The assets of former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky have been
ordered frozen by the court as he faces mounting legal battles related to the
collapse of the crypto lending platform. This development comes in the wake of
his arrest in July and subsequent release on a USD $40 million bond.
Mashinsky, who is also
the Co-Founder of Celsius, has denied any wrongdoing. He is accused of
securities fraud and manipulating the company’s CEL token. The assets allegedly
frozen include corporate bank accounts and valuable property in Austin, Texas.
On August 16, New York
Judge Jed Rakoff issued an order prohibiting financial institutions from
selling assets in various Goldman Sachs bank accounts held in the name of Koala
LLC, a company connected to Mashinsky. However, Mashinsky’s legal team has
argued that the charges against him are baseless.
The broader implication
of this case extends to the challenges that Celsius faced in July 2022
during the crypto market downturn. In May, the creditors of Celsius voted on
whether to
sell assets to a consortium known as Fahrenheit, according to a report by Finance
Magnates. This decision is
part of a broader plan that could potentially allow users to recover their
losses.
In July, Mashinsky pleaded
not guilty to a series
of fraud charges brought against him by the US Department of Justice (DOJ).
This followed a joint effort by multiple regulatory bodies, including the DOJ,
SEC, CFTC , and FTC, charging Mashinsky of deceiving Celsius’ customers by
falsely representing the company’s financial health.
Celcius’ Bankruptcy and
Legal Tussle
US Magistrate Judge Ona
Wang approved Mashinsky’s release on bail, contingent on a USD $40 million
bond. However, Mashinky’s freedom came with stringent conditions. The court
stated that he will be required to surrender his travel documents and refrain
from applying for new ones. This bond was to be secured by a claim on his New
York home and a brokerage account with First Republic Bank.
Celsius officially filed
for bankruptcy in New
York last year after suspending withdrawals. The company cited extreme market
conditions that allegedly disrupted access to investors’ savings and sent
shockwaves through the market.
According to the court
documents filed in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New
York, Celsius estimated its assets and liabilities in a range of USD $1 billion
to USD $10 billion. Besides that, the company listed more than 100,000
creditors and reported having USD $167 million in available cash.
The assets of former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky have been
ordered frozen by the court as he faces mounting legal battles related to the
collapse of the crypto lending platform. This development comes in the wake of
his arrest in July and subsequent release on a USD $40 million bond.
Mashinsky, who is also
the Co-Founder of Celsius, has denied any wrongdoing. He is accused of
securities fraud and manipulating the company’s CEL token. The assets allegedly
frozen include corporate bank accounts and valuable property in Austin, Texas.
On August 16, New York
Judge Jed Rakoff issued an order prohibiting financial institutions from
selling assets in various Goldman Sachs bank accounts held in the name of Koala
LLC, a company connected to Mashinsky. However, Mashinsky’s legal team has
argued that the charges against him are baseless.
The broader implication
of this case extends to the challenges that Celsius faced in July 2022
during the crypto market downturn. In May, the creditors of Celsius voted on
whether to
sell assets to a consortium known as Fahrenheit, according to a report by Finance
Magnates. This decision is
part of a broader plan that could potentially allow users to recover their
losses.
In July, Mashinsky pleaded
not guilty to a series
of fraud charges brought against him by the US Department of Justice (DOJ).
This followed a joint effort by multiple regulatory bodies, including the DOJ,
SEC, CFTC , and FTC, charging Mashinsky of deceiving Celsius’ customers by
falsely representing the company’s financial health.
Celcius’ Bankruptcy and
Legal Tussle
US Magistrate Judge Ona
Wang approved Mashinsky’s release on bail, contingent on a USD $40 million
bond. However, Mashinky’s freedom came with stringent conditions. The court
stated that he will be required to surrender his travel documents and refrain
from applying for new ones. This bond was to be secured by a claim on his New
York home and a brokerage account with First Republic Bank.
Celsius officially filed
for bankruptcy in New
York last year after suspending withdrawals. The company cited extreme market
conditions that allegedly disrupted access to investors’ savings and sent
shockwaves through the market.
According to the court
documents filed in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New
York, Celsius estimated its assets and liabilities in a range of USD $1 billion
to USD $10 billion. Besides that, the company listed more than 100,000
creditors and reported having USD $167 million in available cash.
