SEC Reviews Year-End Results, Increases Cryptocurrency Oversight - ForkLog

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released its enforcement report for the 2026 fiscal year, revealing the agency initiated 348 investigations and imposed fines totaling nearly $1.1 billion. Approximately $731 million has already been returned to over 250,000 affected investors, with two-thirds of the cases targeting individuals rather than just companies.

Crypto Fraud Cases

A significant portion of the SEC's work focused on the digital asset sector. The agency filed charges against three pseudo-crypto exchanges and associated investment groups that allegedly defrauded clients of at least $14 million through social media before transferring the funds abroad.

The commission also opened a separate case against the founder of a Bitcoin mining company who raised more than $95.6 million from 6,400 investors, spending $48.5 million of it on personal expenses.

New Oversight Measures

The SEC settled a dispute with a partner of an auditing firm whose negligence during audits of the bankrupt exchange FTX led to violations of accounting standards. To tighten control over the crypto industry, the agency established the Super Intelligence Analytics and Technology Office to monitor on-chain anomalies and expedite blockchain financial flow analysis.

Additionally, the SEC signed an agreement with the CFTC for joint oversight of derivatives and complex financial products. In October, the regulator increased oversight of AI companies amid discussions of a potential bubble.