Hinman's SEC Emails and Speech Shed Light on Ether's Regulatory Status.

Newly released court documents reveal that SEC officials pushed former Division Director William Hinman to clarify that Ethereum (ETH) was not a security in a June 2018 speech. The documents show conversations between SEC employees, including the trading and markets department's comments, and Hinman. The SEC targeted XRP as a security after Hinman's speech clarified that the SEC did not believe that ETH was a security at the time. The documents also reveal known conflicts of interest, including Hinman's financial interest in law firm Simpson Thacher, where he worked before the SEC. The SEC and Ripple are awaiting a summary judgment, which could come before the end of the year.