BitMEX Sued in UK for Return of $27M in Bitcoin Over Unlicensed Derivatives
Summary
British trader Lewis Barber is suing BitMEX operator HDR Global Trading to recover 324.8 BTC, worth about £20.4 million on October 1. He argues that 1,053 losing perpetual-swap trades made from the UK between 2018 and 2022 were unenforceable because BitMEX lacked UK authorization, and also alleges deceit. The claim has been filed but not formally served; BitMEX says it has not received it. Barber’s lawyers say other UK traders may have similar claims, potentially totaling hundreds of millions of pounds. BitMEX shut down in September and has previously pleaded guilty to Bank Secrecy Act violations.
