These Rulesare framed by ZEBACUS Pvt. Ltd. (“the Exchange”) to assure Members, Customers, legislators and regulator, the public and other market participants that its business activities are, and will continue to be, conducted with integrity. Exchange also give assurance that unlawful, unfair and unethical trading practices are not tolerated, that public disclosures of trading information are accurate, and every Members and Customers and other Market Participants will abide by ethical standards and maintain sound trading practices. The conduct involving fraud and market manipulation poses a significant threat to the Cryptocurrency markets. Therefore, such intentional misconduct undermines the Exchange’s goal for providing efficient services as any losses imposed by such actions ultimately are passed on to farmers, manufacturers, producers and consumers. The Exchange framed these Rules to prohibit fraud, deceit, and manipulation in trade or any unfair trade practice adopted by Members, Customers and other market participants, where there is often significant gain to the violator or loss to the victims of the misconduct.
In exercise of the powers conferred under the Exchange, the Board of the Exchange hereby makes the following rules, namely:
1.1. These rules may be called the Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices Rules (hereinafter referred to as these “Rules”).
1.2. They shall come into force on the date of their publication by the Board.
In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires,
2.1 “By-laws” means the By-laws of the Exchange.
2.2 “Circular trading” means a fraudulent trading scheme where sell orders are entered by a member or Client, who knows that offsetting buy orders, the same number of Cryptocurrencies at the same time and at the same price, either have been or will be entered.
2.3 “Client” means an individual or an entity, who is registered with the Exchange and thereby conferred with the right to trade in the Exchange.
2.4 "Cryptocurrency" means a Cryptocurrency permitted for trading on the Automated Trading System of the Exchange and it includes any and all Cryptocurrencies.
2.5 “Customers” meansSub-broker and Client of the Exchange.
2.6 "Dealing in Cryptocurrencies" means an act of buying, selling or subscribing any Cryptocurrencyor agreeing to buy, sell or subscribe to any Cryptocurrency or otherwise transacting in any way in any Cryptocurrency by any Member or Customer
2.7 "Fraud" includes any act, expression, omission or concealment committed by a Member while dealing in Cryptocurrencies in order to attain any wrongful gain or avoidance of any loss, and shall also include:
2.7.1 Knowing misrepresentation of the truth or concealment of material fact;
2.7.2 A suggestion as to a fact which is not true by one who does not believe it to be true;
2.7.3 An active concealment of a fact by a Member/Customer having knowledge or belief of the fact;
2.7.4 A promise made without any intention of performing it;
2.7.5 A representation made in a reckless and careless manner whether it be true or false;
2.7.6 Any such act or omission as any other law specifically declares to be fraudulent,
2.7.7 Deceptive behavior by a member depriving another of informed consent or full participation,
2.7.8 A false statement made without reasonable ground for believing it to be true.
2.7.9 The act of giving out misinformation that affects the market price of the Cryptocurrency, resulting in market participant being effectively misled eventhough they did not rely on the statement itself or anything derived from it other than the market price.
2.8 "Disciplinary Committee" means the Disciplinary Committee of the Exchange or any committee constituted by the Board to undertake the investigation under these Rules.
2.9 “Front running” means an illegal practice by a Member/Customer executing orders on a Cryptocurrencyfor its own account while taking advantage of advance knowledge of pending orders from its Clients. When orders previously submitted by its Clients will predictably affect the price of the Cryptocurrency, purchasing first for its own account gives the Member/Customer an unfair advantage, since it can expect to close out its position at a profit based on the new price level. Front running may involve either buying (where the Member/Customer buys for their account, before filling Clients buy orders that drive up the price) or selling (where the Member/Customer sells for its own account, before filling Clients sell orders that drive down the price).
2.10 “Market Participant” any person associated with the business of trading in the Exchange its Clearing House, Customers, including their employees, representatives, sales persons or any other person acting on behalf of them.,
2.11 “Market Manipulation” means a deliberate attempt to interfere with the free and fair operation of the exchange and create artificial, false or misleading appearances with respect to the price of, or market for, a Cryptocurrency, and also include:
2.11.1 Transactions or orders to trade, which give, or are likely to give, false or misleading signals as to the supply, demand or price of Cryptocurrencies, or which secure, by one or more Member or Clients acting in collaboration, the price of one or several Cryptocurrencies at an abnormal or artificial level, or, any act or dealing in Cryptocurrency by a Member or Customer which result in wrongful gain to the Member or its Client or any person acting on behalf of the Member, or which employ fictitious devices or any other form of deception or contrivance;
2.11.2 Dissemination of information through the media, including the Internet, or by any other means, which gives, or is likely to give, false or misleading signals as to the supply, demand or price of financial instruments, including the dissemination of rumors and false or misleading news.
2.12 “Member” means registered Members of the Exchange.
