-security.
