https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/379743 > The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that Poloniex LLC has agreed to a settlement after being charged with operating an unregistered digital asset exchange. A press release from the agency says that Poloniex helped to facilitate the buying, selling, and trading of digital assets. The SEC says that because the assets were investment contracts, they fall into the category of being securities. Stablecoin issuer Circle eventually bought Poloniex in  > The SEC’s order says that the Poloniex trading platform met the prerequisite to being labeled as an exchange by providing non-discretionary means for trade orders to interact and execute. “The order finds that notwithstanding its operation of the Poloniex trading platform, which was available to U.S. investors, Poloniex did not register as a national securities exchange nor did it operate pursuant to an exemption from registration at any time, and its failure to do so was a violation of Section 5 of the Exchange Act.”