2.13 ‘‘Person’ means a Member or aCustomerin the Exchange or any other market participant and any person acting on behalf of a Member, Customer, or authorized representatives.
2.14 “Wash Trade” means selling and repurchasing the same or substantially the same Cryptocurrency for the purpose of generating activity and increasing the price.
2.15 Words and expressions used and not defined in these Rules, but defined in the By-laws, shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in the By-laws or circulars or notification made thereunder, as the case may be.
No Memberor its Customershall directly or indirectly-
3.1. Buy, sellor otherwise deal in Cryptocurrencies in a fraudulent manner or by unethical means;
3.2. Engage in market manipulation;
3.3. use or employ, in connection with purchase or sale of any Cryptocurrency listed in the exchange, any manipulative or deceptive device or contrivance in contravention of the provisions of the By-laws or the rules or the regulations made there under;
3.4. Employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud in connection with dealing in Cryptocurrencies;
3.5. Engage in any act, practice, course of business which operates or would operate as fraud or deceit upon any person in connection with any dealing in Cryptocurrencies in contravention of the provisions of the By-laws or the rules and the regulations made there under;
3.6. Engage in any act to deceive the beneficiaries of the Exchange, including farmers and market participant by engaging in a manipulative or fraudulent trade in collusion or participation with other Exchanges or institutions.
4.1. Without prejudice to the provisions of Rules 3, no Member, Customer or any market participant shall indulge in a fraudulent or an unfair trade practice;
4.2. Dealing in Cryptocurrencies and Cryptocurrency shall be deemed to be a fraudulent or an unfair trade practice if it involves fraud or may include all or any of the following, namely:
4.2.1. Indulging in an act which creates false or misleading appearance of trading in the Exchange;
4.2.2. Dealing in a Cryptocurrency with intention to operate only as a device to inflate, depress or cause fluctuations in the price of such Cryptocurrency for wrongful gain or avoidance of loss;
4.2.3. Paying, offering or agreeing to pay or offer, directly or indirectly, to any person any money for inducing such person for dealing in any Cryptocurrency with the object of inflating, depressing, maintaining or causing fluctuation in the price of such Cryptocurrency;
4.2.4. Any act or omission amounting to manipulation of the price of a Cryptocurrency;
4.2.5. Publishing or causing to publish or reporting or causing to report by a person dealing in Cryptocurrencies any information which is not true or which he does not believe to be true prior to or in the course of dealing in Cryptocurrencies;
4.2.6. AMember or its Customer promising a certain price in respect of buying or selling of a Crypto to a Client and waiting till a discrepancy arises in the price of such Cryptocurrency and retaining the difference in prices as profit for itself;
4.2.7. AMember or its Customer providing its Clients with such information relating to a Cryptocurrency as cannot be verified by the Clients before their dealing in such Cryptocurrency;
4.2.8. An advertisement that is misleading or that contains information in a distorted manner and which may influence the decision of dealing in Cryptocurrencies and market participants;
4.2.9. AMember or its Customer reporting trading transactions to its Clients in an inflated manner in order to increase its commission and brokerage;
4.2.10. AMember or its Customer not disclosing to its Client transactions entered into on its behalf including taking a position;
4.2.11. Transactions in respect of a Cryptocurrency in order to provide a false appearance of trading in such Cryptocurrency or to inflate, depress or cause fluctuations in the price of such Cryptocurrency;
4.2.12. Encouraging the Clients by a Member or Customer to deal in Cryptocurrencies solely with the object of enhancing its brokerage or commission.
4.2.13. AMember or Customer buying or selling Cryptocurrencies in advance of a substantial Client order or whereby a futures position is taken about an impending transaction in the same or related Cryptocurrencies.
4.2.14. Publishing false or misleading news which may induce sale or purchase of Cryptocurrencies.
4.2.15. AMemberor Customerconducting its business or engage in any dealing intended to boost revenues or volumes artificially, or intended to manipulate market prices.
4.2.16. AMemberor Customercolluding with other market participants to affect the price or supply of any Cryptocurrency, allocate territories, Customers or products, or otherwise unlawfully restrain competition.
4.2.17. AMemberor Customerarranging and executing simultaneous offsetting buy and sell trades,i.e. with the same counterparty and price, Cryptocurrency, location and quantity terms, with an intent to artificially affect reported revenues, trading volumes, or prices.
4.2.18. Two or more Members or Customers trading in a Cryptocurrency back and forth to rack up commissions and give the impression of trading volume.
4.2.19. AMember or Customer in an attempt to make a short-term profit, confirms an order to a Client without actually executing it.
4.2.20. AMember or Customer engage in circular trading, wash trading, front running or any other act which in the opinion of the Board is detrimental to the business of the Exchange.
