Three months after Faruk Fatih Özer — the founder and former CEO of Thodex — was detained in Türkiye, he received a prison sentence of seven months and 15 days for failing to submit documents requested during the trial. Thodex was once one of the biggest crypto exchanges in Türkiye before it suddenly shut down and Özer fled to Albania. Following a Red Notice by Interpol, Özer was extradited back to Türkiye to be held responsible for the investors’ roughly $2 billion worth of cryptocurrencies. While Özer maintained innocence throughout…
Tag: CEO
Celsius sells $23.5 million of tokens days after former CEO was arrested
Celsius Network, which filed for bankruptcy in 2022, is selling its crypto holdings as the broader market recovers, partly due to Ripple’s win against the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Data provided by Lookonchain shows that Celsius has already sold roughly $23.5 million worth of cryptocurrencies — including $8.5 million of chainlink (LINK), $7.84 million of synthetix (SNX), $3 million of BNB, $2.26 million from 1inch (1INCH), and $1.9 million worth of ox protocol (ZRX). Moreover, screenshots shared by the data provider also suggest that Celsius has deposited almost 439,000 FTT,…
SEC appeal unlikely as it gains from ‘current confusion’ — Haun Ventures CEO
A former federal prosecutor turned chief executive of a crypto-focused venture capital fund says she would be “surprised” if the United States securities regulator lodges an immediate appeal against the Ripple case ruling, as it currently benefits from lack of “legal clarity.” On July 13, Judge Torres granted a partial summary judgment in favor of Ripple Labs regarding XRP’s status as a security. At the time, a few commentators warned that an appeal from the SEC would be a possibility. However, in a July 15 Twitter thread, Haun Ventures CEO…
Gorilla Funds CEO explained how to make NFTs and web3 mainstream
The widespread adoption of NFTs could be on the horizon, but we need simple solutions for users, Gorilla Funds’ Jakob Sievers tells crypto.news at NFT Show Europe. Web3 is already poised to fundamentally transform the way we operate, according to Jakob Sievers, CEO of Gorilla Funds, a German-based web3 company, during his recent talk at NFT Show Europe in Valencia, Spain. Sievers gave real-world examples of potential NFT adopters, such as artists, event organizers, and fitness companies. He emphasized, however, that the absence of necessary tools hinders the journey to…
XRP is not a security, Celsius CEO arrested on criminal charges…
Top Stories This Week Judge rules XRP is not a security in SEC’s case against Ripple Ripple Labs scored a victory in a district court in New York on July 13, with Judge Analisa Torres ruling partially in favor of the company in a case brought forth by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) dating back to 2020. According to court documents, Judge Torres granted summary judgment in favor of Ripple Labs, ruling that the XRP token is not a security, but only in regard to programmatic sales on…
Binance CEO Tweets Laughing Emoji As Top Crypto Exchange Reportedly Lets Go of More Than 1,000 Employees
Top global crypto exchange Binance has reportedly axed more than 1,000 employees in recent weeks – and the company’s CEO, Changpeng Zhao, doesn’t seem too concerned about it. A Wall Street Journal report reveals the layoffs, citing a source familiar with the matter. A Binance spokesman confirmed the layoffs to the news outlet but declined to specify the total number of people the company plans to let go. “As we prepare for the next major bull cycle, it has become clear that we need to focus on talent density across…
Ripple CEO calls XRP ruling a win for crypto industry
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has shared his sentiments about a recent ruling that XRP is not a security. On July 13, Federal District judge Analisa Torres ruled that XRP, the native currency of the XRP Ledger (XRP), is not an unregistered security, except when used to raise funds from institutions. Garlinghouse shed light on the outcome of the XRP ruling, emphasizing the positive impact on Ripple and the crypto industry. In a July 14 interview on Bloomberg TV, Garlinghouse highlighted the SEC’s previous lawsuits against himself, Ripple co-founder Chris Larson, and the…
Former FTX CEO wants to exempt friends from security checks
Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried wants his close friends to visit him at his parents’ home without undergoing security checks. On July 13 Bankman-Fried’s lawyers submitted a letter to New York District Court Judge Lewis Kaplan, seeking an exemption for court-approved visitors from the security measures mandated in his bail conditions. The current bail conditions mandate the presence of a security guard at the residence to screen visitors for electronic devices and the requirement for visitors to sign an electronic visitor log. However, Bankman-Fried’s legal team argued that only his…
Multichain halts operations following CEO arrest in China, lost access to servers
Multichain will be shutting down services as a result of the CEO “being taken away by the police” and the issues the team has faced afterwards. Multichain unable to access funds Multichain, a cross-chain protocol formerly known as Anyswap, took to Twitter on July 14 to reveal a rundown which began with the arrest of CEO Zhaojun by Chinese authorities on May 21, stating that the company has been unable to communicate with Zhaojun since his arrest. 1. On May 21, 2023, Multichain CEO Zhaojun was taken away by the…
Former Celsius CEO Mashinsky to be released on $40m bail
Alex Mashinsky, the former CEO of Celsius Network, is set to be released on bail following his arrest and fraud charges on Thursday, July 13. Mashinsky has agreed to a $40 million personal recognizance bond, which must be signed by his wife by Friday, July 14, and by another financially responsible individual before July 21, who is yet to be identified. A release based on promise Following his arrest, a U.S. district court judge granted Mashinsky bail. In the agreement, Mashinsky must surrender his travel documents to authorities and is…