Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried Pleads Not Guilty to Criminal Charges, Bond Signees’ Names Remain Sealed 

On Jan. 3, 2023, the former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) pleaded not guilty to eight criminal charges that involve two counts of wire fraud and six counts of conspiracy. In addition to the not guilty plea, SBF’s judge Lewis Kaplan granted the defendant’s request to keep the names of his $250 million bond signees … Read more

Central Bank of Turkey Reports First Payment Transactions on Digital Lira Network

The Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT) has conducted the first payment transactions on the test network of the digital lira. The monetary authority intends to proceed with more testing in 2023 and plans to invite banks and fintech companies to join the trials. Turkey to Widen Participation in Digital Lira Project, Focus … Read more

BTC-e’s Alexander Vinnik Applies for Release on Bail Citing Trial Delay

The alleged operator of crypto exchange BTC-e, Alexander Vinnik, has asked to be released on bail due to the delay in court proceedings. In early August, the Russian IT specialist was extradited to the United States to face charges of money laundering through the now-defunct coin trading platform. Vinnik’s Defense Appeals for His Release on … Read more

The Crypto 6 Case Heads to Trial With Only 1 Defendant Left, Prosecutor’s So-Called ‘Expert’ Excluded

On Dec. 6, 2022, the “Crypto Six” case will be heading to trial, and out of all six defendants, only Ian Freeman, co-host of the radio broadcast Free Talk Live, has not accepted a plea bargain. According to the most recent hearing, Freeman’s legal counsel filed a Daubert motion, which aims to exclude the government’s … Read more

Onecoin Cryptoqueen Associates Appear in German Court

Three people are facing trial in Germany for their roles in one of the crypto world’s most infamous scams, Onecoin. The defendants are accused of fraud, among other crimes, allegedly committed as they assisted the pyramid scheme’s mastermind, ‘Cryptoqueen’ Ruja Ignatova, who is still on the run. Lawyer and Couple Face Criminal Allegations in Germany … Read more

Hong Kong to Start Testing Digital Currency in Coming Months

China’s special administrative region of Hong Kong is going to trial а digital version of its dollar as early as this year, in preparation for eventual roll-out. The territory is trying to catch up with those that are already launching central bank digital currencies, including the People’s Republic with its digital yuan project. Trials of … Read more

Sanctioned Russian Bank Tests In-app Operations With Digital Rubles

A Russian bank, one of the country’s largest by assets, has conducted a successful trial with digital ruble transactions processed through its mobile app. The state-owned Promsvyazbank was one the institutions placed under Western sanctions earlier this year in connection with Moscow’s actions in Ukraine. Russian Bank Experiments With Digital Ruble Transfers via Mobile Application … Read more

Alleged BTC-e Operator Alexander Vinnik in US Custody After Immediate Extradition From Greece

Russian IT specialist Alexander Vinnik, accused of owning and running the infamous crypto exchange BTC-e, has been handed over to the U.S. This week, Greek authorities proceeded with the extradition, after his return from France, despite Vinnik’s defense protesting the move and calling the case a “judicial, diplomatic and humanitarian scandal.” Vinnik Appears in San … Read more

Billion Dollar Bitcoin Lawsuit Verdict Appealed — Self-Proclaimed Bitcoin Inventor Expects a Win

The law firm representing Ira Kleiman has sent a notice of appeal to the Florida District Court in an attempt to appeal the court’s rejection of a Kleiman v. Wright retrial. The self-proclaimed Bitcoin inventor, Craig Wright, was cleared of all charges at the end of the Kleiman v. Wright trial, except one count of … Read more

Russian Banks Begin Testing Digital Ruble Payments

Banks in Russia are preparing to dive into the pilot phase of the digital ruble project and some are already testing transactions with the currency. Trials have started with customer-to-customer (C2C) payments and Bank of Russia plans to expand the types of operations in the future. Digital Ruble Pilot Launches With 12 Participating Banks The … Read more