Legal

SEC Accuses LBRY of Selling Unregistered Securities

Krasimir Buchvarov - March 30, 2021

The SEC has requested a permanent injunction against LBRY, prohibiting it from further selling its LBC token.
The decentralized content publishing platform has echoed Ripple's statement that these lawsuits were a "tremendous threat" to the entire crypto industry.

Lawsuits

Sign at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, DC, 17 July 2015. Shutterstock

Krasimir Buchvarov - March 30, 2021

The SEC has requested a permanent injunction against LBRY, prohibiting it from further selling its LBC token.
The decentralized content publishing platform has echoed Ripple's statement that these lawsuits were a "tremendous threat" to the entire crypto industry.

Bitcoin

Justitia, the Roman goddess of justice. Shutterstock

Florida Teen Pleads Guilty to Twitter Bitcoin Scam

Andjela Radmilac - March 17, 2021

The teenager tricked Twitter employees into giving him access to the customer service portal.
Alongside two accomplices, the teen defrauded people out of $118,000 worth of BTC.

Lawsuits

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BitMEX Executive Surrenders to U.S. Authorities, Pleads Not Guilty

Krasimir Buchvarov - March 16, 2021

Ben Delo has pleaded not guilty to charges of violating U.S. anti-money laundering laws, and was granted a $20 million bail.
Delo, Arthur Hayes and Samuel Reed have all agreed to cooperate with U.S. authorities, while Gregory Dwyer continues to remain at large.

Exchanges

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Bitfinex, Tether to Cease Operations in NY, Pay $18.5M Fine

Andjela Radmilac - February 23, 2021

After settling with the Office of the New York Attorney General, Bitfinex and Tether were ordered to introduce transparency measures.
Alongside a hefty fine, the companies will have to ensure the OAG that their corporate and client accounts remain segregated.

Exchanges

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Mt. Gox Creditors Could Soon Claim 90% of Remaining Bitcoins

Andjela Radmilac - January 16, 2021

A new deal between Mt. Gox's trustee and Fortress will enable creditors to claim 90% of the exchange's remaining Bitcoin.
If the majority of creditors agree, they would be reimbursed directly from the Mt. Gox trust.

Lawsuits

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Visa & Plaid’s Merger Blocked by DoJ Antitrust Suit

Krasimir Buchvarov - January 13, 2021

The U.S. DoJ has alleged that Visa was using the acquisition to snuff out its competition.
The planned $5.3 billion acquisition was canceled almost one year after it was announced.

Exchanges

Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, speaking at Fortune Brainstorm TECH 2013 in Aspen, United States on July 23, 2013. Stuart Isett/Fortune Brainstorm TECH

Damage Done: Coinbase is Delisting XRP

Nikolay Nikov - December 29, 2020

The avalanche of XRP delistings seems to have arrived, as Coinbase has just announced that the asset will not be tradeable on their platform after January 19.
The larger cryptocurrency community is torn on the issue, while XRP has lost two thirds of its price within ten days.

Lawsuits

Securities and Exchange Commission symbol on a building. Money Crashers.

SEC Sues Ripple Over $1.3B Unregistered Securities Offering

Krasimir Buchvarov - December 23, 2020

The regulator has accused Ripple of raising more than $1.3 billion in an "unregistered, ongoing digital asset securities offering".
The question if XRP is a security has been up in the air for years now, and we might soon get an answer.

Fraud

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Founder of Centra Tech Sentenced to Prison for ICO Scam

Andjela Radmilac - December 16, 2020

Robert Farkas was sentenced to one year in prison for conducting an illegal ICO.
Farkas and other Centra Tech founders defrauded investors out of $25 million in 2017.

Legal

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Donald Trump is Considering Clemency for Ross Ulbricht

Nikolay Nikov - December 16, 2020

The initiative to free Ross Ulbricht has gained massive support throughout the years, with some White House insiders being known supporters of the cause.
No official source has confirmed the information, sources for the Daily Beast are anonymous.

Initial Coin Offerings

United States Securities and Exchange commission logo on entrance of DC building near H street in Washington, DC on 22 September 2018. Shutterstock

U.S. Court Orders Blockvest to Pay $700K

Krasimir Buchvarov - December 14, 2020

The firm had made false claims to have received regulatory approval from various agencies, one of which was fabricated.
Blockvest and its founder will need to pay $696,000 in civil penalties, and abide by a number of restraints and conditions moving forward.

Legal

Alexander Vinnik escorted to the Supreme Court to examine the request of the U.S. for extradition - Athens, Greece on 15 November 2017. Alexandros Michailidis

BTC-e Operator Alexander Vinnik Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison

Krasimir Buchvarov - December 7, 2020

A French court has found the Russian national guilty of money laundering "as part of an organized criminal group".
The court decided to drop the other charges of extortion, conspiracy, and the development of the ransomware known as Locky.

Patents

The United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, VA, USA on June 30, 2018. Shutterstock

CipherTrace Files Patent For Monero-Tracking Technology

Krasimir Buchvarov - November 23, 2020

This is the second patent filing from the blockchain analytics firm that outlines a Monero tracking technology.
Both applications are the result of the firm's work with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which began in 2019.

Legal

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse speaks onstage during Day 1 of TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2018 at Moscone Center on September 5, 2018 in San Francisco, California. Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch

Ripple Continues To File For Trademarks In The U.S.

Krasimir Buchvarov - November 13, 2020

Last week the firm filed for yet another trademark, PayString, though the lack of information leaves us guessing what it will be used for.
2020 has been a busy year for Ripple, as can be seen from the USPTO website, which shows the company has filed for 11 trademarks throughout the year.

Legal

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