Regulation

A federal judge has given Eric Council Jr., who pleaded not guilty to compromising the SEC's X account, permission to travel to North Carolina between Dec. 23 and Dec. 29.

Eric Council Jr., the individual who allegedly hacked the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s X account in January and posted a message suggesting that Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) had been approved, will be allowed to travel for the holidays. 

In a Dec. 13 filing with the US District Court for the District of Columbia, Judge Amy Berman Jackson said Council could travel to North Carolina with a third-party custodian between Dec. 23 and Dec. 29. The judge said the alleged hacker “must provide Pre-Trial Services with his precise itinerary and information concerning where he will be staying at least two business days before traveling.”

Council pleaded not guilty to hacking the SEC’s X account on Jan. 9 and posting a message suggesting that the commission had greenlighted spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs at a time when many in the industry expected a decision. The fake message, complete with a quote from SEC Chair Gary Gensler, shook markets before the commission officially approved the investment vehicles roughly 24 hours later.

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