Cointime

Download App
iOS & Android

Do Kwon will go on trial in Manhattan on Monday

Terraform Labs and its founder Do Kwon will face trial in Manhattan on Monday, accused by regulators of lying to investors about the collapse of the company's two cryptocurrencies, LUNA and UST, which disrupted the market in 2022. Regulators also accuse them of falsely claiming that Terraform's blockchain was used for a popular mobile payment app in Korea. Do Kwon will not attend the trial. He was arrested in Montenegro last March and is awaiting extradition back to his home country of South Korea, where he faces criminal charges. A court in Montenegro postponed his extradition on Friday, citing concerns from the country's prosecutor's office about the extradition process.

Comments

All Comments

Recommended for you

  • Satoshi Act Fund Co-founder: Another "Bitcoin Strategic Reserve" bill will be launched next week

    Dennis Porter, co-founder and CEO of the Bitcoin advocacy organization Satoshi Act Fund, announced on X platform that the team will launch another "Bitcoin Strategic Reserve" bill next week.
  • Hong Kong's Stablecoin Bill is gazetted and is expected to be submitted to the Legislative Council for first reading on December 18

    On December 6th, according to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government News Bulletin, Hong Kong today published the "Stablecoin Regulation Bill" in the constitutional report to introduce a regulatory system for fiat currency stablecoin issuers in Hong Kong. The "Bill" aims to improve the regulatory framework for virtual asset activities to address the potential risks posed by fiat currency stablecoins to financial stability, ensure that users have sufficient protection, and leverage the benefits of virtual assets and related technologies. Under the proposed licensing system, anyone engaging in any of the following activities must first obtain a license from the Commissioner of Financial Management:
  • Trump: David Sacks will work to establish a legal framework for encryption to ensure that the encryption industry thrives in the United States

    Trump stated in his appointment letter to David Sacks that Sacks will be dedicated to establishing a legal framework that provides clarity to the cryptocurrency industry and enables it to flourish in the United States.
  • Australia’s financial regulator proposes new crypto rules, emphasizing risks and mitigation measures

     Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has released a consultation paper suggesting updates to its regulatory guidelines for digital assets, with a focus on compliance requirements under the Corporations Act. The revisions to Information Sheet 225 (INFO 225) include 13 worked examples aimed at clarifying when digital assets qualify as financial products, such as stablecoins, packaged tokens, and staking services. In these examples, ASIC outlines scenarios involving exchange tokens, interest-bearing stablecoins, and tokenized assets such as concert tickets. The draft guidance proposes that classification depends on "inherent rights, interests, expectations, and product features that are offered together with the token." ASIC encourages cryptocurrency companies to apply for an Australian Financial Services License, providing them with a safe harbor from legal action.
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin officially signs digital currency tax law

    Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law regulating the taxation of digital currencies. According to the law, digital currencies are recognized as property. This also applies to currencies used for foreign trade payments within the experimental legal framework (EPR) in the field of digital innovation. Mining and sales of digital currencies are exempt from value-added tax. Operators of mining infrastructure must report to the tax authorities issuing cryptocurrencies for using their services. Failure to submit such information on time may result in a fine of 40,000 rubles. In terms of personal income tax, digital currencies obtained through mining will be classified as physical income (usually used when goods or services are paid for instead of currency). The value of the income currency will be determined based on market quotes. Such income will be subject to progressive taxation, taking into account tax deductions for mining costs. At the same time, the acquisition, sale or other circulation of digital currencies will be subject to two-stage personal income tax rates (13% for income up to 2.4 million rubles, and 15% for income exceeding this amount). They will be included in the same tax base as securities, bank deposits, and other sources of transaction income. As for corporate income tax, digital currency mining will be subject to the standard tax rate (25% from 2025 onwards).
  • Taiwan forces cryptocurrency providers to register for anti-money laundering

    after authorities imposed fines on two cryptocurrency exchanges for related violations, Taiwan, China has advanced new anti-money laundering (AML) regulations for cryptocurrency businesses. On November 27, the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) announced that the upcoming registration requirements for anti-money laundering for cryptocurrency exchanges would be postponed from the previous deadline of January 1, 2025 to November 30. According to previous notices, virtual asset service providers (VASPs) that have not registered with the government may face up to two years imprisonment or a maximum fine of NT$5 million (US$155,900).
  • Supreme People's Procuratorate: Enhance the ability to combat money laundering crimes using new technologies and products such as virtual currency

    newly revised "Anti-Money Laundering Law of the People's Republic of China" will come into effect on January 1, 2025. The Secretary of the Party Group and Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, Ying Yong, emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation to combat money laundering crimes, accurately grasp the provisions of the revised anti-money laundering law on improving the scope of upstream money laundering crimes, and implement the anti-money laundering law and the criminal law's provisions on "money laundering" in a comprehensive manner. Accurately apply the "Interpretation of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in Handling Criminal Cases of Money Laundering," deepen the three-year action to combat and govern illegal money laundering crimes, punish money laundering and related crimes in accordance with the law, enhance the ability to combat money laundering crimes using new technologies, products, and businesses such as virtual currencies, and form a joint force to combat money laundering.
  • Cryptocurrency firm Terraform Labs and its founder Do Kwon committed fraud

    The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ruled that the actions of cryptocurrency company Terraform Labs and its founder Do Kwon constitute fraud. The company's bankruptcy in 2022 resulted in a loss of $40 billion in investor funds.
  • Do Kwon will be released from Montenegro prison but will not be allowed to leave the country

    Do Kwon, co-founder of Terraform, will be released from prison in Montenegro, but due to several criminal charges brought by national authorities, he will remain in the Balkans. The High Court of Montenegro ordered the confiscation of Kwon's passport on Friday to prevent him from leaving the country. According to the court's order, Kwon will leave Spuž prison on Saturday. The prosecutor opposes extraditing Kwon to South Korea and would prefer him to be sent to the United States, where he could face a longer sentence if convicted.
  • Terra co-founder Do Kwon released, awaiting Supreme Court extradition decision

    Market news: Terra co-founder Do Kwon has been released and is awaiting the extradition decision of the Supreme Court.