Touting
Touting is publicising a security in exchange for compensation. It is lawful if the payment is fully disclosed and unlawful under Section 17(b) if it is not.
Where does touting come up?
This term is used in the following manipulation techniques, each explained in full on its own page.
Enforcement actions involving these techniques
| Action | Agency | Filed | Technique | Penalty | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEC v. Brian Keasberry (paid stock promotion, 2026) | SEC | 2026-08-21 | Paid Stock Promotion | $37.5k | judgment |
| SEC v. Justin Sun, Tron Foundation Limited, BitTorrent Foundation Ltd., Rainberry, Inc., and DeAndre Cortez Way (paid stock promotion, 2026) | SEC | 2026-03-05 | Paid Stock Promotion , Wash Trading | $10m | judgment |
| SEC v. Medallion Financial Corp., Andrew Murstein, Lawrence Meyers, and Ichabod’s Cranium, Inc. (paid stock promotion, 2025) | SEC | 2025-06-06 | Paid Stock Promotion | $3m | judgment |
| SEC v. John S. Clayton and others (insider trading, 2024) | SEC | 2024-12-11 | Insider Trading , Paid Stock Promotion | — | filed |
| SEC v. Marco Babini, et al. (paid stock promotion, 2024) | SEC | 2024-09-27 | Paid Stock Promotion | — | judgment |