#MemecoinSentiment What the SEC said
Not securities by default: Meme coins—crypto assets tied to internet memes or trends and with little to no utility—typically don’t qualify as “securities” under U.S. federal law .
No need for SEC registration: Transactions in these meme coins generally aren’t subject to Securities Act provisions or SEC oversight .
Risk disclaimers are expected: The staff highlighted that meme coins often include language such as:
1. Don’t expect profits
2. No one’s actively managing the project for profit-forming
3. No meaningful functionality
4. High risk of total loss
5. Intended for entertainment .
Howey test remains relevant: If a coin avoids having a common enterprise or profit expectations tied to others’ efforts, it's likely not a security .
But caveats apply:
This guidance is staff-level, not formal law.
Each coin must be evaluated case-by-case—coins that disguise themselves as meme coins to avoid regulation can still be securities .
Fraud, pump‑and‑dump schemes, and misleading promotions remain subject to SEC or other enforcement .