- Ex-BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes is reportedly negotiating terms of a surrender to US authorities
- Hayes is wanted on charges relating to the illegal operation of BitMEX
- Hayes remains at large in Singapore, out of the clutches of the CFTC who have filed charges against him
Former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes is discussing handing himself into the authorities in the US, according to crypto news outlet The Block. The news site cites court documents from a February hearing regarding the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) case against Hayes and other BitMEX founders, charges Hayes is currently able to evade as he is still residing in Singapore. However, prosecutors in the case told the court last month that Hayes and prosecutors have “discussed a surrender date of April 6, 2021” with Hawaii the supposed location for the handover.
Arthur Hayes Currently in Singapore
Hayes and former BitMEX owners Ben Delo and Samuel Reed were indicted in October on a number of charges relating to the illegal running of the cryptocurrency exchange, which flouted regulations for years until finally being brought to book by the CFTC. Delo and Reed were quickly apprehended, but Hayes, who was thought to still be residing in Hong Kong, is not subject to an extradition order.
However, it seems that remaining a wanted man, with the concomitant restrictions that would put on international travel, may have finally got to Hayes, who, according to the court documents, has “discussed with counsel how to arrange for a voluntary surrender”, with the aim of appearing before the Southern District of New York in a virtual capacity rather than a physical one.
Bitmex Rings the Changes
After a year-long investigation into the platform, the CFTC charged BitMEX with operating an unregistered trading platform and violating Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations for allowing American citizens to trade Bitcoin futures without having a license. Five entities and three individuals who are cited as owning and operating the exchange were hit with charges, including Arthur Hayes.
The company has gone to great lengths to fulfil its regulatory obligations in recent weeks, including hiring an AML/KYC expert to ensure they are towing the line from now on.
