In a shocking turn of events in the crypto world, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has officially dropped the lawsuit against the Helium Network (HNT) project - a move that marks a significant turning point in the legal battle between the government and decentralized blockchain projects.
SEC withdraws, Helium escapes charges of “illegal securities sales”
The initial lawsuit was filed by the SEC in January 2025, just days before President Donald Trump's new administration took office. Nova Labs - the company behind the network #HeliumNetwork - was accused of selling unregistered securities through:
Crypto mining device named Hotspot, used to mine HNT tokens.
Discovery Mapping program, where users exchange personal data for rewards in crypto.
The SEC has directly listed three tokens as securities:
Helium Network Token (HNT)
Helium Mobile Token (MOBILE)
Helium IoT Network Token (IOT)
However, just three months later, the situation completely changed. The SEC quietly dropped the lawsuit without any further legal action, a rare occurrence in legal precedent regarding crypto.
Is the policy shift under Trump 'liberating' the crypto market?
The SEC's withdrawal from a series of lawsuits - including Coinbase, Kraken, OpenSea, Uniswap, and now Helium - is clear evidence of a strong policy shift under President Trump. Since January 2025, the new administration has shown a more open stance towards the digital asset industry, prioritizing the establishment of a clearer and friendlier legal framework instead of criminal suppression.
Helium declares:
"The SEC's dismissal of the lawsuit is a turning point not just for us but for the entire DePIN and crypto community. This helps eliminate the legal uncertainty that has weighed on projects for years."
Moreover, the project asserts that the sale of hardware or tokens to develop the network cannot automatically be considered as illegal securities issuance - a rationale that could set an important precedent for similar lawsuits in the future.
New SEC Chair Paul Atkins - "a breath of fresh air" for the US crypto industry
The event is even more notable as the SEC has just appointed Paul Atkins as the new Chair. He is known for his friendly views towards blockchain and digital assets. After being confirmed by the Senate, Atkins committed to:
"My top priority is to build a clear, stable, and fair regulatory framework for the digital asset industry. The SEC will cooperate with projects rather than confront them."
The leadership change along with the series of dropped lawsuits is breathing new life into an otherwise bleak market in Q1 2025.
HNT price skyrockets, confidence returns to the DePIN market
Immediately after the positive news from the SEC, the price of HNT tokens surged by 11% within 24 hours, currently hovering around $3. MOBILE and IOT tokens also recorded increases of over 10%, reflecting positive investor expectations for the future of Helium and DePIN projects.
DePIN - short for Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network - is a prominent trend in Web3, where users can contribute hardware such as miners, sensors, or base stations to participate in building decentralized networks and earn rewards in tokens.
Contact with Binance users and the crypto market in general
For users on Binance, the SEC's termination of multiple lawsuits is a positive signal for the legal environment in the U.S., a country that has a profound impact on the entire global crypto market. If this trend continues, many projects #DePIN or Web3 can confidently list tokens on major exchanges, opening up clearer and more transparent investment opportunities for the community.
The market is showing signs of "thawing," and if regulators continue to adopt a flexible approach, Binance and users globally will benefit from greater legal stability and transparency.
🔻 Risk warning: The crypto market is always subject to significant volatility. The information in this article is for reference only and should not be considered investment advice. Please carefully consider before making decisions and only invest with capital you can afford to lose.