Breaking: CFTC Sues Former Voyager Digital CEO, Stephen Ehrlich

The crypto industry has once again been thrown into the spotlight as the former CEO of now-bankrupt Voyager Digital Ltd., Stephen Ehrlich, finds himself at the center of a lawsuit filed by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The CFTC Lawsuit Unraveled

According to a recent report, the CFTC accused Stephen Ehrlich of violating derivatives rules and misleading customers regarding the safety of their digital assets. The regulatory body filed the lawsuit in a U.S. federal court in New York, signaling a significant move in its efforts to enforce crypto regulations.

The CFTC alleges that Ehrlich, during his tenure as CEO, violated derivatives rules, which are designed to ensure transparency and fairness in trading. Additionally, the suit contends that Ehrlich and Voyager Digital falsely represented the platform as a “safe haven” for customers’ digital assets, potentially luring unsuspecting investors into a precarious situation.

Prior to the lawsuit, Bloomberg News had reported that CFTC investigators had already concluded that Ehrlich had breached agency rules. The regulatory body’s commissioners were subsequently deliberating on whether to proceed with enforcement actions against the former CEO.

In response to these allegations, Stephen Ehrlich has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. He has emphasized his long and untarnished career in regulated markets, stating that he has never had any issues throughout his tenure at public companies. Ehrlich suggests that he is being unfairly used as a scapegoat for the actions of individuals at different companies.

Voyager Digital’s Bankruptcy

The allegations against Ehrlich come in the aftermath of Voyager Digital’s bankruptcy, which occurred in July of the previous year. The company was a casualty of the significant market downturn that affected the crypto ecosystem. 

It faced a severe decline in value due to the collapse of the Terra Luna stablecoin in May 2022, which sent shockwaves through the industry. Shortly before filing for bankruptcy, Voyager Digital ceased customer withdrawals, compounding the woes of its investors.

The firm’s estimated assets at the time were over $1 billion, and it had more than 100,000 creditors. Alameda Research, the hedge fund of the now defunct FTX exchange was named as the biggest creditor after the trading desk gave a $500 million credit line to the crypto lender.