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Justin Sun Faces Potential Lawsuit From Chain Over Manipulation Allegations

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Blockchain protocol Chain is weighing legal action against TRON founder Justin Sun following allegations of market manipulation. On January 24, Sun accused Chain of engaging in activities that could harm cryptocurrency exchange users, specifically referencing the use of high leverage and contracts. 

Sun posted on the platform X (formerly Twitter), tagging major exchanges such as Coinbase, Kraken, Bybit, KuCoin, and HTX Global, urging them to investigate Chain’s activities.

Chain Threatens Lawsuit Against Justin Sun Over Market Manipulation Claims

Following a heated discussion on X, Chain announced its intent to pursue legal action against Justin Sun. The dispute began when Sun claimed that Chain’s alleged actions posed risks to crypto exchange users. He also stated he would report Chain’s activities to the SEC and DOJ.

In response, Chain firmly denied the allegations. The company clarified that it is not involved in any trading or manipulation of its XCN token. Chain also stated that XCN is managed by OnyxDAO, not by Chain itself. The company emphasized its commitment to transparency and accountability while exploring legal options against Sun.

Founded in 2014, Chain has raised over $40 million from investors, including Pantera Capital and Citigroup. The company has undergone significant developments, including its acquisition by Stellar in 2018 and re-acquisition in 2020. Chain operates in the blockchain space with a focus on advancing decentralized technology.

Notably, the lawsuit threat emerged days after Justin Sun revealed a strategy to boost ETH price to $10,000 by halting ETH sales and taxing Layer 2 solutions.

Sun Tags Major Exchanges and Demands Investigation

Justin Sun’s accusations were amplified by tagging cryptocurrency exchanges in his post. He called on platforms like Coinbase, Kraken, and Bybit to investigate Chain’s activities. Sun warned of the alleged risks associated with high leverage and contracts used by Chain.

Chain’s response included a clear statement disassociating itself from the management of the XCN token. The company reiterated that OnyxDAO manages XCN and denied any involvement in trading or market manipulation.

The blockchain protocol tweeted, 

“The Chain team is not actively engaged in any trading of XCN, nor involved in any market manipulation directly or indirectly. We take these allegations extremely seriously and are exploring legal remedies against Justin Sun.”

 XCN Price Action

This escalation occurred amidst a surge in XCN’s market value. The token recorded a 149% price increase in one day and nearly 400% over the week. Sun’s claims appeared to link this price movement to alleged manipulation, further intensifying the situation.

At press time, Onyxcoin (XCN) is trading at $0.0242, marking a rise of 32% over the past 24 hours. The cryptocurrency has seen an increase in trading volume, up 273% to $1.42 billion, alongside a market capitalization that has grown to $745.24 million.

Meanwhile, the Tron co-founder recently emphasized the security advantages of Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC) over Coinbase Wrapped BTC (CBBTC). Justin Sun critiqued Coinbase’s lack of a Proof of Reserves system, highlighting the risk of asset freezing.

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Ronny Mugendi

Ronny Mugendi is a seasoned crypto journalist with four years of professional experience, having contributed significantly to various media outlets on cryptocurrency trends and technologies. With over 4000 published articles across various media outlets, he aims to inform, educate and introduce more people to the Blockchain and DeFi world. Outside of his journalism career, Ronny enjoys the thrill of bike riding, exploring new trails and landscapes.

Disclaimer: The presented content may include the personal opinion of the author and is subject to market condition. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or the publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.





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US Lawmakers Investigate Debanking Of Crypto Companies

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The US government under Joe Biden has allegedly been stifling the crypto industry through the process of debanking, which experts labeled “Operation Chokepoint 2.0.” With Donald Trump’s re-election, the crypto industry expects a reform that will lead to the US banking industry embracing cryptocurrencies. US lawmakers have set sight on the government’s regulatory overreach, sparking investor enthusiasm.

In a recent development, the US Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has initiated investigations on the alleged debanking of crypto companies and individuals. While debanking refers to the isolation of crypto firms from the banking sector, the US lawmakers’ move intends to put an end to the authority’s indirect control over the crypto space.

US Oversight Committee Probes into Operation Chokepoint 2.0

According to a Forbes report, the US Oversight Committee has launched investigations on the “improper debanking” of individuals and organizations related to crypto. Under the leadership of Chair James Comer (R-Ky.), the Committee aims to collect testimonies from affected individuals and companies.

