KuCoin pled guilty to federal charges today, acknowledging it operated an unlicensed money-transmitting business. Founders Chun Gan and Ke Tang will avoid prison but have to pay nearly $300 million in fines.
This legal battle played out in the Southern District of New York (SDNY), whose new US Attorney has vowed to stop crackdowns on the crypto industry. However, he claimed that this reprieve would only take place after cases like this reached a suitable resolution.
Criminal Charges Against KuCoin
KuCoin, one of the leading cryptocurrency exchanges, faced several legal challenges last year. In Q4 2024, Alameda Research filed a $50 million lawsuit against the exchange. It also received a formal warning from the Japanese government for operating without required licenses.
Today, in a much more serious episode, KuCoin pleaded guilty to criminal charges in federal court.
“We’re pleased to announce that KuCoin has reached a settlement with US authorities, a major step forward in our journey. This milestone brings clarity to our future and strengthens our commitment to innovation, compliance, and delivering value to our 38M+ users worldwide,” the exchange posted on X (formerly Twitter).
This legal battle began a little under a year ago when the US government charged the firm with a “multibillion-dollar criminal conspiracy.” Specifically, KuCoin was accused of failing to comply with financial compliance regulations, charges which include significant jail time.
Thanks to their plea, KuCoin founders Chun Gan and Ke Tang will not suffer the full impact of these charges. US District Judge Andrew Carter sentenced the firm to pay nearly $300 million in fines and forfeitures.
However, although these executives will not go to prison, their company still could be in dire straits. The exchange will have to exit the US market for two years.
“Peken Global Limited, which has operated the KuCoin cryptocurrency exchange, pled guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. It will pay $297 million & exit the US for 2 years; Chun Gan & Ke Tang will not have any role in KuCoin,” wrote Inner City Press.
Since the federal government first filed charges against KuCoin, its investors and customers have been running for the door. Users withdrew over $1.2 billion from the platform on the first day after the filing. User-held reserves then plunged over 20% in less than a week.
Since then, the exchange has made efforts to stay relevant. Most recently, it introduced a new merchant solution called ‘KuCoin Pay’ to enter the retail sector. Regardless, its business continues to suffer amid the legal challenges.
Surprisingly, despite the ongoing scrutiny, KuCoin’s native token, KCS, has performed well throughout the bull market. The altcoin gained nearly 20% in January and remained rather unphased after today’s news.
Meanwhile, this case actually fits in with the sweeping pro-crypto regulatory changes under President Trump. Specifically, KuCoin faced these charges in the Southern District of New York (SDNY), a federal court that deals with finance crimes.
The SDNY’s US Attorney vowed to stop crackdowns on crypto criminals, but only after finishing extant cases. Overall, it’s a positive step for the exchange as it closes the chapter on the DOJ’s lawsuit.
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