Cryptocurrencies

Finance Docket: Tesla’s CyberBeer, Households’ Net Worth, A Bitcoin ‘Whale’

Consumer confidence levels remain dismal despite months of glowing economic news.

Finance Docket: Activists Heat Up, SEC To Cool Them Down

The regulator last week slashed the amount of time activists have to report stakes of 5% or more.

Finance Docket: FTX Trial (Somehow) Takes Backseat

When Sam Bankman-Fried was initially accused of ripping off investors to the tune of billions, it was difficult to imagine any trial overshadowing his.

FTX Trial And Binance Turmoil Are Just The Latest Trouble For Crypto

The well of cryptocurrency investor tolerance runs deep.

Attention All Finance Dweebs: The Michael Lewis Book About FTX And Sam Bankman-Fried Is Here!

There is a lot to this story. Fortunately for the reading public, we are about to find out just how deep this rabbit hole went.

Before Investing In Crypto (Or Anything, Really) Run Your Adviser’s Name Through This SEC Website

Don’t try to tell me you don’t have the time for this or are too bad with technology to figure it out.

Morning Docket: 07.14.23

* Here we go again! Biden uses another avenue to issue some of the student debt relief blocked by Republicans in the Super Legislature. [Reuters] * After the Supreme Court opened the floodgates to foreign knockoffs, IP lawyers are left “questioning” what’s left. [Bloomberg Law News] * Fake money leads to real federal fraud charges. […]

IRS Will Continue To Treat Cryptocurrencies Like Property Even Though One Country Considers It Legal Tender

To understand the decision, let’s compare the tax consequences of cryptocurrency transactions under the foreign currency laws versus the current property rules stated in Notice 2014-21.

Taylor Swift: Better Crypto Due Diligence Than The SEC, Plus Integrity In Wielding Influence

Perhaps SEC head Gary Gensler, who dodged a congressional hearing question six times about whether the cryptocurrency ether was a commodity or a security, should have phoned Swift to bring him up to speed.

Morning Docket: 03.30.23

* SEC seeks $200 million in real money to deal with enforcement problems caused by fake money. [Law360] * We noted in our coverage of the Disney-DeSantis battle that Trump was going to roast this guy for embarrassing himself in a land deal. A Trump PAC has already started. [CNN] * Law schools growing antsy over new USNWR rankings after they yanked their data from the process. The elite schools will still be the elite schools, but even if there's not much change, what does it mean when we all know it's not backed by the school's data? [Reuters Legal] * Legislators hate TikTok more than they like actually legislating, which totally tracks. [Bloomberg Law News] * Federal rules may craft special provisions for MDL litigation. Has it really been that much of a problem? Judges have managed to handle it for decades at this point. [Law.com] * Meta settles class action for $725 million, which might be the most the company has lost without Zuck wearing VR goggles. [Courthouse News Service] * Paltrow trial "riddled With 'embarrassing' mistakes by legal teams." Like allowing it to happen in the first place? [Newsweek]

Despite Arrests And Lawsuits, Cryptocurrencies Somehow Maintain Their Value

Several possible explanations exist for why a crypto winter has not occurred this time.

Morning Docket: 03.28.23

* Mayday mayday! Georgia prosecutor has until May 1 to respond to Trump effort to quash grand jury report. Or, in other words, Trump has inadvertently set May 1 deadline for Georgia prosecutors to level charges. [Reuters] * Hold onto your hats, but a commodity with the word "crypto" in the title might have tried to hide from legal oversight. [Bloomberg Law News] * FTC looks to make it harder for companies to ensnare consumers in difficult to leave subscriptions, which is an immensely popular move so I'm looking forward to the partisan flack this will generate. [Corporate Counsel] * When analogies go wrong: Amgen asked the Supreme Court to think of their patents more like a steam engine, prompting Thomas to quip, "It seems as though you’re actually trying to patent the use of steam pressure...." [Courthouse News Service] * "Football, but without helmets" is apparently also fraught with concussion liability. [BBC] * A dive into why representation matters when you're illegally possessing classified documents. [Salon] * Trainee lawyer diverted $100K in client insurance payments to himself to cover gambling losses. [Roll On Friday]

Lindsay Lohan Among Celebs Sued By SEC Over Crypto Sales

This is not at all fetch.

Silicon Valley Herd Behavior Causes Bank Run, Americans Raise Eyebrows At Fed’s Not-A-Bailout

The feds have been very careful not to call these bailouts.

Tax Benefits Available For Victims Of The Crypto Crash And Scams

Investors who lost money on cryptocurrency have some ways to reduce their tax bill but it will depend on their own facts and circumstances.