What are the Top Crypto Legal Cases to Follow in 2022?

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• From Craig Wright to Tether, there have been some huge crypto legal cases this year
• 2022 will see Ripple, BitMEX executives, and Craig Wright (again) enter the courtroom
• Here’s a reminder of the big crypto legal cases of 2022

There has been plenty to interest fans of the law and crypto in 2021, from the blockbuster Kleiman vs Wright case to Tether pronouncing itself not guilty after settling with the CFTC and the Office of the Attorney General, and 2022 will be no different. What are the most important cases and what can we expect from a legal perspective in 2019?

Securities and Exchange Commission vs Ripple

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) hit Ripple with a charge of securities fraud in December last year, a charge which resulted in the token price bombing as exchanges delisted the token en masse to avoid any unpleasant entanglements with the SEC.

However, the SEC has suffered several small defeats in 2021 in relation to the case, leading to many feeling that Ripple has a good chance of winning the case, which should be settled in 2022. As we discussed earlier in the year, the XRP token will very likely explode whatever happens in the SEC/Ripple case, unless criminal charges result from the case, which is a virtual impossibility.

At worst Ripple could face a stiff fine. This is because Ripple has a determination to fight and not settle. But if the courts decide to go against Ripple, then the implications for the whole crypto space would be huge. It would help to end the seemingly endless debate about whether cryptocurrencies are securities.

Australian Tax Office vs Craig Wright

Alongside Craig Wright’s multiple court cases which will be settled in 2022, there is also the prospect of a criminal charge by the Australian Tax Office (ATO). Wright’s claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto date back to 2014 when the ATO began investigating him for tax fraud, with Wright claiming he created Bitcoin and mined millions which he used to claim back R&D tax rebates from the ATO.

ATO investigations are known to take around 10 years on average, and with the investigations into Wright beginning around 2011 and known to be ongoing, there is the potential for him to be hit with criminal tax fraud charges this year…a simply delicious proposition for the man who has said he will win any and all court