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SEC seeks $5.3B judgment against Terraform Labs and Do Kwon

After a jury found Terraform Labs and Do Kwon liable for fraud in its case with the SEC, the commission filed a motion requesting $5.3 billion in disgorgement and civil penalties.

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a motion requesting billions of dollars in disgorgement and civil penalties against Terraform Labs and its co-founder Do Kwon following a verdict in its civil case.

In an April 19 filing in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the SEC requested Kwon and Terraform pay roughly $4.7 billion in disgorgement and prejudgment interest after the civil case ruling, as well as a combined $520 million in civil penalties — $420 million from Terraform and $100 million from Kwon. The commission, Terraform and Kwon filed their briefs for potential remedies in the civil case simultaneously, with the crypto firm suggesting a maximum civil penalty of $3.5 million and Kwon proposing only $800,000.

In addition to the monetary judgment, the SEC proposed barring Kwon from serving as an officer or director of a securities issuer and providing complete details of his accounts and assets. If approved, Terraform would also have a “conduct-based injunction” imposed on the firm to prevent “engaging in essentially the same behavior that led to the massive fraud.” The proposed remedies and civil judgment have yet to be ruled on by a judge. 

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OneCoin lawyer gets bail pending appeal for conviction and 10-year sentence

Judge Edgardo Ramos determined that Mark Scott was not “likely to flee or pose a danger to the safety of any other person or the community if allowed to remain on bail.”

Mark Scott, a lawyer connected to the OneCoin crypto scheme recently convicted for fraud and money laundering, has been granted bail pending an appeal of his case.

In an April 18 filing in United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Judge Edgardo Ramos approved bail for Scott three months after sentencing the lawyer to prison for 10 years. A portion of the court filing had been redacted regarding Scott’s health issues, which his legal team argued did not make him a flight risk.

“Based on the record before the Court, given Scott’s medical conditions and because he has not been charged with a violent crime, the Court does not find that Scott is likely to flee or pose a danger to the safety of any other person or the community if allowed to remain on bail,” said Judge Ramos.

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GuildFi rebrands to Zentry with a 1-for-10 token split

Binance co-founder He Yi says CZ received ‘most optimal outcome’

The mother of CZ’s children sought to dispel concerns about the former CEO’s fate as he awaits sentencing in the United States.

Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, often known as CZ, is in a “positive situation,” according to the cryptocurrency exchange’s co-founder He Yi. CZ is set for sentencing in the United States on one felony charge on April 30.

Yi “dispelled concerns over the regulatory status” at the Binance Chinese Meetup held on the sideline of the Token2049 conference in Dubai, according to the company’s newsfeed. The post did not quote her directly, but added Yi said that:

When he is sentenced in the District Court of Western Washington, CZ could receive a prison term of up to 10 years. The sentence recommended in the guidelines is 12 to 18 months. The single charge resulted from a settlement reached in November that also required the company to forfeit $4.3 billion. That settlement forced CZ to resign as Binance CEO.

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GuildFi rebrands to Zentry with a 1-for-10 token split

Former Ethereum dev Virgil Griffith asks for resentencing in North Korea case

Griffith’s attorneys are asking for a sentence reduction from 63 months to 51 months or less.

Former Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith, who was handed a 63-month prison term in 2022 for assisting North Korea in using blockchain technology, has requested a sentence reduction. 

The plea was made in a letter from Glen Garrett McGorty, an attorney representing Virgil Griffith, to Judge Kevin Castel of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on April 17.

The letter requests that the court revise Griffith’s sentence based on newly enacted revisions to U.S. sentencing guidelines, which provide a two-point offense level reduction for certain “zero-point” offenders.

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GuildFi rebrands to Zentry with a 1-for-10 token split

Mango Markets exploiter trial heads to jury

Avi Eisenberg could face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty of commodities fraud and manipulation related to his alleged October 2022 exploit of Mango Markets.

A jury has begun deliberations for charges related to market manipulation and fraud following an alleged $110 million exploit of the Mango Markets decentralized exchange by Avraham “Avi” Eisenberg.

On April 17 in United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Judge Richard Berman excused the jury for the day following closing arguments by prosecutors and defense attorneys. The individuals will continue deliberations tomorrow on whether to find Eisenberg guilty of commodities fraud and commodities manipulation after a two-week trial.

