Crypto Exchange BitMex Is Hit With $300 Million Investor Lawsuit

Olga Kharif, Bloomberg News

(Bloomberg) -- BitMex, one of the world’s most popular cryptocurrency exchanges, and founder Arthur Hayes are being sued for $300 million for allegedly stiffing an early investor.

Frank Amato and RGB Coin Ltd. claim to have been the first seed investor of BitMex in 2015. The $30,000 investment was supposed to later be converted into equity, currently valued at more than $50 million, but they weren’t granted the equity, the suit said. Amato claims BitMex, which has employees in California and is registered in the Seychelles, gave him false information.

The suit Dec. 4 in California state superior court in San Francisco. BitMex didn’t immediately return a request for comment.

Amato and RGB Coin want to recoup the value of their equity, more than $50 million, and $250 million in punitive damages. Based on the estimated value of the stake, the exchange is now valued at about $1 billion.

Amato is a former JPMorgan Chase & Co. commodity derivatives trader, according to his LinkedIn profile. Hayes was formally a derivatives trader at Citigroup Inc. and Deutsche Bank AG.

To contact the reporter on this story: Olga Kharif in Portland at okharif@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jeremy Herron at jherron8@bloomberg.net, Dave Liedtka, Joe Schneider