Marathon Digital Ordered to Pay $138M for Contract Breach

A federal court jury in Los Angeles has awarded Michael Ho $138 million after finding crypto mining firm Marathon Digital Holdings Inc. guilty of breaching a Non-Disclosure/Non-Circumvention Agreement. Ho had shared proprietary information about a large-scale energy supplier with Marathon, which had agreed not to bypass him. However, Marathon circumvented Ho and engaged directly with … Read more

Tokyo Stock Exchange-Listed Metaplanet Completes 1 Billion Yen Bitcoin Purchase

Metaplanet Inc. announced on July 22 the purchase of an additional 200 million yen worth of bitcoin, amounting to 20.381 BTC. This latest acquisition completes the company’s 1 billion yen ($6.4 million) bitcoin purchase plan, which was initially disclosed on June 24. With this final purchase, Metaplanet’s total bitcoin holdings now stand at 245.992 BTC. … Read more

South Korea’s FSC Nominee Says Past Crypto Chaos Calls for Strong Investor Protection

Kim Byoung-hwan, the nominee for head of South Korea’s top financial regulator, the Financial Services Commission (FSC), expressed caution about corporations holding bank accounts for cryptocurrency transactions. Speaking at a parliamentary session on Monday, Kim, a former vice finance minister, emphasized: “Taking into consideration the chaos we have experienced in the virtual asset market in … Read more

SEC Extends Review Period for Bitcoin Trust Options Trading Proposals

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced an extension for its decision on proposed rule changes from various self-regulatory organizations regarding the listing and trading of options on trusts holding bitcoin. The organizations involved include Box Exchange LLC, Cboe Exchange Inc., Miax International Securities Exchange LLC, Miax Pearl LLC, Nasdaq ISE LLC, and … Read more

Delhi Police Arrest 7 in Crypto Fraud

Delhi police have arrested seven individuals, including a contractual bank employee, for allegedly defrauding a man of ₹91 lakh ($111,000) by promising high returns in stock and cryptocurrency trading. The suspects, identified as Ajay, Mohit, Shankar, Partyaksh Koshar, Manish Jawla, Shrayance Pandit, and Dinesh, created fictitious bank accounts and sold them to other fraudsters. Deputy … Read more

New Virtual Asset Protection Act Takes Effect in South Korea

South Korea’s Act on the Protection of Virtual Asset Users went into effect on July 19, 2024, aiming to protect users and ensure market stability. Initially revised in 2021 to mandate virtual asset service providers (VASPs) to register and adhere to anti-money laundering regulations, it became evident that further measures were necessary to combat unfair … Read more

Former Finance VP Pleads Guilty to Embezzling $4 Million From Crypto Firm

Dylan Meissner, 31, of Westport, has pleaded guilty to fraud in Hartford federal court, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced. Meissner, a former Vice President of Finance at a cryptocurrency research firm, admitted to stealing over $4 million from his employer. Starting in January 2022, Meissner secured a $170,000 loan in ethereum from his … Read more

2 Foreign Nationals Plead Guilty in Lockbit Ransomware Case

Two foreign nationals pleaded guilty in Newark federal court regarding their participation in the Lockbit ransomware organization, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed on Thursday. Russian citizen Ruslan Magomedovich Astamirov and Mikhail Vasiliev, a dual citizen of Canada and Russia, were identified as members of the Lockbit group. Active since January 2020, this group … Read more

SEC and 100 Agencies Form Council to Combat Securities Fraud

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has established the Interagency Securities Council (ISC) to enhance coordination among federal, state, and local agencies on securities fraud. The ISC aims to improve fraud prevention, share insights on emerging threats, and foster a unified approach to combating financial fraud. Quarterly meetings will address trends, scams, and mitigation … Read more

Chinese Billionaire Convicted of Racketeering and Wire Fraud in US

Exiled Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui, also known as Miles Guo, has been convicted by a U.S. jury on charges including racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud. Guo defrauded followers of over $1 billion, primarily through false investment schemes in cryptocurrency. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams stated that Guo faces decades in prison. His fraudulent activities funded a … Read more