Enforcement Actions

_Ransom notes demand up to $6M in Bitcoin in the Nancy Guthrie case as the FBI releases footage and confirms wallet activity._ A reported Bitcoin ransom demand has surfaced in the case of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of television anchor Savannah Guthrie. Media outlets received

Foresight News reports that SBF (@SBF_FTX) posted on X stating that new evidence shows the Biden administration's Department of Justice has threatened multiple witnesses, forcing them to remain silent or change their testimonies. He calls for the charges to be dismissed and believes that the judge's actions against defendants including himself, former FTX executive Ryan Salame, and President Trump, Lewis

A federal judge in New York dismissed a patent infringement lawsuit from Bancor against Uniswap, stating the patents involved referenced only abstract ideas. The court's ruling allows Bancor to amend its case within 21 days, or the dismissal becomes final.

On February 11, news, the U.S. Southern District of New York Federal District Court made an important ruling, dismissing the patent infringement lawsuit filed by Bprotocol Foundation and LocalCoin Ltd. related to Bancor against Uniswap. Judge John G. Koeltl stated in a memorandum opinion issued on February 10 that the patents involved are essentially "abstract concepts" and do not meet the patentability standards under U.S. patent law. The case centered around the "Constant Product Automated Market Maker" model, which is one of the core liquidity pricing mechanisms in decentralized finance. The plaintiffs claimed that Uniswap illegally used their automated pricing and liquidity pool technology, but the court held that these patents only involve "fundamental economic practices of calculating currency exchange rates for trading," and even if implemented on blockchain and smart contracts, they do not qualify for patent protection.

American "Today Show" host Savannah Gessley's mother was kidnapped, and the kidnappers demanded $6 million in Bitcoin. The case has raised concerns about cryptocurrency crimes and has drawn mainstream society's attention to the risks of blockchain. Law enforcement faces difficulties, with no concrete clues found, and family members released a video for help. This incident serves as a warning about the spread of cryptocurrency crimes in society.

CFTC Chicago Enforcement Team, consisting of 20 people, has completely left. It was once the top enforcement force in the cryptocurrency market, and is currently expanding its regulation of the crypto and prediction markets. A former lawyer said this move was targeted layoffs because they have experience with FTX settlements. The fines collected by the agency's enforcement have dropped sharply from $17.1 billion in 2024 to $9.2 million in 2025.

Logan Paul was exposed for fake betting on Polymarket during the 2026 Super Bowl, showing his account balance as zero. This behavior sparked regulatory legal and ethical controversies and raised questions about transparency in cryptocurrency market marketing. At the same time, the legal battle between Polymarket and the Massachusetts government also reflects the regulatory challenges faced by prediction markets. The industry criticizes the marketing tactics of such platforms as being unethical and potentially posing financial threats to young audiences.

Polymarket partners with Kaito AI to launch the "Attention Market," allowing users to bet on trend popularity and public opinion. Based on two main indicators—public sentiment share and emotional tone—the platform quantifies attention using social data. The project was launched in March and reached thousands of markets by the end of the year, with the initial focus on AI topics. Massachusetts and other states have banned prediction markets, leading Polymarket to sue the state, asserting federal regulation.

Former SafeMoon CEO Braden John Karony was sentenced to 100 months in prison and ordered to pay approximately $7.5 million in illegal proceeds for defrauding investors. He allegedly transferred $9 million worth of assets from the company to fund a luxurious lifestyle. A federal jury found him guilty of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and money laundering. SafeMoon once had a market capitalization of over $8 billion, but it was actually a scam.

The White House held its second meeting on Tuesday, attempting to mediate the disagreement between the banking industry and the crypto industry over stablecoin yield issues. However, TradFi bank representatives brought a "principles document" insisting on a complete ban. The document calls for prohibiting any financial or non-financial incentives to stablecoin holders, emphasizing that stablecoin activities must never trigger deposit outflows.

The EU is considering a ban on all crypto transactions with Russia to prevent Moscow from circumventing sanctions imposed due to the Ukraine conflict. The proposal aims to target Russian crypto entities that support military operations and to restrict exports to Kyrgyzstan due to concerns over arms trade.

The European Union proposes a comprehensive ban on cryptocurrency transactions with Russia, covering all Russian service providers and digital rubles. Kyrgyzstan's imports from the EU have increased by 800%, and exports to Russia have surged by 1,200%. The proposal is part of the 20th round of sanctions, expected to be agreed upon before the four-week mark of the Russia-Ukraine war on February 24, requiring unanimous approval from 27 member countries.

FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried has officially filed a motion requesting a retrial of his 25-year prison sentence, claiming that two former executives can serve as new witnesses to counter the fraud allegations against him, and requesting a change of trial judge to avoid bias.

ChainCatcher News, 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped. The kidnappers sent ransom letters to TMZ and two local TV stations, demanding a $6 million Bitcoin ransom.

Bitcoin (BTC) remains in a downturn, temporarily trading around $69,160 on February 11. Federal Reserve Board member Waller warned that the cryptocurrency boom is fading as it remains closely linked to traditional finance (TradFi). The former SafeMoon CEO was sentenced to 8 years in prison for a cryptocurrency scam and ordered to forfeit approximately $7.5 million and two residential properties.

Sam Bankman-Fried filed a motion with the Manhattan Federal Court requesting a retrial of the FTX fraud case. He claims that the testimonies of former executives Daniel Czapski and Ryan Salame could undermine the prosecution's case. The motion was submitted by his mother, Stanford professor Barbara Fried, and accuses Judge Lewis Kaplan of obvious bias. Bloomberg reports that the likelihood of success is low.

Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) filed a motion with the court on February 10th, requesting a retrial, accusing the U.S. Department of Justice of withholding evidence and requesting the original trial judge to recuse himself, emphasizing that FTX has the ability to repay customer deposits, and stating that multiple witnesses refused to testify due to pressure from the Department of Justice.

Former SafeMoon CEO Braden John Karony was sentenced to 8 years in prison for defrauding investors. He was convicted on multiple charges for manipulating token prices and stealing funds. SafeMoon tokens once had a market cap of $1 billion, but due to contract vulnerabilities and team fraud, the current market cap is only $2.08 million.

When buying and selling USDT, the legal risks associated with using friends' and relatives' bank cards for collection and payment mainly depend on the subjective awareness of the parties involved and the nature of the funds. If there is no knowledge of others engaging in currency exchange, in principle, it should not constitute crimes such as illegal business operation, aiding and abetting, or concealment. Caution should also be exercised when applying charges related to credit card management to avoid broad interpretations. Therefore, legal assessments should be based on specific evidence and details.