FTX creditors have launched a class action lawsuit against Kroll Restructuring Administration, the firm managing claims for the bankrupt crypto exchange.

The suit, filed on Aug. 20 by US-based Hall Attorneys, alleged that Kroll’s handling of claims for FTX, BlockFi, and Genesis customers caused financial harm and exposed sensitive information to cybercriminals.

According to the lawsuit, Kroll knew emails were unsafe, as it consistently warned about phishing risks after it suffered a data breach incident in August 2023.

At the time, an unauthorized party gained access to a Kroll employee’s mobile number, which allowed entry into Kroll’s systems and exposure of creditor data, including names, addresses, email contacts, and some FTX account balances.

However, the firm reportedly continued to send critical notices solely via email, leaving claimants vulnerable to scams and phishing attacks.

Notably, Sunil Kavuri, a prominent FTX creditor, confirmed that phishing emails have become a daily concern for the defunct exchange’s users. He noted receiving a fraudulent message containing his full name just hours before posting about it on X.

Meanwhile, the lawsuit claims Kroll’s approach also caused verification delays, lockouts, and, in certain cases, the loss of claims by FTX creditors.

Considering this, Nicholas Hall, the lead counsel on the case, urged FTX creditors to join the legal battle. According to him:

“All creditors are encouraged to participate; it’s for both US and Bahamas customer-creditors.”

He also pointed out that the suit seeks compensation for losses related to phishing attacks, delayed claims, and expunged filings. Hall said:

“[FTX creditors could get] monetary relief for eligible class members (for example, up to $750 or actual damages for California victims, but depends on class, residency, etc.).”

Beyond monetary relief, plaintiffs are demanding practical reforms, including multi-channel communications through both email and First-Class Mail, status-change notifications with mandatory response periods, a manual tax-form option, and stricter security controls for account changes, such as mailing verification codes before permitting updates.

Additional demands include deliverability safeguards and independent audits to strengthen data protection.

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Binance founder Changpeng Zhao or CZ threatened to sue news agency Bloomberg for a second time over its report alleging links between the exchange and the USD1 stablecoin.

In an X post on Friday, CZ called the article “another hit piece” that was “sponsored by a competitor,” without explicitly naming the competitor. He dismissed it as a report meant to sow fear, uncertainty, and doubt, popularly referred to in crypto lingo as FUD.

CZ stated that the Bloomberg report contains “so many factual errors I don’t even know where to begin,” adding:

“Might have to sue them again for defamation.”

The contentious Bloomberg report

At the center of CZ’s legal threat is a Bloomberg report published on Friday. Citing three anonymous sources, the report alleged that Binance had developed the basic smart contract code that powers the USD1 stablecoin.

World Liberty Financial, a crypto firm linked to U.S. President Donald Trump and his sons, launched USD1 on May 22. The same day, The Wall Street Journal published a report claiming that CZ was playing the role of a ‘fixer,’ introducing the World Liberty Financial team to international dignitaries. CZ denied the claims in the report.

The launch of USD1 came nearly a month after World Liberty Financial founders met with CZ amid a global adoption push. Soon after, an Abu Dhabi-based firm made a $2 billion investment in Binance, which was settled using USD1. The Bloomberg report further claimed that nearly 90% of all USD1 remains in Binance’s wallets, potentially generating tens of millions of dollars in interest for the Trump family.

Soon after the Binance deal involving USD1, CZ sought a pardon from Trump. CZ was convicted and was released after four months in prison last year for failing to maintain appropriate guardrails on Binance to prevent money laundering.

The Bloomberg article claimed that CZ’s expectation of a pardon amid Binance’s close ties to World Liberty Financial raises questions of conflict of interest.

It is worth noting that the crypto community is overwhelmingly in support of CZ, with most users urging CZ to go ahead with the defamation lawsuit against Bloomberg.

CZ’s lawsuits against Bloomberg and other media

CZ has sued media agencies multiple times before. He sued Modern Media, a Hong Kong publisher for Bloomberg, for its July 6, 2022 magazine article alleging that CZ was operating a ponzi scheme. It’s worth noting that Bloomberg itself was not a party in the lawsuit.

In July last year, Modern Media issued an apology to CZ and Binance after it lost a two-year long legal battle. The news agency retracted the report titled “Changpeng Zhao’s Ponzi Scheme,” calling the headline “false and baseless.” At the time, Modern Media agreed to donate an agreed sum in lieu of paying damages.

Prior to the 2022 lawsuit, CZ had also sued Forbes in 2020 for a report alleging that Binance facilitated money laundering and deceived financial regulators. CZ, however, dropped the lawsuit in 2021. In 2022, Binance made a $200 million investment in Forbes.

CZ has also denied claims by other media outlets before. In April, CZ refuted a Wall Street Journal report alleging that he had agreed to testify against Tron founder Justin Sun as a smear campaign.

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Sportswear giant Nike is reportedly facing a lawsuit following the closure of its non-fungible token (NFT) business.

In 2021, Nike purchased RTFKT Studios, a collectibles firm known for creating viral sneaker designs, memes and other fashionable digital collectibles as it ventured into the metaverse, but the company shut down the project in December.

Reuters reports that investors of Nike-themed NFTs and other crypto assets led by Australian resident Jagdeep Cheema filed a suit on Friday, claiming that they suffered significant losses as demand for their digital collectibles dropped following the announcement that RTFKT was winding down its operations.

The investors say that they would not have bought the NFTs had they known that the tokens were unregistered securities. To date, the legal status of NFTs is not yet settled, and several lawsuits involve questions on whether or not these assets should be considered as securities. 

The suit also accuses Nike of orchestrating a “rug pull”, or the sudden abandonment of a project that leaves investors with worthless assets.

The plaintiffs are seeking more than $5 million in damages for the alleged violation of consumer laws in New York, California, Florida and Oregon.

Nike has not yet issued a statement regarding the lawsuit.

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