The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has intervened in the asset purchase agreement between Binance US and bankrupt crypto lender Voyager Digital. The securities regulator explained that it is “formally investigating whether the debtors and others violated the anti-fraud and other provisions of the federal securities laws.” SEC Intervenes in Binance-Voyager Asset Purchase Deal The U.S. Securities and Exchange…
The developer of a Mutant Ape Yacht Club knock-off collection — Mutant Ape Planet — has been arrested in New York, charged with allegedly “defrauding” investors of $2.9 million in a “rug pull scheme.” The arrest took place on Jan. 4 at the John F. International Airport in New York, with homeland security agent Ivan J. Arvelo alleging that French…
Fanatics, the retailer specializing in licensed sports merchandise, is divesting 60% of its stake in the non-fungible token (NFT) company Candy Digital, according to reports. The company is selling its Candy Digital stake to an investor group associated with billionaire Mike Novogratz and his firm, Galaxy Digital. Report Says Sports Retail Giant Fanatics to Sell Majority of Candy Digital Stake…
After a one-year hiatus, Our Man in Shanghai returns, but he’s no longer based in Shanghai (the crypto crackdown was a factor in the column’s retirement), so a rebranding is in order. This space is now called “Asia Express,” and it’s a weekly roundup of news from mainland China and Taiwan and the rest of Asia too. Check in each…
There’s been an interesting contrast between how chatty Three Arrows Capital co-founders Kyle Davies and Su Zhu’s have been on Twitter and how difficult they’ve otherwise been to reach, according to company liquidators. So it was hardly surprising that after getting permission from the judge overseeing the company’s bankruptcy proceedings, Teneo Restructuring tagged @zhusu and @kyleldavies in a tweet with…
Authorities with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission as well as prosecutors are reportedly investigating former FTX engineering director Nishad Singh for potentially having a role in defrauding investors and users. According to a Jan. 5 report from Bloomberg, U.S. officials were looking at individuals in former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s inner circle in…
Derivatives marketplace CME Group is planning to launch reference rates and real-time indices for three metaverse crypto assets, allowing investors to track pricing data more reliably using a methodology commonly used in traditional finance. Beginning Jan. 30, CME Group and CF Benchmarks will launch reference rates for Axie Infinity (AXS), Chiliz (CHZ) and Decentraland (MANA), the company announced on Jan.…
The founders of the now-defunct cryptocurrency hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC) have been served subpoenas by the fund’s liquidators via Twitter. While serving subpoenas on Twitter is rare, it has happened on various occasions in the past, including when WikiLeaks was served on Twitter in 2018. Founders of Defunct Crypto Hedge Fund Contacted Electronically on Twitter Due to Difficulties…
According to a Jan. 5 report published by Chinese blockchain security firm LianAn Technology, decentralized finance, or DeFi, exploits across blockchains worldwide totaled $3.64 billion in 2022. This represented a rise of 47.4% compared to the loss of $2.44 billion in 2021. The incidents increased in quantity despite a steep 80% loss in DeFi total value locked during the year. …
Crypto lending platform Genesis Global Trading has reportedly cut 30% of its workforce in the second round of layouts in six months. According to a Jan. 5 Wall Street Journal report, Genesis reduced its staff by 30% following the platform suffering losses from loans to Alameda Research and Three Arrows Capital. An update to its clients on Jan. 4 said…
