Voyager Digital’s Ex-CEO to Pay $750K to Victims: CFTC

The United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has won a court order requiring Stephen Ehrlich, the former CEO of Voyager Digital, a bankrupt cryptocurrency lender, to pay $750,000 to affected customers through bankruptcy liquidation procedures.

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York handed down the ruling today, indicating that more people are paying attention to crypto lenders, as many platforms have failed.

Court Hands Down Grim Verdict

The court decision requiring Ehrlich to pay $750,000 to Voyager’s customers as part of the bankruptcy proceedings was intended to provide some form of relief for the over $1.7 billion owed to U.S. investors. The ruling also bans Ehrlich from registering with the CFTC for a period of three years, thereby preventing him from participating in regulated activities. 

He is also prohibited from managing or advising third-party trading operations during this time. Notably, the court prohibits him from violating fraud laws in the future. Voyager’s legal issues began following its rapid growth in the crypto market. During this time, CEO Ehrlich and the company misled customers by promoting the platform as a safe place for digital assets. 

They promised high earnings and insurance coverage for deposits up to $250,000, which turned out to be false. From February to July 2022, Voyager carelessly loaned out customer funds, including over $650 million to risky companies like Three Arrows Capital, without doing proper research.

Fraud Victims Sigh in Relief

When Voyager’s loans defaulted, Ehrlich attempted to hide the company’s financial problems. He achieved this by requesting new deposits while allowing earlier customers to withdraw their funds. This led to even greater losses for many investors. The fraud came to light after Voyager declared bankruptcy in July 2022. 

The move left over 3.5 million users, especially in the U.S., facing billions in lost investments during a broader downturn in the crypto market. The fallout damaged trust in centralized platforms, leading to lawsuits and regulatory investigations. However, many victims, especially retail investors who lost their savings, expressed relief at the court’s decision.

Advocacy groups called it a “step toward accountability,” but some noted that the amount awarded is far less than needed for total recovery. Authorities are enhancing support for fraud victims globally, with the SEC’s $4.3 billion FTX settlement and repayments from BlockFi indicating efforts to reclaim funds and ensure accountability in the crypto industry.

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