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Ross Ulbricht, the newly pardoned Silk Road founder, has spoken out in support of early Bitcoin supporter Roger Ver, who finds himself in legal trouble in the United States these days. Ulbricht used X to make an appeal for Ver’s freedom, saying, “Roger Ver was there for me when I was down and needed help. Now Roger needs our help.” He went on to say, “No one should spend the rest of their life in prison over taxes.” Ver, also known as “Bitcoin Jesus,” was arrested in Spain in April 2024 on a U.S. Department of Justice request. The DOJ has charged him with various tax crimes, including mail fraud, tax evasion, and submitting false tax returns. Prosecutors say Ver underestimated the worth of his Bitcoin assets when he filed his “exit tax” in 2014 prior to giving up his U.S. citizenship. Authorities allege he owes about $48 million in back taxes. The Ver case is based on accusations that he notably underreported selling tens of thousands of bitcoins in 2017. The DOJ says those Bitcoins were attributed to his U.S.-based companies, MemoryDealers and Agilestar. Even after renouncing his U.S. citizenship, American prosecutors say Ver was nonetheless obligated to report and pay taxes on dividends from these companies. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California earlier said that Ver didn’t accurately value these companies and their assets in preparing his exit tax. Ver was released on bail of €150,000 (about $157,000) after his arrest in Spain but is under house arrest awaiting a decision on extradition. If convicted, he could face up to 109 years in prison. His lawyers from Steptoe LLP and Kimura London & White have prepared a motion asking the court to dismiss the action that it amounts to “unconstitutional overreach” and politically motivated because of Ver’s strong advocacy of cryptocurrencies. Ver’s legal struggles have prompted the start of the “Free Roger” campaign, following the previous “Free Ross” movement calling for the freedom of Ulbricht. But the campaign has had a divided reaction. Many considered Ulbricht’s two life sentences when he filed for an appeal, but others see Ver’s case differently. Previously, even billionaire Elon Musk advocated for Ver’s release, as mentioned in our blog post. This is not Ver’s initial legal conflict. He was sentenced in 2002 to ten months of federal time for selling and storing fireworks in an unauthorized way without a permit. Following release, he resided in Japan and then attained St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship in 2014. Ver’s defense team contends that the IRS has crossed boundaries, referring to an episode in 2018 when tax agents supposedly interrogated his attorney and former MemoryDealers employees without a warrant. His supporters say that he attempted to be in line with tax laws but the IRS charged him with a misinterpretation of the law. As speculation mounts over possible presidential pardons, the betting markets have predicted a 10% likelihood of Ver being granted clemency by Trump within his first 100 days in office, according to Polymarket.

Marty Party, the crypto commentator and music producer, shared on X an optimistic view on the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the future of crypto startups. The post focuses on the regulatory shifts currently underway within the SEC related to digital assets. He recalls how the agency had previously adopted a stringent, enforcement-centric approach toward cryptocurrencies. This was especially true under former SEC Chair Gary Gensler. The lack of clarity in rules made it difficult for startups to navigate this environment, deterring many from entering the space due to fears of legal repercussions and challenges in securing legal representation or banking services. However, a wave of optimism in the crypto world started to spread in recent times. For instance, Gensler resigned as SEC Chair in January, and US President Donald Trump nominated Paul Atkins, a known advocate for free markets and digital assets, as his successor. In addition, acting SEC Chair Mark Uyeda and Commissioner Hester Peirce have established a dedicated Crypto Task Force. This initiative aims to develop clear guidelines for digital asset issuance, moving away from the previous enforcement-heavy approach. All of this suggests a shift toward a more business-friendly regulatory environment for digital assets. To illustrate the previous, tougher stance, consider the past few years. Several crypto businesses ran into trouble with the SEC. In February 2023, the SEC charged cryptocurrency exchange Kraken for offering unregistered securities through its staking services. This ended with Kraken paying a $30 million settlement and ceasing its staking operations in the US. Coinbase, a major cryptocurrency exchange, faced a Wells notice from the SEC in March 2023, indicating potential enforcement actions over its staking products. The SEC subsequently sued Coinbase in June 2023, alleging it operated as an unregistered broker and exchange since 2019. In May 2023, Flint Money, an Indian decentralized finance startup backed by Sequoia Capital and Coinbase, shut down its operations in the US. The shutdown was directly linked to regulatory concerns. These concerns, it was argued, created a tough environment for its services. In July 2023, Pillow, a crypto investment platform, announced it would discontinue its services. The decision was primarily driven by regulatory uncertainties and a challenging business environment, despite raising $18 million in a Series A funding round just eight months prior. The takeaway, however, is positive in that the regulatory situation is undergoing changes. Specifically, there is a transition in SEC leadership, and these developments suggest a possible easing of the strict regulatory environment that previously led to the shutdown of several crypto startups. Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is for informational and educational purposes only. The article does not constitute financial advice or advice of any kind. Coin Edition is not responsible for any losses incurred as a result of the utilization of content, products, or services mentioned. Readers are advised to exercise caution before taking any action related to the company.

