Securities Act Section 5

Definition ∞ Securities Act Section 5 is a United States federal law that mandates the registration of securities offerings with the Securities and Exchange Commission unless an exemption applies. This section prohibits the offer or sale of unregistered securities, establishing fundamental requirements for transparency and investor protection in public capital markets. Its applicability to digital assets, particularly initial coin offerings (ICOs) and token sales, is a central point of regulatory contention. Compliance with Section 5 involves extensive disclosure obligations and a review process by the regulatory authority.
Context ∞ The application of Securities Act Section 5 to digital asset offerings remains a critical and contentious issue in US securities law. The debate centers on whether various digital tokens constitute “securities” under the existing legal framework, triggering these registration requirements. Many digital asset projects seek to structure their offerings to fit within existing exemptions from Section 5. Future court rulings and legislative reforms may provide clearer definitions for digital assets under this foundational securities statute.