The Kansas City Business Journal reports that the Federal Judge overseeing the case, Brian Wimes, has refused Butterfly Labs motion to dismiss the ongoing suit by the Federal Trade Commission. Earlier this month the Judge had allowed Butterfly Labs to fully reopen under court supervision, and in November the court ordered the company to transfer its Bitcoin to a court appointed receiver. after earlier being allowed a limited reopening under receivership. The current Federal Trade Commission lawsuit against Butterfly Labs has been ongoing since September 2014. John Humphrey, the Attorney for Butterfly Labs originally filed the motion to dismiss on their behalf back in October.
Category Archives: North America
Sony Now to Release Movie
The movie The Interview whose release was canceled under duress, is now being released. Once again some measure of coercion is likely involved.
50 Cent on Accepting Bitcoin
On the Seth Meyers' Late Night show, rapper 50 Cent described his feelings about the cryptocurrency: Continue reading
Preet Bharara: Keep Politics Out of Ulbricht Defense
The Daily Dot reports that prosecutors in the Ross Ulbricht case working under Preet Bharara is seeking to bar Ulbricht and his defense team from bringing up the subject of Ulbricht's political beliefs at trial, and wants to prevent Ulbricht from saying anything political at all on the stand. Preet Baharara is himself specifically concerned that the defense wants to bring up: Continue reading
Jim Harper Departs The Bitcon Fundation
Patrick Murck has confirmed the departure of Jim Harper from the Bitcon Fundation. Harper, who joined the foundation in March of this year, set to work building a bridge between Bitcoin and governments of the world. As it turns out, spinning your wheels or as Murck puts it – trail blazing – is too costly an endeavour and the foundation will now shift its focus from lobbying and back to Core development. Continue reading
Charlie Shrem On His Two Year Prison Sentence: "Justice Has Been Served"
Charlie Shrem, who plead guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business as part of a plea deal struck with prosecutors from the office of Preet Bharara back in September of this year, has been sentenced to two years in prison for his crimes.
Tweeting about his sentence, Shrem said: Continue reading
Former MoneyGram Executive Sued by US Government
The United States is suing former MoneyGram chief compliance officer Thomas Haider as prosecutors wish to hold him personally responsible for the fact that telemarketing scammers managed to at some point receive payments through MoneyGram's services. The suit was announced by Preet Bharara, the US Attorney for the Southern District of Manhattan and FinCEN director Jennifer Shasky Calvery. Continue reading
Lawsky Walks Back From Original Bitlicense
There are reports that Ben Lawsky of the New York Department of Financial Services is walking back from this original Bitlicense proposal which would have effectively excised New York State from the world of Bitcoin, while still advancing a weaker version of the proposal which would have a similar effect. The rumors that he is offering a weaker version are based upon the contents of a speech he delivered today, though the actual text of his regulatory proposal is still unavailable.
Sony Cancels Movie Under Duress
After a deluge of leaks and a single anonymous threat in the wake of Sony's hacking by a group calling itself the Guardians of Peace, numerous Theater Chains and Sony Pictures have canceled the release of the comedy film The Interview. There are reports that tomorrow Federal Investigators in the United States will hold a press conference where they will present allegations which point to North Korea as a State actor having been behind the hacking, leaking, and threats aimed at Sony Pictures entertainment. An analysis of some of the malware implicated in the attack suggests a substantially lower level of sophistication and talent went into this effort than is usually associated with state level actors.
A scene from the canceled movie in which what appears to be a tank shell strikes Kim Jung Un's helicopter, immolates him, and causes his head to explode is available on Youtube at present and has been embedded below: Continue reading
Dying Media Company Seeks Lifeline With Bitcoin
Time Inc, formerly a part of Time Warner and independent before that, has announced it is going to accept Bitcoin in exchange for magazine subscriptions. A building from an earlier, happier part of Time Inc.'s history was recently the site where Vitalik Buterin won an award of some sort.