FYI, these are the stablecoin yields you can now earn on @Gasp_xyz. The full mainnet launch is likely coming in 10 days. This is the real definition of free money. Fyi, Gasp is backed by @polychain (lead in all 3 VC rounds), @cmsholdings, @FigmentCapital, and more.

The post Pi Coin Price Prediction: What’s Next After 30% Crash? appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News Pi Coin, the digital currency of Pi Network, has officially launched its Mainnet and been listed on several major exchanges, including OKX and Bitget, among others. Following the launch, Pi Coin’s price surged to $1.4, with some platforms seeing an all-time high of over $2. However, the price has recently dropped, hovering around $1.18, after a 30% crash. The Pi Network Mainnet launch marks a significant milestone for the project, which has been in development for six years. Users who completed their KYC process can now migrate their Pi coins to the Mainnet and use them for transactions, business payments, and other applications within the Pi ecosystem. Amid speculations of scam, analyst Kim Wong wrote, “Pi Network has been distributing wealth to all the people in the world whoever wants it, free, this has benefited millions of people already.” Despite initial high expectations for Pi Coin’s value—ranging from $100 to $500—many predictions have fallen short. The coin’s value, while lower than anticipated, still represents a big achievement for holders, as those who accumulated coins during the network’s test phase can now exchange them for real value. A user wrote on X, “I will not sell my $PI coins, which I have worked for 6 years, for a ridiculous price like $2 dollars. $XRP is over $2.5 with a 60B supply. These prices are ridiculous with a 100M supply. I will not sell without 1 $PI = $50.” Another user shared that Pi Network has made crypto history. After launching its open mainnet, Pi’s market cap almost entered the top 10 and is expected to break into the top $3 soon. They believe that once Pi staking starts, the price will soar.

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy launched a meme coin called $GREED today from his official wallet. However, he sold his entire position an hour later, causing the token’s value to crash by more than 90%. A Social Experiment In a February 19 post on X, the founder criticized the meme coin space, stating: “The entire ecosystem is Greed and nothing else. Go dump on each other peasants but don’t complain to me if you lose money. You are all greedy. At least admit it.” He then launched $GREED presenting it as a social experiment and a reflection of the true nature of the sector. According to blockchain analytics firm Lookonchain, Portnoy issued the token and purchased 357.92 million units, representing 35.79% of the total supply. Its market capitalization quickly surged to $30 million. Despite initially claiming he would not sell anytime soon, the 47-year-old offloaded his entire position within an hour in a single transaction, causing $GREED’s value to plummet by 99% to below $3 million. Lookonchain reported that he profited approximately $258,000 from the meme coin. Shortly after, Portnoy launched another token, GREED2. He currently holds 268.25 million of them, making up 26.8% of the total supply. In a final twist, the media mogul returned to X, stating that he had only promised not to sell one coin, referring to the Solana meme token Stool Prisondente (JAILSTOOL). He emphasized that he was free to sell everything else and had warned people not to buy. Portnoy first revealed his purchase of 57.16 million JAILSTOOL tokens on February 9. Shortly after, he sold the entire stack, exchanging it for roughly 586 SOL. However, he quickly bought back even more, spending over 1,000 SOL to acquire just over 23 million coins. Following an initial spike and dip, JAILSTOOL’s market cap surged past $100 million as the entrepreneur fueled its viral appeal. The coin’s value more than doubled, reaching an all-time high of nearly $218 million. Currently, the meme cryptocurrency is trading around the $0.0158 level, a 19.1% drop in the last 24 hours. It has suffered a more marked loss over seven days, shaving a massive 77.3% off its value. Meme Token Controversy The social media personality’s move with GREED comes amid a raging scandal in the meme coin space, specifically surrounding the LIBRA token. The asset, promoted by Argentine President Javier Milei, saw its market cap quickly reach $4.4 billion before plummeting massively. Its collapse fueled reports of insider trading and market manipulation with some allegedly cashing out over $100 million. Pump.fun founder Alen Cohen criticized LIBRA’s launch, arguing that meme coin creation should be decentralized and free from developer or market maker control to ensure fairness. He warned that the situation exposed flaws in the crypto sector, highlighting how bad actors exploit investors. Meanwhile, Meteora co-founder Ben Chow has resigned amid allegations of financial misconduct linked to the situation. The post Barstool Founder Launches and Dumps GREED Meme Coin in Just 1 Hour appeared first on CryptoPotato.