Updated
Updated · CNBC · Jun 2
CFTC Seeks to Void Gemini's $5 Million Penalty as Chair Alleges Biden-Era Political Targeting
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Jun 2

CFTC Seeks to Void Gemini's $5 Million Penalty as Chair Alleges Biden-Era Political Targeting

2 articles · Updated · CNBC · Jun 2
  • A New York federal judge was asked last week to vacate a January 2025 order that fined Gemini $5 million and barred false statements to the CFTC.
  • CFTC Chairman Michael Selig said Tuesday the agency is correcting a flawed case and "starting fresh," arguing Gemini was swept up in broader Biden-era targeting of the crypto industry.
  • The enforcement action began in 2022, when the CFTC alleged Gemini misled regulators in 2017 while seeking approval for a bitcoin futures product and downplayed manipulation risks.
  • The move adds to the Trump administration's rollback of Biden-era crypto enforcement; former CFTC chair Tim Massad called the bid to undo the order "very unusual."
If Gemini's case was flawed, why is the CFTC keeping the $5 million penalty it collected?
Will this reversal let other crypto firms successfully challenge penalties from previous regulators?
How will the new SEC/CFTC partnership finally bring regulatory clarity to the American crypto market?