Indonesia mulls crypto tax policy review

CoinFLEX’s Creditors Sue CEO and OPNX in Legal DisputeCreditors of Seychelles-incorporated crypto platform CoinFLEX have taken legal action against its CEO, Mark Lamb, alleging that his involvement in launching the claims trading platform OPNX violated his fiduciary duties to CoinFLEX.Photo by Sasun Bughdaryan on UnsplashDissatisfied CoinFLEX creditorsAccording to the civil action, which was filed in a Hong Kong court earlier this month, they view OPNX as a competing business to CoinFLEX. The lawsuit also implicates CoinFLEX investor Roger Ver.Lamb joined forces with Su Zhu and Kyle Davies, the founders of the now-defunct Singaporean crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC), to introduce a platform for trading bankruptcy claims, initially named GTX (later rebranded as OPNX). CoinFLEX co-founder Sudhu Arumugam also backed the project, with Leslie Lamb, Mark Lamb’s wife, installed as CEO.Lamb and CoinFLEX defended the project, claiming it would enhance transparency in financial markets and benefit CoinFLEX creditors. However, creditors argue that Lamb’s actions indicate a strategic move to distance himself and his associates from CoinFLEX. With that, they’re seeking to prevent him from representing CoinFLEX in the future.Complaint detailsThe creditors of CoinFLEX assert that OPNX was not authorized by CoinFLEX’s board or creditors and that Mark Lamb independently appropriated CoinFLEX’s intellectual property, technology, customer base, and employees to create the claims exchange.They accuse Lamb of entering into a harmful licensing and purchase agreement with OPNX’s parent companies, Open Technologies Holding LTD and Open Technology Markets LTD. Through their lawsuit, the creditors are aiming to nullify these agreements and place OPNX’s assets and profits into a trust.OPNX’s strugglesOPNX has faced difficulties from the point at which it was launched. While Zhu and Davies were once leading figures in the digital assets space, their reputations have been severely tarnished due to the manner of the 3AC collapse and its profound impact on the broader crypto market.In April the platform confirmed backing from various venture capital (VC) entities only for many of the VCs to turn around and deny any such involvement with the project. Having issued an investor and marketplace alert in relation to the firm in April, a short time later the Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA) in Dubai issued a formal reprimand to the business' founders.VARA followed up in August, applying a $2.7 million fine. OPNX had entered a bid for troubled Singaporean crypto lender Hodlnaut as part of that business restructuring process. The offer was turned down on the basis that the deal involved OPNX’s native OX token, which was deemed to be far too illiquid. A short time later, the OX unit price plummeted.Zhu was arrested in Singapore last month in connection with non-compliance related to 3AC’s bankruptcy, while Davies’ whereabouts remain undisclosed.CoinFLEX’s creditors also accuse Lamb of reaching a settlement agreement with Roger Ver, known as “Bitcoin Jesus.” Ver was one of CoinFLEX’s initial investors but later became entangled in a dispute over an $84 million debt he allegedly incurred on the platform due to market volatility. The lawsuit seeks to recover any benefits Ver received from the settlement.On X, a user called @CoinFLEXReal suggested that it has uncovered evidence that Lamb, Zhu, and Davies “used creditor assets as their personal piggy bank.”