In October 2022, Eisenberg allegedly executed a series of large purchases on Mango Markets to artificially raise the price of the token relative to USD Coin (USDC), then withdrew the assets from the platform. U.S. authorities arrested Eisenberg in Puerto Rico in December 2022, claiming he “willfully and knowingly” engaged in a scheme involving manipulating the price of perpetual futures on Mango Markets.

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GuildFi rebrands to Zentry with a 1-for-10 token split

Coinbase Seeking To File Interlocutory Appeal in SEC Lawsuit on ‘Investment Contract’ Definition

Coinbase Seeking To File Interlocutory Appeal in SEC Lawsuit on ‘Investment Contract’ Definition

Top US crypto exchange Coinbase is looking to file an interlocutory appeal in its lawsuit with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding the definition of an “investment contract.” In a new thread, Coinbase chief legal officer Paul Grewal says that the crypto exchange is filing an interlocutory appeal because they and the SEC […]

The post Coinbase Seeking To File Interlocutory Appeal in SEC Lawsuit on ‘Investment Contract’ Definition appeared first on The Daily Hodl.

GuildFi rebrands to Zentry with a 1-for-10 token split

Sam Bankman-Fried’s Lawyers Push for Maximum 78-Month Sentence, Say Recommended 100 Years Is ‘Grotesque’

Sam Bankman-Fried’s Lawyers Push for Maximum 78-Month Sentence, Say Recommended 100 Years Is ‘Grotesque’

Sam Bankman-Fried’s legal team is seeking a lighter-than-recommended sentence for the convicted founder of the bankrupt crypto exchange platform FTX. In a new court filing, Bankman-Fried’s lawyers say they disagree with the Presentence Investigation Report (PSR) recommendation that the former executive should be sentenced to 100 years behind bars. The PSR – which is prepared […]

The post Sam Bankman-Fried’s Lawyers Push for Maximum 78-Month Sentence, Say Recommended 100 Years Is ‘Grotesque’ appeared first on The Daily Hodl.

GuildFi rebrands to Zentry with a 1-for-10 token split

Binance’s Legal Defense Against US Securities Regulator Pushed Back to Next Week Due to Snow: Report

Binance’s Legal Defense Against US Securities Regulator Pushed Back to Next Week Due to Snow: Report

Crypto exchange Binance’s legal defense against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has reportedly been delayed due to heavy snowfall. According to a new report by Reuters, Binance’s legal defense against the regulatory agency, which was originally slated for today, has been pushed back until January 22. Binance’s legal defense largely hinges on challenging […]

The post Binance’s Legal Defense Against US Securities Regulator Pushed Back to Next Week Due to Snow: Report appeared first on The Daily Hodl.

GuildFi rebrands to Zentry with a 1-for-10 token split

U.S. Prosecutors Won’t Pursue Second Trial Against FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried: Report

U.S. Prosecutors Won’t Pursue Second Trial Against FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried: Report

U.S. prosecutors are reportedly not pursuing a second trial against disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. According to a new report by Reuters, in a recently penned letter to a federal court in Manhattan, the prosecutors say that the benefits of a second trial outweigh the public’s strong interest in a prompt resolution in the case […]

The post U.S. Prosecutors Won’t Pursue Second Trial Against FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried: Report appeared first on The Daily Hodl.

GuildFi rebrands to Zentry with a 1-for-10 token split

SEC responds predictably to Coinbase’s 2022 crypto rulemaking petition: No

The existing laws are sufficient, and the agency is already doing what it considers necessary, according to Chair Gensler.

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission has denied a Coinbase petition for rulemaking on transactions with cryptocurrencies that are securities. Coinbase filed the petition in July 2022 and pushed steadily for a response.

SEC Chair Gary Gensler announced the commission’s decision in a Dec. 15 statement. He gave three reasons for denying Coinbase’s petition, which requested “rules to govern the regulation of securities that are offered and traded via digitally native methods, including potential rules to identify which digital assets are securities.”

Gensler first argued that existing laws and regulations already apply to crypto. His phrasing was nuanced:

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GuildFi rebrands to Zentry with a 1-for-10 token split