Terra presyoLUNA

Anthony Scaramucci, founder of SkyBridge Capital, says New York’s Martin Act, an anti-fraud statute enacted in 1921, should be repealed. The SkyBridge Capital founder’s call for the abolishing of the law comes in the wake of the New York Attorney General’s $200 million settlement settlement with Galaxy Digital . And it all relates to the collapsed LUNA ( LUNA ) token. In a post on X , Scaramucci, labelled the Martin Act as a “dangerously powerful” law whose application is likely to be abused and lead to legal overreach. The Martin Act allows the NYAG to bring lawsuits against parties deemed to have violated its stipulations, but according to Scaramucci, the sweeping authority allowed the AG in terms of investigation and penalties can be abused. With no need to prove intent, the Act comes short. It’s “low standard of proof” is what the SkyBridge Capital founder says is dangerous. To him, this law “shouldn’t exist,” and NYAG’s use of the Act to reach the $200 million settlement with Galaxy Digital is “lawfare pure and simple.” He added that the case and the settlement is at odds with actions taken by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice. “This makes no sense and is completely at odds with the SEC and DOJ which have been pursuing actions against Do Kwon and Terraform,” he posted. “It’s [lawfare] pure and simple due to an obscure but dangerously powerful New York law known as the Martin Act. The law has no need to prove intent, creating a low standard of proof that can open the door for abuse like this. It shouldn’t exist.” In its investigation, the NYAG alleged financial misconduct on the part of Galaxy Digital, claiming the firm’s marketing of LUNA eventually harmed retail. The crypto project’s collapse in May 2022 saw more than $40 billion in value vanish into thin air. Scaramucci says Galaxy Digital and its chief executive Michael Novogratz were deceived by bad actors – Terraform Labs and its founder Do Kwon . “Novogratz is a dear friend and one of the smartest investors I know. Everything he ever said about Luna was because he thought it was true based on the deception perpetrated by the real bad actors here, Do Kwon and Terraform Labs.” Despite the sentiment on the Martin Act, Scaramucci’s remarks on Novogratz have largely been criticized on social media. Many say Galaxy Digital “was paid” to pump LUNA and it reaped huge profits as alleged in the investigation.

Close to 20% of South Korea’s public officials have indicated that they own crypto. Moreover, as per recent government disclosures, much of their investments consist of altcoins such as Ripple’s XRP. This is based on data from the nation’s Ethics Committee, which compels officials to disclose their digital assets under the law of financial openness. Of 2,047 officials who filed financial disclosures, 411 said they own cryptocurrency, according to reports . Their total holdings are worth 14.4 billion won ($9.3 million). The disclosure system, put in place to increase transparency, requires public officials to include crypto assets in their disclosures along with conventional properties like real estate and stocks. Among the holders who revealed their digital assets, a Seoul City Council member, Kim Hye-young, is the biggest holder. His portfolio, which includes 16 various cryptocurrencies, is worth about 1.76 billion won ($1.1 million). Crypto investments also reach his family, with his wife owning Ethereum (ETH) and Dogecoin (DOGE), and his oldest son owning 3,336 XRP tokens. Seoul City Councilor Choi Min-gyu comes second as the second-largest owner, with his crypto holdings amounting to 1.62 billion won ($1 million). His holdings comprise 409,551 XRP, 9,402 Arbitrum (ARB), and 4,701 Cardano (ADA), reflecting a strong inclination toward altcoins. Kim Ki-hwan, CEO of Busan-Ulsan Expressway Co., Ltd, comes in third, with investments valued at 1.42 billion won ($969,000). In contrast to most of his fellow responders who are invested in widely recognized cryptocurrencies, his portfolio skews toward lesser-known altcoins such as 152,251 Terra Luna Classic (LUNC). He also holds 5,979 Challengedocs, 1,989 Horus Pays, and 2,989 EOS Blacks. Even though South Korea has a stringent regulatory strategy for digital assets, most of its officials are more inclined toward altcoins compared to Bitcoin (BTC). XRP is especially favored by government officials and their relatives, who mention it frequently in their disclosure reports. The token, linked to cross-border payments and banks, has been very popular among the country’s crypto community. This is the second year that South Korea has seen mandatory crypto asset reporting by public officials, as highlighted last week. It serves as a testament to the growing adoption of digital currencies in the nation’s financial system. The reports shed light on investment patterns among government officials and indicate wider adoption outside the retail trader and institution segments. Whilst, investors are eagerly waiting for XRP as the SEC prepares to officially withdraw its appeal of the programmatic sales ruling. If true, this action would be a significant legal win for XRP and potentially redefine its future in the cryptosphere. In the meantime, Ripple has also eliminated their cross-appeal, thus removing further regulatory roadblocks. This aside, XRP has not returned to its January high of $3.3999. However, it’s subject to change with increasing speculation regarding a U.S. XRP ETF, which would dramatically impact market forces, driving further demand, as mentioned in our last newspiece.

Correction: New York regulators filed a $200 million settlement against Galaxy Digital over alleged LUNA manipulation

BREAKING: New York regulators filed a $200 million suit against Galaxy Digital over alleged LUNA manipulation

NYAG and Galaxy Digital settle LUNA lawsuit for $200 million