CityLabs Secures 8.55% Stake in GopaxCityLabs, a company listed on the KOSDAQ stock exchange, has stepped in as a rescue investor for the South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Gopax.The company announced last Friday that it has acquired a total of 76,308 shares of Streami, the operator of Gopax, securing an 8.55% stake in the company. The investment amounts to a total value of KRW 5.4 billion (approximately $4 million).Photo by Precondo CA on UnsplashGopax’s turbulent historyGopax has recently been facing public and regulatory scrutiny due to its internal struggles, such as undergoing major changes in leadership earlier this year following its acquisition by Binance, with Lee Jun-haeng resigning and Binance’s Asia Pacific Head, Leon Sing Foong, taking over.After this event, Streami submitted reports to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) under the Financial Services Commission (FSS) in line with requirements to inform the regulatory body about such changes. However, due to delays in the FIU’s approval process likely influenced by Binance’s various legal and regulatory challenges, there was yet another leadership transition — Foong stepped down, and Lee Joong-hoon, Gopax’s former Vice President, took over. Notably, Foong recently left Binance altogether amid regulatory crackdowns.During this process, Gopax also struggled to make principal and interest payments on its own decentralized finance (DeFi) service, GOFi, in the wake of last year’s FTX collapse. The amount of customer funds locked in GOFi totals KRW 56.6 billion, according to an announcement made by Gopax in April. Binance acquired a stake in Gopax on the condition that it would inject enough capital into Gopax to repay this amount in full.CityLabs steps inAs a result, there have been speculations that a Korean company would invest in Gopax and deliver the exchange from its woes. Some even predicted that this company might become a major shareholder, although CityLabs has acquired only an 8.55% stake due to the fact that the funds required to do so far exceed CityLabs’ annual revenue.Last year, CityLabs reported a consolidated revenue of KRW 28.4 billion and an operating loss of KRW 6.1 billion. Although its revenue increased by 2% compared to the previous year, operating losses grew by 46.9%. While the company may not have sufficient funds at present to become a major shareholder, there lies the possibility that it may increase its stake in the future.The acquisition seems to be driven by CityLabs’ interest in blockchain businesses and the crypto market. While it currently specializes in intelligent transportation systems (ITS), it was formerly Dayli Blockchain, which was affiliated with the crypto exchange Coinone and Dayli Financial Group (now known as Gowid). In 2017, Yellow Mobile became the largest shareholder of Dayli Financial, and in February 2018, it became the largest shareholder of DailyBlockchain, making Dayli Blockchain its subsidiary. Coinone was also a subsidiary of Yellow Mobile at the time. All of these ownership relations have now been restructured.CityLabs has thus been involved in the blockchain industry for some time now with previous connections to cryptocurrency exchanges while also offering decentralized identity (DID) and blockchain as a service (BaaS) products. Observations point to the possibility that its history has influenced its decision to invest in Gopax.“We acquired shares to secure an entry point into the crypto market and position ourselves as a major player,” the company said in a statement.Meanwhile, financial authorities are considering plans to examine the eligibility of major shareholders when reviewing applications from crypto businesses.

GS Group Supports Blockchain Startups in Korean Retail IndustryThe GS Challenge, an innovative startup accelerator established through a partnership between South Korean conglomerate GS Group and early-stage venture capital fund Bluepoint Partners, has launched a program dedicated to providing support to innovative startups, including blockchain ventures, in the retail industry.Photo by Alexandru Tugui on UnsplashBlockchain & other retail solutionsThe application window for this program opened on June 16 and will remain accessible until July 13. To be eligible, applicants have to be startups that possess retail technology and have a team consisting of two or more members. Retail technology encompasses a wide range of solutions aimed at improving businesses’ understanding of their customers, streamlining inventory management, and optimizing promotional events. These solutions leverage cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, blockchain, and the Internet of Things (IoT).Three-month programThe screening process for applicants will involve thorough document reviews and meetings conducted by both entities. Successful applicants will have the opportunity to participate in a comprehensive three-month acceleration program scheduled from August to October. This program will offer valuable guidance on various aspects of running a startup, including consultations on legal, human resources, and financial matters.Extensive retail networkAdditionally, the selected startups will gain access to the GS Retail infrastructure to test their technologies and products. GS Retail boasts an extensive network consisting of 16,000 convenience stores, 400 supermarkets, as well as infomercial and e-commerce channels. This opportunity will enable the startups to test their technology and products in a real-world retail environment, facilitating practical application and market integration.Expressing the insights gained from a decade of startup investments, Lee Sung-hwa, the VP of Corporate Development at GS Retail, emphasized the value derived from collaborating with startups. Recognizing the mutual benefits, Lee highlighted that this collaboration would prove advantageous for both GS Retail and the participating startups. GS Retail can foster innovation in the industry, while the startups can accelerate their growth by leveraging the extensive GS Retail network.