Robinhood in $3.9 mln settlement with California over crypto withdrawals
New throughout, adds Robinhood comment, settlement details, share price, byline
By Jonathan Stempel
Sept 4 (Reuters) -A cryptocurrency platform run by Robinhood Markets HOOD.O will pay $3.9 million to settle claims it failed tolet customers withdraw cryptocurrency from their accounts from 2018 to 2022, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said on Wednesday.
The civil settlement with Robinhood Crypto is the first public action by Bonta's office against a cryptocurrency company.
Bonta said Robinhood violated California law by failing to deliver cryptocurrencies that its customers had bought, leaving customers unable to withdraw their assets and forcing them to sell the assets to exit the platform.
The attorney general said Robinhood also misled customers about where their crypto assets were held, and by advertising it would connect customers to multiple trading venues to ensure they got competitive prices.
Robinhood did not admit or deny wrongdoing. The settlement also requires the platform to let customers withdraw crypto assets to their own wallets, and honor its representations about itstrading and order handling practices.
Lucas Moskowitz, Robinhood's general counsel, in a statement said the Menlo Park, California-based company was pleased to settle, and looked forward to making cryptocurrency "more accessible and affordable to everyone."
In a separate statement, Bonta said the settlement "should send a strong message: whether you're a brick-and-mortar store or a cryptocurrency company, you must adhere to California's consumer and investor protection laws."
Robinhood shares rose 12 cents to $19.23 in after-hours trading.
Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler and David Gregorio
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
