• US crypto exchange leader Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) has won a small victory in a Bahamian court, which temporarily blocked the Bahamas attorney general from consenting to added charges after his extradition.
• The new charges included illegal political donations and bribery of Chinese officials.
• SBF argued for the dismissal of these charges as they were not part of his agreement to return to the US.
Bahamian Court Orders Review of US Charges Against SBF
A Bahamian court has ordered a review of additional criminal charges against Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), the co-founder of U.S.-based crypto exchange FTX, after his extradition back to the United States in December 2022. The court’s ruling prevents the Bahamian Attorney General from consenting to four additional counts of fraud that had been added in February, including charges for illegal political donations and offering bribes to Chinese officials.
U.S. Digital Assets Hearing Key Testimonial
Crypto industry leaders have urged Congress to act on digital asset regulations amid an ongoing crackdown by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). At a recent hearing on U.S. Digital Assets Regulation, it was noted that sufficiently decentralized tokens may still avoid being labeled as securities under existing laws.
Crypto Industry Speaks Out Against SEC’s Attempt To Conflate DeFi With Centralized Exchanges
The crypto industry has spoken out against attempts by the SEC to conflate decentralized finance (DeFi) with centralized exchanges, arguing that such attempts are misguided and could have damaging consequences for innovation in this emerging sector. Binance also clarified its terms of use recently and plans to turn ‘zombie assets’ into stablecoins.
Hong Kong Lawmaker Courts Coinbase Amid US Legal Troubles
Amid SBF’s legal troubles in the US, Hong Kong lawmaker Kwok Ka Ki is reportedly seeking support from Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong regarding cryptocurrency regulations in Hong Kong, according to reports from local media outlets including Apple Daily and Stand News Hong Kong .
Conclusion
In summary, a Bahamian court has ordered a review of additional criminal charges against Sam Bankman-Fried after his extradition back to the United States earlier this year, while crypto industry leaders have urged Congress to act on digital asset regulations amid an ongoing crackdown by the SEC; meanwhile Hong Kong lawmaker Kwok Ka Ki is reportedly courting Coinbase amid SBF’s legal troubles in America