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SEC Alleges NovaTech Ltd Ran Fraudulent Crypto-Centered Scheme

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SEC Alleges NovaTech Ltd Ran Fraudulent Crypto-Centered Scheme

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged NovaTech Ltd, its operators, Cynthia and Eddy Petion, and the company’s top promoters with running a fraudulent scheme centered on crypto assets.

The defendants are charged with running a multi-level marketing company that claimed it would invest victims’ funds in crypto assets but did so with only a fraction of the funds, the SEC said in a Monday (Aug. 12) press release.

“NovaTech and the Petions caused untold losses to tens of thousands of victims around the world,” Eric Werner, director of the SEC’s Fort Worth Regional Office, said in the release.

NovaTech Ltd. did not immediately reply to PYMNTS’ request for comment.

The SEC’s complaint said that the Petions told investors that NovaTech would invest their funds on crypto asset and foreign exchange markets but instead used most of those funds to make payments to other investors, to pay commission to promoters or to be taken by the Petions, with only a fraction of the funds used for trading, according to the release.

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The complaint also alleged that when NovaTech collapsed, most investors suffered substantial losses because they were unable to withdraw their funds, per the release.

The company raised over $650 million in crypto assets from more than 200,000 investors around the world, the release said.

In addition to its charges against the company and the Petions, the SEC charged six of NovaTech’s top promoters, saying that they recruited investors and promoters and were paid “substantial commissions” for doing so, according to the release.

“As we allege, MLM schemes of this size require promoters to fuel them, and today’s action demonstrates that we will hold accountable not just the principal architects of these massive schemes, but also promoters who spread their fraud by unlawfully soliciting victims,” Werner said in the release.

In another case related to crypto, the SEC said in March that it charged 17 individuals connected with Houston-based CryptoFX, alleging that they were involved in a Ponzi scheme.

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The SEC’s complaint alleged that leaders of the CryptoFX network solicited investors by promising that the organization’s trading in crypto assets and foreign exchange would deliver returns of 15% to 100%, raised $300 million, and then used most of the funds to pay “supposed returns” to other investors and to pay commissions and bonuses to themselves.

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Data center/cryptocurrency mines ordinance passes first reading in Kingsport – SuperTalk 92.9

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Data center/cryptocurrency mines ordinance passes first reading in Kingsport – SuperTalk 92.9

The Kingsport Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved an ordinance on first reading that would create development and location standards for data centers and cryptocurrency mines. The ordinance, which was passed unanimously Tuesday night, would not ban data centers or crypto mines. Instead, it would establish guidelines for where they could be located in the city. With more and more data centers and crypto mines popping up across the country, Alderman Gary Mayes says the ordinance is a proactive move, very progressive, and very positive for the city. The ordinance will have to pass a second time for final adoption.

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XRP Slides Sharply as Global Tensions Trigger Broad Risk-off Selling

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XRP Slides Sharply as Global Tensions Trigger Broad Risk-off Selling
XRP slid deeper into a defensive posture as selling pressure persisted, technical indicators stayed bearish and global risk-off sentiment intensified, leaving the token pinned near range lows with traders wary of further downside amid heightened geopolitical and trade tensions.
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1 Top Cryptocurrency to Buy Before It Soars 1,000%, According to Michael Saylor | The Motley Fool

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1 Top Cryptocurrency to Buy Before It Soars 1,000%, According to Michael Saylor | The Motley Fool

The Bitcoin maximalist expects the token’s price to hit $1 million this year.

Bitcoin‘s (BTC 3.80%) price hit an all-time high of $126,210.50 on Oct. 6, 2025, but it now trades at about $90,000. The world’s top cryptocurrency pulled back nearly 30% as many investors booked profits, triggering leveraged liquidations. Geopolitical tensions, tariffs, and other macroeconomic headwinds exacerbated that selling pressure.

Nevertheless, Strategy‘s (MSTR 7.76%) Michael Saylor — who orchestrated his software company’s historic transformation into Bitcoin’s most prominent corporate investor over the past five and a half years — still expects the token’s price to soar more than 1,000% to $1,000,000 this year. Let’s see if that top Bitcoin maximalist’s bold prediction might come true.

Image source: Getty Images.

What’s the bullish case for Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is mined using the energy-intensive proof-of-work (PoW) consensus mechanism, which requires miners to solve cryptographic puzzles with powerful chips to earn tokens. It was initially mined with CPUs and GPUs, but its mining rewards are cut in half every four years.

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These scheduled “halvings” make it harder to mine Bitcoin profitably. Today, miners need powerful application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) to produce new tokens.

Bitcoin has a maximum supply of 21 million tokens, and nearly 20 million have already been mined. However, its halvings will delay the last token’s mining until 2140. That fixed scarcity makes Bitcoin more comparable to gold, silver, and other finite commodities. Hence, the bulls claimed it could become a hedge against inflation and the devaluation of fiat currencies.

Bitcoin Stock Quote

Today’s Change

(-3.80%) $-3533.58

Current Price

$89440.00

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The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the first spot price exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for Bitcoin in early 2024, which made it easier for retail and institutional investors to gain exposure to the top cryptocurrency without a dedicated crypto wallet. Moreover, the U.S. launched its own Strategic Bitcoin Reserve for seized Bitcoins last March. El Salvador and the Central African Republic also accepted Bitcoin as legal tender for several years.

Those catalysts could transform Bitcoin into “digital gold” over the next few decades. However, Bitcoin’s market cap of $1.8 trillion is still tiny compared to gold’s $33.1 trillion.

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Why does Saylor expect Bitcoin to hit $1 million?

Based on these facts, Bitcoin’s price could rise tenfold and still be significantly less valuable than gold. Saylor, along with the industry’s other Bitcoin maximalists, expects soaring government debt to drive countries to print more money, diluting the value of their fiat currencies. That monetary expansion will drive more investors toward gold and Bitcoin.

Furthermore, the Trump Administration’s recent actions against the Federal Reserve — including an attempt to fire Fed governor Lisa Cook and a Department of Justice (DOJ) probe into Fed chief Jerome Powell — indicate it wants new leaders for the Fed who favor accelerated interest rate cuts.

Deeper interest rate cuts could stimulate the broader economy, but they’ll also weaken the U.S. dollar and possibly drive up inflation again. That shift would probably boost Bitcoin’s value.

Over the past 12 months, gold rallied nearly 60% and silver more than doubled as investors braced for the devaluation of the U.S. dollar. Yet Bitcoin’s price declined by more than 10% during the same period, as it stumbled alongside the market’s more speculative investments.

Therefore, Bitcoin might catch up to gold and silver — and generate even bigger gains — by the end of 2026 as those tailwinds kick in. However, I think it’s too ambitious to expect it to hit $1,000,000. Since Bitcoin is still broadly classified as a speculative play, it could sink much further than gold or silver during the next market crash. I’m bullish on Bitcoin’s long-term growth potential, but I’m bracing for more near-term volatility instead of expecting it to soar 1,000% this year.

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