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Hoskinson expressed his frustration in a recent Ask Me Anything (AMA) session, stating that Rippleâs focus on the alleged bias of the SEC towards Ethereum is unproductive and not helpful for the litigation.
Hoskinsonâs comments come in the wake of the growing controversy surrounding Ethereum, known as âETHGate,â where investors claim that Ethereum received a âfree passâ from regulators. At the same time, XRP and other cryptocurrencies were targeted. The theory further claims that Ethereumâs decentralization was manipulated, and the SEC allowed Ethereum to move ahead while penalizing other cryptocurrencies.
Hoskinson acknowledged that the SECâs treatment of different cryptocurrencies has been inconsistent, but he dismissed the allegations of fraud by the Ethereum Foundation as hard to prove.
âIt (ETHgate) was a campaign based on a lie. Even the founders of XRP refused to acknowledge is a lie. I would love to see Brad, Shwartz and others come out and physically say that all of this attack on our side is based on a lie.â Said Hoskinson.
Addressing the core of Rippleâs argument, Hoskinson questioned the efficacy of their litigation strategy, particularly in light of their accusations against Ethereum. He argued that Rippleâs insistence on Ethereum receiving preferential treatment undermines their case against regulatory scrutiny.
“Your litigation strategy, your fighting the US government, is to go and say ‘the only reason Ethereum is not a security is because they bribed the US government,’” Hoskinson remarked, pointing out the inherent contradiction in Ripple’s stance.
That said, while the allegations of fraud by the Ethereum Foundation are hard to prove, the theory does have some merit. The SEC has been criticized harshly for its alleged inconsistency in choosing which initial coin offerings to label âunregistered securities offerings.â
Recently, pro-ripple lawyer John Deaton blasted the regulator for not investigating ETHGate, stating that “the truth doesn’t guide them” and “they don’t care about justice and free markets in a level playing field. All they care about is their pockets.”
Notably, the SEC has struggled to make a strong case against XRP, particularly given its previous classification of Bitcoin and Ether as ânon-securities.â