On November 14, a coalition of 18 states, led by Utah Attorney General (AG) Sean Reyes, the outgoing chairman of the Republican AGs Association, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and its chair, Gary Gensler. DeFi Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, also joined the states in this legal action. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, challenges the SEC’s regulatory approach toward digital assets, asserting that the agency has overstepped its authority and infringed upon state sovereignty.

Background

Plaintiffs argue that the SEC’s actions have unlawfully expanded its regulatory reach over the burgeoning digital asset industry. The lawsuit challenges the SEC’s assertion that most digital asset transactions qualify as “investment contracts” under federal securities laws, thereby subjecting them to SEC regulation. The states argue that this interpretation is flawed and exceeds the SEC’s statutory authority. They contend that digital assets, in their typical form, do not constitute investment contracts because they do not involve an ongoing relationship between the buyer and the issuer, nor do they entail any obligation on the part of the issuer to manage the asset for the buyer’s benefit.

The plaintiffs levy several other arguments in the suit. They also contend that the SEC’s policy constitutes a final agency action that was adopted without the required notice-and-comment rulemaking process, violating the Administrative Procedure Act. The states also invoke the major questions doctrine, asserting that the SEC’s expansive interpretation of its regulatory authority over digital assets involves questions of deep economic and political significance that require clear congressional authorization.

Plaintiffs seek declaratory and injunctive relief to prevent the SEC from continuing its enforcement actions against digital asset platforms based on its current regulatory stance. They further request the court to declare that digital asset transactions, in the absence of an ongoing contractual relationship, do not constitute investment contracts and that platforms facilitating such transactions are not required to register as securities exchanges, dealers, brokers, or clearing agencies.

Why It Matters

This lawsuit represents a significant challenge to the SEC’s regulatory approach toward digital assets and the states’ commitment to advancing digital asset technology into the mainstream. This collaboration demonstrates that Republicans will likely continue to play a significant role in shaping the future regulatory landscape for digital assets.

Troutman Pepper State Attorneys General Team

	Ashley Taylor – Co-leader and Firm Vice Chair Ashley is co-leader of the firm’s nationally ranked State Attorneys General practice, vice chair of the firm, and a partner in its Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement (RISE) Practice Group. He helps his clients navigate the complexities involved with multistate attorneys general investigations and enforcement actions, federal agency actions, and accompanying litigation.
	Clay Friedman – Co-leader Clayton is a partner in the firm’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement (RISE) Practice Group and co-leader of the State Attorneys General practice, multidisciplinary teams with decades of experience crafting effective strategies to help deter or mitigate the risk of enforcement actions and litigation.
	Stephen Piepgrass Stephen leads the firm’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement (RISE) Practice Group. He focuses his practice on enforcement actions, investigations, and litigation. Stephen primarily represents clients engaging with, or being investigated by, state attorneys general and other state or local governmental enforcement bodies, including the CFPB and FTC, as well as clients involved with litigation, with a particular focus on heavily regulated industries.
	Michael Yaghi Michael is a partner in the firm’s State Attorneys General and Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement (RISE) Practice Groups, nationwide teams that advise clients on consumer protection enforcement matters and other regulatory issues.
	Samuel E. “Gene” Fishel Gene is a member of the firm’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement (RISE) practice, based in the Richmond office. He brings extensive regulatory experience, having most recently served as senior assistant attorney general and chief of the Computer Crime Section in the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia, and as special assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia for 20 years.
	Chuck Slemp Chuck advises clients on a wide range of complex issues that frequently involve government actions, including investigations, inquiries, regulatory matters, and litigation. With a distinguished background in the law and public service, he served as chief deputy attorney general of Virginia before joining the firm. In addition to overseeing the Department of Law and Division of Debt Collection, Chuck managed a team of attorneys who handle complex litigation and investigations. He also directed the attorney general’s legislative affairs and represented the attorney general in various capacities.
	Tim Bado Tim is an associate in the firm’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement (RISE) Practice Group, where he represents corporations and individuals facing potential civil and criminal exposure. Tim’s experience in government investigations, enforcement actions, and white-collar litigation spans a number of industries, including financial services, pharmaceutical, health care, and government contracting, among others.
	Jessica Birdsong Jessica is an associate in the firm’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement Practice Group. She received her J.D. from the University of Richmond School of Law, magna cum laude, where she served as associate articles editor of the Journal of Law & Technology.
	Chris Carlson Chris Carlson represents clients in regulatory, civil and criminal investigations and litigation. In his practice, Chris regularly employs his prior regulatory experience to benefit clients who are interacting with and being investigated by state attorneys general.
	Blake R. Christopher Blake collaborates with clients on matters related to government contracting, investigations, and disputes. His senior-level government experience generates valuable insights and strategies for clients across a variety of industries.
	Natalia Jacobo Natalia is an associate in the firm’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy and Enforcement (RISE) practice. She focuses her practice on two primary areas: government contracting and state attorney general work.
	Namrata Kang Namrata (Nam) is an associate in the firm’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement (RISE) Practice Group, based in the Washington, D.C. office. She routinely advises clients on a wide variety of state and federal regulatory matters, with a particular emphasis on state consumer protection laws relating to consumer financial services and marketing and advertising.
	Michael Lafleur Michael is an associate in the firm’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy, and Enforcement Practice Group. Based out of the firm’s Boston office, Mike has deep experience in litigation, investigations, and other regulatory matters involving state-level regulators and state attorneys general.
	Susan Nikdel Susan is an associate in the firm’s Consumer Financial Services Practice Group, and focuses her practice on consumer financial services matters. She has defended several of the nation’s largest and most influential financial institutions in individual and class action litigation involving the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), and other consumer privacy statutes.
	Lane Page Lane specializes in federal and state regulatory investigations and complex civil litigation. He focuses on representing financial institutions and other businesses, with a particular emphasis on consumer protection and fair lending issues.
	Trey Smith Trey is an associate in the firm’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement Practice. He focuses his practice on helping financial institutions and consumer facing companies navigate regulatory investigations and resulting litigation.
	Daniel Waltz Daniel is a member of the firm’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement (RISE) Practice Group and State Attorneys General team. He counsels clients in connection with navigating complex government investigations, regulatory compliance, and transactions, involving state and federal government contracting obligations. Drawing on his broad experience as a former assistant attorney general for the state of Illinois, Daniel is a problem solver both inside and outside the courtroom.
	Cole White Cole is a member of the firm’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy and Enforcement (RISE) group. He has a decade of experience working in the attorney general community, having joined the firm from the Wyoming Office of the Attorney General, where he was assistant attorney general.
	Stephanie Kozol Stephanie is Troutman Pepper’s senior government relations manager in the state attorneys general department.