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Category: United States

February 25, 2025

U.S. Court Upholds Elizabeth Holmes’ Fraud Conviction in Theranos Scandal

In a decisive ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has upheld the conviction of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, rejecting her appeal against multiple fraud charges linked to her now-defunct blood-testing startup. Holmes, who is currently serving a nine-year prison sentence, had sought to overturn her conviction on the grounds of alleged legal errors during her trial.

February 24, 2025

Investor Briefing: SEC vs. Coinbase – Case Dropped Amid Regulatory Shift

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a lawsuit against Coinbase in June 2023, alleging that the crypto exchange operated as an unregistered securities broker and exchange. However, recent developments indicate that the SEC has agreed in principle to drop the case, as confirmed by Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal.

February 18, 2025

SEC’s Sudden Crypto Pivot: Is Trump’s New Administration Behind the Coinbase Case Reversal?

In a significant shift signaling the dawn of a new era for crypto regulation in the U.S., the SEC has taken steps that could potentially resolve its high-profile enforcement case against Coinbase, one of the nation's leading crypto exchanges. This move comes hot on the heels of a similar action involving Binance and appears to be a direct consequence of the newly inaugurated, crypto-friendly administration under President Donald Trump.

January 30, 2025

CFTC Secures $451M Judgment Against Israeli Yukom Fraud Scheme—A Victory, but Justice Delayed

The U.S. CFTC has secured a massive $451 million judgment against the operators of the fraudulent Israeli binary options scheme linked to Yukom Communications. This enforcement action marks the culmination of years of global fraud facilitated by offshore entities and front companies, a network that FinTelegram has been exposing since its inception.

January 28, 2025

KuCoin Pleads Guilty: $297M Settlement and Management Changes in U.S. Crypto Crackdown!

Seychelles-based KuCoin, one of the largest crypto exchanges globally, pleaded guilty in the U.S. to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business and agreed to pay $297 million in fines and forfeitures. The settlement highlights failures in anti-money laundering (AML) and compliance practices, forcing KuCoin to exit the U.S. market for two years.

January 28, 2025

Ex-Archegos CFO Sentenced: Patrick Halligan Gets 8 Years After Wall Street Catastrophe

Patrick Halligan, the former CFO of Archegos Capital Management, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for his involvement in the firm’s catastrophic 2021 collapse, which inflicted over $10 billion in losses on Wall Street. Halligan's conviction follows that of Archegos founder Bill Hwang, who received an 18-year sentence in November. Both are appealing their convictions.

January 27, 2025

Kraken’s Defense Crumbles: SEC Scores Partial Victory in Court!

A California federal judge rejected Kraken’s “major questions doctrine” defense, marking a significant win for the SEC in its push to regulate the crypto industry under existing securities laws. However, Kraken’s “fair notice” defense will proceed, keeping its legal challenge alive. Kraken is one of the leading U.S. crypto exchanges.

January 16, 2025

SEC Sues Elon Musk Over Twitter Stock Purchases

Elon Musk faces fresh legal trouble as the SEC alleges he violated U.S. securities laws by failing to disclose his early 2022 Twitter stock purchases on time. By delaying the disclosure, Musk reportedly saved $150 million in additional costs. There is also an opinion in the market that the SEC's action is politically motivated, as Musk is known to be a close confidant and supporter of incoming President Donald Trump.

January 15, 2025

Compliance Analysis Report: Court Order Against Crypto Exchange BitMEX!

The crypto exchange BitMEX has been ordered to pay a $100 million fine for violations of U.S. anti-money laundering (AML) laws. This decision concludes a prolonged legal battle concerning BitMEX's non-compliance with regulatory requirements between 2015 and 2020. This case highlights the growing enforcement actions against crypto platforms that fail to implement adequate AML measures.

January 15, 2025

DOJ Charges Operators of Crypto Mixers with Money Laundering

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged three Russian nationals with operating cryptocurrency mixing services Blender.io and Sinbad.io, alleging they laundered over $700 million in illicit proceeds. This case highlights the increasing misuse of crypto mixers by cybercriminals, including ransomware groups and state-sponsored actors, to obfuscate their transactions and evade detection.

January 14, 2025

Gemini Trust Slapped with $5 Million Penalty for Misleading CFTC

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has issued a $5 million fine to Gemini Trust Company LLC for making false or misleading statements during a 2017 bitcoin futures contract certification process. The order stems from the CFTC’s July 2, 2022, complaint against Gemini Trust. The case highlights the importance of truthfulness in regulatory disclosures.

January 14, 2025

Crypto Fraud Unveiled: Mosaic Exchange and CEO Hit with $1.1M Penalty for Crypto Scheme

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has secured a $1.1M judgment against Mosaic Exchange Ltd. and its CEO, Sean Michael, for running a fraudulent digital asset scheme that targeted 18 victims globally. The judgment exposes their misuse of funds, false profit claims, and deceptive practices. The orders stem from the CFTC’s three-count fraud complaint filed Sept. 26, 2023.

Despite New Crypto Friendlyness: No Settlement Between U.S. CFTC And KuCoin?

A planned settlement between the U.S.CFTC and crypto exchange KuCoin is now in limbo due to a reported policy shift within the CFTC. This change is attributed to the Trump administration’s new approach, which deprioritizes enforcement actions against crypto companies. As a result, a CFTC attorney said that it is "unlikely that such authorization will be granted in the near term" regarding the settlement approval.

SEC’s New Era: Paul Atkins Sworn In—Will Crypto Finally Get the Regulatory Clarity It Deserves?

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has entered a new chapter with the swearing-in of Paul S. Atkins as its 34th Chairman, a move widely anticipated to mark a dramatic pivot in how the agency approaches crypto and DeFi regulation. For years, the financial industry—especially the burgeoning digital asset sector—has bristled under the SEC’s “Regulation by Enforcement” strategy.

Crypto Mogul Changpeng Zhao – Fallen, Rich, and Rising Again?

As spring 2025 blooms and Easter’s themes of rebirth fill the air, Changpeng Zhao emerges as one of the most controversial figures of startup mythology: a man who fell spectacularly, paid a price—then rose again, wealthier and louder than ever. Once the almighty architect of Binance, CZ now resides in Dubai with a net worth that Forbes estimates at $63 billion.

Prison Update: Sam Bankman-Fried Transferred to Low-Security Federal Prison in Los Angeles!

Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), the founder of the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has been transferred to the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Terminal Island in Los Angeles, California. This low-security facility is known for housing non-violent offenders and has previously held notable inmates such as Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani, former COO of Theranos.

Startup on Trial: Celsius Network and Alex Mashinsky – When Deception Dressed Up as DeFi Innovation!

Celsius Network promised financial freedom through crypto, only to collapse into one of the most catastrophic failures in the DeFi sector. Founder Alex Mashinsky portrayed himself as the champion of the unbanked—yet behind the scenes, Celsius engaged in reckless trading strategies, misled customers, and operated more like a hedge fund than a lending platform.