Regal Commodities v Tauber: New York Court Hands Commodity Traders a New Shield New York’s Appellate Division just told commodity brokers they can’t collect on oral promises when the customer never signed the risk-disclosure forms the law requires. The decision hands retail traders a new defense and puts brokerages on notice that handshake deals will…
Arthur Hayes Calls CLARITY Act “Nonsense” as Bitcoin Tops $80K Arthur Hayes has criticized the CLARITY Act, describing the legislation as “nonsense” as Bitcoin rose above $80,000. Hayes’ comments place renewed attention on the debate over how digital assets should be regulated. The CLARITY Act is referenced in connection with that broader policy discussion, while…
CFTC WINS RARE MANDAMUS WIN AGAINST KRAFT The Seventh Circuit has ordered a district judge to hand over internal Kraft documents that the CFTC claims show the company manipulated wheat futures in 2011. The ruling strips away a long-standing shield that let corporations bury evidence under broad attorney-client claims, and it signals that regulators probing…
Court Halts MDL Push in Crypto Class Actions Three federal lawsuits accusing a major digital-asset exchange of selling unregistered securities have been denied a single-judge consolidation, leaving each case on its own docket for now. The panel’s refusal to centralize the suits signals that courts still view crypto disputes as too fact-specific for blanket handling,…
Court Slams SEC Overreach—Crypto Gets Breathing Room The Fifth Circuit just clipped the SEC’s wings in a ruling that could reshape how digital assets are policed. By vacating the agency’s attempt to expand its reach without clear statutory authority, the court handed crypto markets a rare moment of legal clarity. The decision signals that regulators…
Revolut Hackers Demand $3M Monero Ransom, Threaten to Sell Customer Data: Report Hackers targeting Revolut are reportedly demanding a $3 million ransom in Monero and threatening to sell customer data if their demands are not met. The reported demand highlights the continuing use of cryptocurrency in extortion campaigns, where attackers seek payment in digital assets…
COURT SLAMS CFTC IN MONEX CASE, UPHOLDS KEY COMMODITY EXEMPTION The Ninth Circuit just handed the CFTC a stinging defeat in its seven-year campaign against Monex Credit, ruling that the agency lacks authority to police leveraged metals trades that never touch actual futures contracts. In a 2-1 decision, the court slammed the brakes on an…
COURT HANDS KITCHEN A DEFEAT — AND CFTC A WIN The D.C. Circuit just told former crypto trader Trevor Kitchen that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission can punish him for trading unregistered Bitcoin swaps, even though Kitchen claimed the agency lacked jurisdiction. In a crisp, 14-page opinion, the three-judge panel upheld a $450,000 civil penalty…
Scammers Use Fake USDT Tokens to Steal From Venezuelan Merchants Scammers are increasingly sending counterfeit cryptocurrency tokens that impersonate well-known stablecoins such as Tether (USDT), exploiting the way many merchants and consumers use stablecoins for everyday payments. The FBI’s Denver field office has warned that criminals are creating imitation tokens and distributing them to victims…
OpenAI Says It Has Made Progress on a Second $1 Million Math Problem OpenAI says it has made progress toward solving a second mathematics problem associated with a $1 million prize. The announcement highlights the company’s ongoing work on advanced mathematical reasoning. However, no further details about the problem, the nature of the progress, or…
CFTC WINS CRYPTO JURISDICTION FIGHT IN NINTH CIRCUIT The Ninth Circuit just handed the CFTC a sweeping win, ruling that a man who peddled “bitcoin mining contracts” was selling illegal commodity futures without registration. The decision makes clear that the CFTC—not the SEC—now owns the regulatory hammer for most bitcoin-linked investment schemes, and that courts…
U.S. Judge Greenlights Crypto Wallet Seizures in IRS Probe Federal agents just cleared a legal hurdle to freeze digital wallets. A D.C. district judge ruled the government can keep its hands on twenty-four crypto accounts tied to an IRS tax probe, even though the owners remain unknown. The decision widens the net for investigators hunting…
SEC Swings at Binance Again—Misses the Knockout Punch A federal judge in Washington just refused to hand the SEC an early win against Binance, ruling that the agency cannot yet force the crypto giant to hand over its customer data. The decision keeps Binance in business while the broader fight over whether its tokens qualify…
CFTC Kicks Off Crypto Rulemaking, Bypassing a Stalled Congress The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has begun work on crypto-related rules, moving ahead as efforts in Congress remain stalled. The development places the CFTC at the center of the United States’ continuing effort to establish a regulatory framework for digital assets. Rather than waiting for new…
Court Slams Delaware Company Over Crypto Token Sale Delaware Superior Court just handed down a verdict that could reshape how token issuers and investors approach crypto fundraising in the state. The ruling finds that Diamond Fortress Technologies Inc. and its founder Charles Hatcher II breached their fiduciary duties when they sold crypto tokens to a…
SEC Suffers Fresh Courtroom Loss on Bitcoin ETF Denial Grayscale Investments just handed the SEC a stinging defeat in federal court, forcing the agency to revisit its blanket rejection of spot Bitcoin ETFs. The D.C. Circuit ruled that the Commission failed to explain why it approved Bitcoin futures ETFs while rejecting Grayscale’s spot product, exposing…
CFTC’s “Trading Advisor” Win Slams Unregistered Crypto Shops The Seventh Circuit just handed the CFTC its first appellate ruling on whether unregistered crypto operators can be treated as commodity trading advisors, and the answer is yes. James Donelson’s unregistered Telegram signals group—where he charged clients for Bitcoin and Ether trade calls—now counts as a CTA,…
How the Clarity Act’s Defeat Handed the SEC and CFTC the Wheel on Crypto The defeat of the Clarity Act left the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) at the center of crypto oversight. Rather than establishing a new legislative framework for digital assets, the failed bill left the…
Court Slaps Coinbase in SEC Showdown The Third Circuit just shut down Coinbase’s bid to force the SEC into court over crypto rules. Judges ruled that the agency’s refusal to launch a formal rulemaking process on digital assets is not something Coinbase can challenge right now. The decision keeps the agency’s hands free and leaves…
Real stocks are finally coming on blockchain. Here’s how the SEC wants it to work No supporting details were provided beyond the headline, so the SEC’s proposed approach, affected companies, and implementation timeline cannot be described accurately without adding information that is not in the source material.
