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Binance wants the court to know US government’s position on USDC

The U.S. government’s arguments on stablecoins in an unrelated criminal case could bolster Binance’s position in its civil case with the SEC.

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance and former CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao have filed notice with the court in its case with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to establish the government’s position on stablecoins as a security.

In an April 25 filing in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, lawyers for Binance and CZ filed a Notice of Supplemental Authority, bringing the court’s attention to the U.S. government’s arguments in its criminal case against Mango Markets exploiter Avraham Eisenberg. In that case, prosecutors argued there was “no factual basis” for treating USD Coin (USDC) as a security or putting the question to a jury.

The Justice Department used the argument against USDC as a security in its case against Eisenberg, who was found guilty of fraud and market manipulation on April 18. Having the government claim that a stablecoin was not a security seemingly under the SEC’s regulatory reach could bolster Binance’s arguments in the civil case. 

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Do Kwon appeals Montenegrin court decision, claiming ‘unfounded and illegal’ interpretation

The question of the Terraform co-founder’s extradition to either the U.S. or South Korea has been bouncing between lower and higher courts in Montenegro for months.

Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon’s legal saga continues with reports of his lawyers filing an appeal against a high court decision that pthe question of his extradition to the United States or South Korea to Montenegro’s justice minister.

According to an April 23 report from Montenegrin news outlet Vijesti, Kwon’s legal team filed an appeal against an April 8 decision from the High Court in Podgorica, which would have allowed Justice Minister Andrej Milović to decide on the Terraform co-founder’s extradition. That high court decision came in response to Montenegro’s Supreme Court approving a request for a protection of legality after a lower court ruled Kwon could be extradited to South Korea.

Kwon’s lawyers reportedly called the high court decision “unfounded and illegal” and a “bizarre” interpretation of the law. It’s unclear if the appeal will stay the question of Kwon’s extradition, which has been bouncing between lower and higher courts for months as his legal team files motions and appeals regarding procedure.

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Binance founder should be jailed for 36 months, US prosecutors say

Binance founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao is expected to be sentenced on April 30 after pleading guilty to money laundering in November 2023.

As the United States authorities are preparing to give a sentence to Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao on April 30, prosecutors have requested jail time for the former CEO. 

Binance founder Zhao should serve 36 months in prison after pleading guilty to violating laws against money laundering, U.S. prosecutors said in a court filing on April 23.

“Given the magnitude of Zhao’s willful violation of U.S. law and its consequences, an above-guideline sentence of 36 months is warranted,” the prosecutors wrote in the filing to the U.S. district court for the Western District of Washington.

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Binance exec will remain in Nigerian custody until May 17 bail hearing: Report

The question of Tigran Gambaryan’s bail in Nigeria was expected to be addressed in an April 22 hearing, which has reportedly been pushed back to May 17.

Tigran Gambaryan, a Binance executive detained in Nigeria since February, will reportedly remain in custody until a bail hearing on May 17.

According to April 23 reports from local news outlets, Gambaryan will remain in Nigeria’s Kuje prison until at least May 17, when a judge will decide whether to grant the Binance executive bail. He initially traveled to Nigeria in February with fellow Binance executive Nadeem Anjarwalla to address claims the exchange manipulated the country’s fiat currency, the naira. Nigerian authorities detained both Binance executives as the crypto exchange announced that it intended to cease all naira transactions.

Gambaryan was expected to return to court on April 19 following an initial postponement, and the question of bail was to be addressed on April 22. He has pleaded not guilty to tax evasion and money laundering charges brought by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, with a trial scheduled for May 2.

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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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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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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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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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$2,700,000 To Be Given Away, No Strings Attached, As Google-Backed Guaranteed Income Pilot Prepares for Launch

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.

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