https://images.hive.blog/DQmP7AcDKzwHvUW7bpaKGuU4kfMhoKevicj5nPLKWncMwTT/og-card.png 

**COTI being highlighted like this is actually a  good thing. There is no such things as bad publicity.**


Yesterdays announcement by the [SEC](https://leofinance.io/posts/@leoglossary/leoglossary-securities-and-exchange-commission-sec) calling out COTI for being a [security](https://leofinance.io/posts/@leoglossary/leoglossary-security) has only highlighted what COTI is doing and they are concerned. COTI is a [bank](https://leofinance.io/posts/@leoglossary/leoglossary-bank) and a wolf in sheep's clothing or a sheep in wolfs clothing depending on how you view them. They out of any project should know as they have been on the inside as they are a financial institution who happens to deal in [crypto](https://leofinance.io/posts/@leoglossary/cryptocurrency).

COTI doesn't even have a $100 million market cap yet they are a threat to the institutions as they offer the payment services for enterprises which would be eating into the [banks](https://leofinance.io/posts/@leoglossary/leoglossary-bank) daily profits and other gateways involved. If COTI was not a [crypto](https://leofinance.io/posts/@leoglossary/cryptocurrency) related business they would be valued at $50-100 billion as that is the value of other businesses in their field. That would equate to $25-$50 dollars per [token](https://leofinance.io/posts/@leoglossary/leoglossary-token) and they have far more scope than what the payment process gate ways can offer so the valuation is hard one to call, but they will get there as the $100 million is what it is due to being in [crypto](https://leofinance.io/posts/@leoglossary/cryptocurrency).

If we look at why COTI was called a security it is not actually COTI, but others who trade with COTI and why this was such a cheap shot with nothing against COTI itself. This is a thank you for the free advertising as many more people know about COTI today than yesterday.

> Reading through the complaint the word $COTI is mentioned 57 times. It's about wash trading $COTI tokens by the company Sigma Chain and the [SEC](https://leofinance.io/posts/@leoglossary/leoglossary-securities-and-exchange-commission-sec) tries to explain why $COTI is a [security](https://leofinance.io/posts/@leoglossary/leoglossary-security).

> Most of the text is quoted directly from the complaint.

> The first mention is regarding wash trading.

> "For example, on April 6, 2022, the http://Binance.US Platform made the crypto asset security COTI available for trading. Shortly after COTI was available on the http://Binance.US Platform, Sigma Chain ..."

> "...engaged in substantial wash trading in COTI. The following chart summarizes this activity over the ensuing 11 days, in which Sigma Chain represented as much as 35.52 percent of all COTI trading volume on the platform"

[source](https://twitter.com/Humansmeetsats/status/1665784934789685248)

Wash trading is simply manipulating the trading creating the volume by selling and buying between known traders going back and forth showing a fake volume count. This is not COTI and have no idea who is behind this or for what purpose other than to show the exchange is busier than it really is. Manipulation comes in all formats and this is a new one to myself that I have not really come across before.

Looking at COTI's board of advisors and investors they should know what they are doing and why I have no worries.


![Fx50aG8aIAEB8Ox.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/cryptoandcoffee/23zGwZvnd4H8BMykMWJ2CDfEi6LVKw3H8cTyT642WM2ERoZoJYNuhExDiNHK6ycmbZZL8.jpg)

[source](https://twitter.com/search?q=%24COTI&src=recent_search_click)

We often complain when we have to do the [regulatory](https://leofinance.io/posts/@leoglossary/leoglossary-regulation) requirements and sometimes you are grateful for projects that do it as they are meeting the  [regulatory](https://leofinance.io/posts/@leoglossary/leoglossary-regulation) requirements and are above board.


![Fx7e8RzXgAQeETg.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/cryptoandcoffee/23tbKPVHYaJukejtBDmrtYSsgz7WzzCQxZ5cf6fk2qdtAZLdTS2b5gydoLVJu1SwJn2vg.jpg)

[source](https://twitter.com/CryptoKev89/status/1666014046091354114/photo/1)

COTI has not opened up their staking to the US as they have been working with regulators and now we see why they have been having a hard time. The US is in no position to allow their people to get involved in staking projects as they honestly don't want you to physically own [crypto](https://leofinance.io/posts/@leoglossary/cryptocurrency). If you physically own the controls via keys then they have no control over you. The US is heading towards [custodial](https://leofinance.io/posts/@leoglossary/leoglossary-custodian) [crypto](https://leofinance.io/posts/@leoglossary/cryptocurrency) so you don't really own anything as the controls are with a third party.

I am honestly not bothered by this and in many ways see it as a positive as this is free advertising getting the COTI name out there. I bought more yesterday and will continue to buy this dip as this is too good to be true and maybe the 100K [stake](https://leofinance.io/posts/@leoglossary/leoglossary-staking) target is now just around the corner.

Posted Using [LeoFinance Alpha](https://leofinance.io/@cryptoandcoffee/sec-gave-coti-free-advertising)