SEC: ICO Tokens Should Be Regulated as Securities, Not BitcoinChairman Clayton described a “complicated area,” one in which he divides between bitcoin as a currency and ICOs. Bitcoin, Chairman Clayton said, has “been determined by most people to not be a security.”
Tokens used to finance projects, such as tokens that are issued in the fundraising process of an ICO, however, are different.
https://www.ccn.com/sec-ico-tokens-not-bitcoin-should-be-regulated-as-securities/ This has been the stance of the SEC for quite some time. They did not press charges against DAO, but nevertheless they did say that the DAO should have followed all guidelines relating to securities. They also have vigorously pursued a few ICO operators. So there is nothing new in the chairman's views.