Court Ruling

Costa Rica

2026-09-20 04:29:42

Costa Rica court sentences two men to 12 years each in Bitcoin ransom laundering case

A court in Costa Rica has sentenced two men to 12 years in prison each for money laundering, according to CriptoNoticias. The case is tied to the 2018 kidnapping and killing of U.S. businessman William Sean Creighton Copco. His family paid about 148 BTC in ransom at the time, worth roughly $1 million. The court found that the two defendants received part of that ransom and deposited the funds into wallets under their control in an effort to conceal the origin of the assets. The ruling links the laundering charge directly to the handling of part of the Bitcoin ransom connected to the case.

270

virtual curre

2026-09-04 03:11:40

Virtual Currency Loan Contract Invalidated by Court, Borrower to Compensate at Acquisition Cost

The Guangdong High People's Court has released its 2025 top ten commercial and financial cases, including a virtual currency loan dispute where the repayment clause 'whichever is higher' was ruled invalid for guaranteeing the lender's profit from price fluctuations. The Guangzhou Intermediate Court ordered the borrower to compensate the lender based on the original acquisition cost of the virtual currency, amounting to 199,600 RMB per coin.

890

policy regula

2026-09-04 03:05:26

Guangzhou Court Invalidates Virtual Currency Lending Deal, Orders Payment at Original Cost

According to a report carried by ChainCatcher from Guangzhou Daily Xinhuacheng, a man in Guangzhou lent one unit of virtual currency to a friend, who agreed to return it after two days. When the friend missed the deadline, the man sued, requesting either the return of the virtual currency or compensation based on market price. The Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court found that the virtual currency lending agreement was invalid, so it refused to order the return of the asset or damages calculated at market value. However, the court held that virtual currency counts as network virtual property, and the borrower must still compensate the lender for actual losses. The court used the lender's original purchase cost for the token to calculate damages, awarding 199,600 yuan.

840

policy regula

2026-08-28 21:28:12

Kalshi Hit by Court Ruling Backing State Powers Over Prediction Markets

According to CoinDesk, a U.S. appeals court ruling has dealt Kalshi a legal blow, confirming that states hold power over prediction markets. The ruling creates a rift among federal courts on event contracts. That split suggests the U.S. Supreme Court may need to settle the matter. The report provided no further details.

780

South Korea

2026-08-16 15:17:46

South Korean Court Sentences Crypto Platform Operator to 15 Years

A South Korean court this week sentenced a crypto platform operator to 15 years in prison in a case involving about $50 million, according to CoinDesk. The ruling was described as one of the longest prison terms handed down in South Korea so far for cryptocurrency fraud. The report said the case came as South Korea steps up scrutiny of outbound fund transfers. It also coincided with restrictive measures taken by related platforms including Binance. Taken together, the developments point to continued tightening by local authorities on crypto-related fraud and capital outflows. No further details about the operator, platform name, or court venue were disclosed in the brief report.

1100

Delio

2026-08-13 10:16:50

Delio CEO Sentenced to 15 Years in South Korea Over $49 Million Crypto Fraud Case

A South Korean court has sentenced Delio CEO Jeong Sang-ho to 15 years in prison over the collapse of the crypto deposit platform, convicting him on a narrower set of charges worth roughly 70 billion won, or about $49 million. The ruling came after the court threw out Delio server database evidence, finding that prosecutors failed to properly protect the company’s right to participate in a search and seizure at server host Gabia and did not provide a list of seized items. That decision wiped out much of the original indictment, which had alleged fraud involving about 2,800 victims and roughly 250 billion won, or about $176 million, between August 2021 and June 2023. The court also found Jeong guilty of registering Delio as a virtual asset service provider with a falsified accounting firm report that allegedly overstated coin holdings by about 47.6 billion won. Judges said Jeong dishonestly obtained his license, promoted Delio as a crypto bank despite lacking the ability to run it, and blamed bankruptcy for failing to return customer assets. The verdict had been scheduled for July 16 but was delayed after the evidence dispute reopened arguments.

580

Delio

2026-08-13 06:20:57

Delio CEO Jeong Sang-ho Sentenced to 15 Years Over $180M Crypto Fraud

Jeong Sang-ho, CEO of crypto firm Delio, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Seoul Southern District Court in a first-instance ruling over a cryptocurrency fraud case involving approximately 250 billion won (about $180 million), according to Digital Asset. Criminal Division 11 of the court delivered the verdict, finding that Jeong's crimes were serious and that he had shifted responsibility onto other companies while trying to evade accountability. The sentence comes about three years and two months after Delio suspended withdrawals in June 2023.

1540

CFTC

2026-08-12 19:42:25

CFTC Emergency Order Requires Kalshi to Keep Operating, Citing Bitcoin Liquidation Risk

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued an emergency order on Aug. 11 requiring Kalshi, a prediction market platform, to continue operating its exchange in line with normal business practices and core principles under the Commodity Exchange Act. The CFTC had previously found that New York state's attempt to stop the platform from operating constituted a market emergency. In the order, the CFTC warned that forcing the liquidation of a bitcoin price position running through the end of 2026 could trigger traders to unwind bitcoin and other asset positions at the same time. That, in turn, could expose arbitrageurs holding opposite positions to one-sided risk. The order also listed contracts tied to the federal funds rate, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the timing of a recession. In a ruling signed Aug. 7 and entered Aug. 10, Judge Vernon D. Oliver of the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut said Kalshi's sports contracts are not swaps. Even if they were, federal law would not override Connecticut's gambling rules. This coverage is based on a report from Bitcoin.com News.

1550