On Friday, the US Oversight Committee sent a letter to industry leaders, revealing their investigation plans. By examining the groups claiming to be debanked, the committee seeks to determine whether the trend is driven by their independent decisions or by government overreach.

Industry Leaders Allege Government’s Indirect Control Over Crypto

The term “Operation Chokepoint” could be traced back to former President Barack Obama’s reign when financial services were restricted for high-risk industries. Reflecting on the term, Andreessen Horowitz co-founder Marc Andreessen called the process of debanking during the Biden era “Operation Chokepoint 2.0.”

Industry experts like Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and CLO Paul Grewal corroborated Andreessen’s comments. Grewal posited, “Financial regulators have used multiple tools at their disposal to try to cripple the digital-asset industry.”

Chokepoint 2.0: SEC’s Aggressive Regulation Sparks Backlash

Notably, Uniswap Labs Founder Hayden Adams complained that his bank accounts were closed without prior notice. He added, “I know many individuals and companies who have been similarly targeted simply for working in the crypto industry.”

Similarly, Brian Armstrong revealed that banks closed ties with more than 30 tech companies. He added that the US SEC and former Chair Gary Gensler attempted to “unlawfully kill our [their] entire industry.” He also addressed it as the Biden government’s “most unethical and un-American” action.

Meanwhile, Ripple’s CTO, David Schwartz, described Operation Chokepoint 2.0 as the government’s “indirect” regulation of the crypto industry.

Investigation on Debanking: What To Expect?

Reportedly, more than 120 crypto hedge funds were debanked over the past three years. While real estate and private credit investors enjoyed banking services, crypto hedge funds were denied the same facilities. As cited by the committee, First Lady Melania Trump shared her personal experience of being debanked, which she attributes to political bias.

With an active investigation, the Oversight Committee intends to protect crypto users and traders from unfair government control. The agency envisions ensuring an unbiased crypto trading atmosphere in the United States and thereby terminating Operation Chokepoint 2.0. The unredacted FDIC files that Coinbase secured will undoubtedly be useful in this investigation.

US Banks Remain Ready To Embrace Crypto

Recently, Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire expressed optimism about the future of crypto, anticipating that banks will soon facilitate cryptocurrency trading. He believes that Trump’s new crypto policies will cease Operation Chokepoint 2.0, collaborating with the banking industry.

At the same time, Bank of America’s CEO Brian Moynihan expressed the US banking industry’s willingness to accept cryptocurrencies. Wall Street giants are also eying the crypto market. They seek to make a strategic entry into the space to tap into its immense opportunities.

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Nynu V Jamal

Nynu V Jamal is a passionate crypto journalist with three years of experience in blockchain, web3, and fintech spheres. She has established herself as a knowledgeable and engaging voice in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space. Her experience as an Assistant Professor in English Language and Literature has further added to her quest for crafting informative, well-researched, and accessible content.

Disclaimer: The presented content may include the personal opinion of the author and is subject to market condition. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or the publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.





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News From El Salvador, Late August: Preparing for Bitcoin Day’s 1st Anniversary

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It’s hard to believe Bitcoin Day was only a year ago. Let’s go back to El Salvador in anticipation of that faithful day’s celebrations, you’ll find that the country is booming with activity. This compilation of news has it all; from tourism to mining, from conferences to meetups. For a while there, the war with the gangs monopolized El Salvador-related headlines, but with Bitcoin Day’s anniversary on the horizon, it’s time to go back to basics.

High-Level People Prepare For Bitcoin Day’s Celebrations

  • First of all, tourism in El Salvador is back at pre-pandemic levels and then some. President Bukele clarifies that the charts refer to “international tourism,” so the main drivers are “Bitcoin and surf.” Not only that, “internal tourism is growing even more, mainly because of our crackdown on gangs.”
  • Since the original Bitcoin Day, mining in El Salvador has done nothing but grow. In the following video, Anchor mining shows the immersion coolers they brought to El Salvador. Plus, in the tweet, the company’s founder makes a promise.“Soon to launch the educational project where my team will be explaining how immersion cooling is the future of the hashrate decentralization.”
  • This could be huge or nothing at all. Investment platform BankToTheFuture and President Bukele are working on “a number of recovery plans in El Salvador for global distressed Bitcoin lending companies.” Is it possible that the bitcoin lending companies’ future is in the only country with favorable legislation? Or are bitcoin lending companies done for good?