Where the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, Disciplinary Committee of the Exchange or any other authority established by the Exchange has reasonable ground to believe that
5.1. The transactions in Cryptocurrencies are being dealt with in a manner detrimental to the Exchange, Members, Customers, market participants or the Cryptocurrency market or the beneficiaries of the Exchange including farmers, producers, manufactures, traders or consumers in violation of these Rules;
5.2. Any Member, Customers, market participants or any person associated with the Exchange has violated any of the provisions of these Rules including Rules 3 and 4; it may, at any time by order in writing, direct the Disciplinary Committee to investigate the affairs of such Member, Customers or market participant and to report thereon to the Board.
The Disciplinary Committee shall have the following powers for the conduct of investigation against whom an investigation is ordered under Rule 3, namely:
6.1 To call for information or records;
6.2 To undertake inspection of any book, or register, or other document or record, which provide evidence on any manipulation or fraud in dealing in Cryptocurrency listed in the Exchange or any dealing Cryptocurrencies in other Exchange worldwide with an intention to commit fraud or manipulation of trade in the Exchange;
6.3 To direct to furnish such information to, or produce such books, or registers, or other documents, or record before it or any person authorized by it in this behalf as consider necessary if the furnishing of such information or the production of such books, or registers, or other documents, or record is relevant or necessary for the purposes of the investigation;
6.4 To keep in his custody any books, registers, other documents and record produced under this regulation for a maximum period of one month which may be extended up to a period of six months by the Board. Provided that the Disciplinary Committee may call for any book, register, other document or record if the same is needed again;
6.5 To examine orally and to record the statement and to take notes of such oral examination to be used as evidence.
It shall be the duty of every person in respect of whom an investigation has been ordered:
7.1. To produce to the Disciplinary Committee or any person authorized by it such books, accounts and other documents and record in its custody or control and to furnish such statements and information as the Disciplinary Committee may reasonably require for the purposes of the investigation;
7.2. To appear before the Disciplinary Committee personally when required to do so to answer any question which is put to him by the Disciplinary Committee;
7.3. Allow the Disciplinary Committee to have access to the premises occupied by such person at all reasonable times for the purpose of investigation;
7.4. Provide to Disciplinary Committee any such books, accounts and records which, in the opinion of the Disciplinary Committee, are relevant to the investigation or, as the case may be, allow him to take out computer out-prints thereof.
The Disciplinary Committee shall, on completion of investigation, after taking into account all relevant facts, submit a report to the Board; provided that the Disciplinary Committee may submit an interim report pending completion of investigations if it considers necessary and the Exchange or as directed by the Board.
The Board may, after consideration of the report referred to in rule 8, if satisfied that there is a violation of these Rules and after giving a reasonable opportunity of hearing to the person concerned, issue such directions or take such action as mentioned in Rule 10; provided that the Board may, in the interest of the Exchange, market participants and the Cryptocurrency market, pending the receipt of the report of Disciplinary Committee referred to in Rule 8,
9.1. Issue a warning or censure,
9.2. Suspend the Membership or registration of the Member, Customer or market participant or
9.3. Cancel theMembership or registration of the Member, Customeror market participant.
Provided further that the Board may, in the interest of Exchange, market participants and the Cryptocurrency market, dispense with the opportunity of pre-decisional hearing by recording reasons in writing and shall give an opportunity of post-decisional hearing to the persons concerned as expeditiously as possible.
The Board may by an order, for reasons to be recorded in writing, issue or take any one or more of the following actions or directions, either pending investigation or enquiry or on completion of such investigation or enquiry, namely:
10.1. Suspend the trading in Cryptocurrency found to be or prima-facie found to be involved in fraudulent and unfair trade practice in the exchange;
10.2. Restrain Member or its Customers from accessing the Automated Trading System of the Exchange and prohibit any Member or its Customers associated to buy, sell or deal in any Cryptocurrencies;
10.3. Impound and retain the proceeds of Cryptocurrencies which is in violation or prima facie in violation of these rules;
10.4. Direct any Member, Customeror any market participant with the dealing in Cryptocurrencies in the Exchange in any manner and not to dispose of or alienate an asset forming part of a fraudulent and unfair transaction:
10.5. Require the Member, Customer or person concerned to refrain from dealing in Cryptocurrencies in any particular manner;
10.6. Prohibit the Memberor Customerconcerned from disposing of any of the Cryptocurrencies acquired in contravention of these rules;
10.7. Direct the person concerned to dispose of any such Cryptocurrencies acquired in contravention of these rules, in such manner as the Board may deem fit, for restoring the status-quo ante;
10.8. Recover the funds withdrawn by a Member or the Customer in a fraudulent manner or by adopting unfair trade practice;
10.9. Suspend or cancel the Membership of the Member and registration of the Customer;
10.10. Suspend or cancel the employment, assignment, job, registration or any market participant or person engaged in the business of the Exchange.