The names of two guarantors who signed off on part of Sam Bankman-Fried’s $250 million bail bond will continue to remain a secret for now. A judge has also rejected an agreement that would have permitted Bankman-Fried to use certain messaging apps. Bankman Fried’s lawyers filed an appeal to block the release of the guarantors' names last-minute on Feb. 7. The appeal did not contain further arguments against the disclosure but it will prevent the order from being enforced until Feb. 14 to allow for an application for a further stay. The appeal was expected after a Jan. 30 ruling …

The CEO of crypto miner Layer1 Technologies has filed a lawsuit against the firm’s two other board members — including co-founder Jakov Dolic — for allegedly commandeering Layer1's operations for their own gain. Chief executive John Harney and DGF Investments Inc — a British Virgin Islands-based investment firm — filed the lawsuit against Dolic and fellow board member Tobias Ebel in Delaware’s Chancery Court on Feb. 2. The lawsuit alleges that both Dolic and Ebel used a power vacuum at Layer1’s equity parent Enigma to seize control of the Bitcoin mining company and operate it as their own personal fiefdom.” …

A former product manager at cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has moved to dismiss charges of alleged insider trading, with his lawyers arguing the tokens he allegedly traded were not securities. Lawyers representing ex-Coinbase employee, Ishan Wahi, and his brother, Nikhil Wahi, filed a motion on Feb. 6 in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington to dismiss charges laid b the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In July last year, the SEC charged the brothers and their associate, Sameer Ramani, with insider trading alleging the trio made $1.1 million using Ishan’s tips on the timing and names …

The creator of the nonfungible token (NFT) collection Bored Ape Yacht Club has settled a lawsuit with one of the developers behind a copycat collection known as RR/BAYC. On Feb. 6, Yuga Labs settled a lawsuit that involved Thomas Lehman, the developer of websites and a smart contract selling “misleading” BAYC NFTs from digital artist Ryder Ripps. The firm behind the blue-chip collection sued Lehman in January for his involvement and technical support for the collection of mimic monkeys. According to the suit, Lehman assisted Ripps and Jeremy Cahen to develop and promote the NFTs on social media. It claimed …

Genesis Global has announced it has reached an "agreement in principle" with Digital Currency Group (DCG) which will eventually see its crypto lending and trading arm sold as part of restructuring efforts. According to a Feb. 6 press release, DCG would contribute its equity in Genesis Global Trading, a trading subsidiary business, to Genesis Global Holdco, the holding entity for Genesis — bringing all Genesis-related entities under the same holding company. After the transactions are final — pending necessary court approval — Genesis will seek to put its then-owned Genesis Global Trading entity up for sale. Crypto exchange Gemini also …

CryptoZoo and Logan Paul have been named as defendants in a newly filed class-action lawsuit, which alleges they stole millions of dollars worth of purchaser's cryptocurrency via a "fraudulent venture." In a court filing on Feb. 2 in the District Court of the Western District of Texas, plaintiff Don Holland alleged that Paul and executives at CryptoZoo "executed a 'rug pull'" by promising purchasers of the nonfungible tokens (NFTs) exclusive access to crypto assets among other benefits but ultimately abandoned the project and kept the funds. "As part of Defendants’ NFT scheme, Defendants marketed CZ NFTs to purchasers by falsely …

A proposed class action suit against cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, Coinbase Global and CEO Brian Armstrong alleging unregistered securities sales was dismissed in the United States District Court of Southern New York on Feb. 1. The suit, filed on March 11, claimed that 79 of the tokens listed on Coinbase were securities being sold without proper registration and customers were not warned of their risks. The suit brought charges under the Securities Act of 1933 and Exchange Act of 1934 and used the Howey test, established by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1946, to identify the tokens. The plaintiffs argued for …

A motion filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware seeks to glean valuable information from the likes of Gabriel Bankman-Fried and Barbara Fried, the brother and mother of the FTX founder. According to the filing, FTX and its debtors are pursuing estate assets belonging to the company and investors. However, not all Bankman-Fried’s inner circle has replied with requests for information. The filing indicated that legal representatives of Zhe “Constance” Wang, COO of FTX Trading, and Sam’s father, Joseph Bankman, are the only parties that have agreed to cooperate with information sharing. After filing for …

Troubled cryptocurrency fintech Yuga Labs is about to face more lawsuits in relation to its nonfungible tokens (NFT) collection, Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and other projects. Rosen Law Firm, a global law firm focused on investor rights’ protection, announced on Jan. 30 that it’s planning to file a class action lawsuit against Yuga Labs. Rosen invited purchasers of Yuga securities — including BAYC NFTs and the native token ApeCoin (APE) — to join the class action against Yuga by the lead plaintiff deadline set for Feb. 7. The law firm emphasized that Yuga securities’ investors that bought BAYC and …

Bankrupt crypto lender BlockFi has been granted court approval to sell off its crypto mining equipment as part of ongoing efforts to repay its creditors. A court document filed on Jan. 30 in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey stated that the approval for BlockFi to sell its assets was on the grounds that it was “fair, reasonable and appropriate under the circumstances.” The court acknowledged the sale of the assets is “designed” to maximize the recovery and “realizable value” of the company. With the court giving BlockFi the green light, more bids are now …

The two people who helped former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried with his $250 million bail bond could have their identities revealed next month after a recent ruling by United States District Judge Lewis Kaplan. According to the Jan. 30 filing, Kaplan granted the application to reveal the names of the two individuals to the public. However, Judge Kaplan has given Bankman-Fried's legal counsel until Feb. 7 to appeal. Bankman-Fried was released from custody in December 2022 after two unknown people signed on as sureties for the $250 million bond along with Bankman-Fried's parents, Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried. Eight major …

The trademark infringement trial between French luxury brand Hermès and digital artist Mason Rothschild is set to go ahead on Jan. 30 in a Manhattan federal court. The luxury brand accused the nonfungible token (NFT) artist of trademark infringement for promoting and selling MetaBirkins, an NFT collection said to be inspired by the group's Birkin bags. The trial and its related lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York can be first traced back to Jan. 14, 2022, when Hermès first filed a complaint against Mason Rothschild after the artist allegedly refused to stop …