BTCUSD price chart for 08/29/2022 - TradingView

BTC price chart for 08/29/2022 on Bitstamp | Source: BTC/USD on TradingView.com

Meeting Bitcoin-People Is Easy

  • Roman Martinez and Mike Peterson from Bitcoin Beach gave a presentation at the Surfin Bitcoin conference in Biarritz, France. The project that started it all’s legend keeps spreading far and wide. The tweet says, “Probably the most touching conference.The emotion is palpable in Bitcoin Beach. They are proud of their country, proud to be pioneers.”
  • And speaking about Roman and the Bitcoin Beach team, they know how important the upcoming anniversary is. “Join us for the one year anniversary of Bitcoin Day in El Salvador! Our Bitcoin Beach meet-up will turn into a celebration party you can’t miss!”
  • Plus, the Bitcoin Beach team recently received a delegation from the Parlamento Centroamericano AKA Parlacen. “They heard the story of Hope House and how our Bitcoin Beach project used Bitcoin as a tool for financial inclusion and empowerment of the community,” Roman informed.
  • The people from the My First Bitcoin education initiative also run a monthly bitcoin meetup. The only difference is that they do it in San Salvador, the capital. “All of our friends in El Salvador will join us tomorrow for our Bitcoin monthly meetup,” the announcement tweet manifests.

Last But Nor least, Nashin Bupele

  • Since the original Bitcoin Day, El Salvador is everywhere. To prove that, this is a scene from a Korean soap opera in which someone gives a presentation on El Salvador and its bitcoin adoption.

The table is set for Bitcoin Day’s first anniversary. The world was a whole different beast when El Salvador adopted bitcoin as legal tender. That reminds us of Max Keiser’s classic question, is bitcoin a reaction to the chaos or is bitcoin creating the chaos? In El Salvador’s case, the answer is obvious. Bitcoin is taking the country to the next level. 

Featured Image: Nashim Bupele screenshot from this video | Charts by TradingView

DeLorme, El Salvador flagEl Salvador prepares for Bitcoin Day’s first anniversary.





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US House oversight committee is probing crypto debanking

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Judge orders the US SEC to pay $1.8M in Debt Box case dismissal
  • The US House Oversight Committee has announced its investigating cases of debanking of crypto companies.
  • Uniswap, Coinbase, Kraken, a16z and Blockchain Association are among crypto companies and entities to receive a letter asking for information on the alleged debanking.
  • The Senate Banking Committee is also set to hold a hearing on debanking in early February.

The U.S. House Oversight Committee is probing the issue of alleged debanking of crypto companies and individuals.

On Jan. 24, the committee sent a letter addressed to several crypto executives asking them to share information on the debanking claims. Apart from crypto companies, US First Lady Melania Trump also highlighted the issue.

Investigations are part of the new focus on crypto regulation following a largely negative four years under President Joe Biden’s government.

Those to receive the letter are Uniswap Labs CEO Hayden Adams, Coinbase co-founder and CEO Brian Armstrong, a16z co-founder Marc Andreessen and Kraken CEO David Ripley. The letter also sought the input of Lightspark CEO David Marcus and Blockchain Association CEO Kristin Smith.

“The Committee seeks to understand whether this pattern of debanking stems from financial institutions themselves or from government actors,” the letter reads in part.

Senate Banking Committee to hold a hearing

Crypto debanking has also attracted the attention of the House Financial Services Committee and the Senate Banking Committee, both of which are looking to get to the bottom of this heavily criticised developments.

“The Committee is concerned about the chilling implications this overreach may have in silencing industries arbitrarily disfavored by regulators, driving consequential technological and financial innovation overseas, and preventing targeted businesses from making payroll and paying employees their wages,” the Oversight Committee’ letter continues.

The Senate Banking Committee has announced it will hold a hearing on crypto debanking on February 5, 2025. Committee chair Tim Scott said:

“Debanking is un-American – every legal business deserves to be treated the same regardless of their political beliefs. Unfortunately, under Operation Chokepoint 2.0, Biden regulators abused their power and forced financial institutions to cut off services to digital asset firms, political figures, and conservative-aligned businesses and individuals.”





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