Alex Mashinsky, the former CEO of collapsed crypto lender Celsius, has formally withdrawn any claims to the company’s remaining assets, according to new court filings.
This move follows his recent sentencing to 12 years in prison for defrauding customers during his tenure at Celsius. Prosecutors found that Mashinsky misled users about the platform’s safety and profitability, ultimately driving billions in customer losses.
Celsius went bankrupt in mid-2022 after a catastrophic crash in its native token, CEL, left it unable to process user withdrawals. Mashinsky, who once positioned himself as a champion of decentralized finance, admitted to securities and commodities fraud last year.
Federal officials said he misused client funds to make speculative trades and enrich himself, while everyday investors bore the fallout. The Justice Department emphasized that innovation in crypto doesn’t exempt individuals from accountability, noting that financial fraud laws still apply regardless of the medium.
With Mashinsky now behind bars and stripped of any claim to Celsius’s estate, the case marks one of the most high-profile crypto prosecutions to date.
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