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Judge rejects CFTC, Gemini bid to undo $5M settlement

Judge ruled changes in CFTC enforcement priorities and allegations of misconduct by its enforcement division were insufficient to overturn Gemini’s January 2025 settlement.

By RWA Crypto Watch Editorial Team · Published Oct 16, 2026, 12:34 AM UTC · Updated 2026-10-16 · Risk level: medium
Sources checked: Oct 16, 2026, 9:14 AM UTC

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What happened

Judge ruled changes in CFTC enforcement priorities and allegations of misconduct by its enforcement division were insufficient to overturn Gemini’s January 2025 settlement.

Reported details

  • The court noted that Gemini voluntarily settled three weeks before trial and that policy changes do not warrant reopening the judgment.
  • The ruling underscores the permanence of legal settlements, limiting the impact of policy shifts on finalized judgments and regulatory actions.
  • Gemini and CFTC lose their bid to overturn a $5 million settlement after a U.S. judge rejects their arguments and leaves the original order intact.
  • Gemini has already paid the $5 million penalty. A permanent injunction and restrictions on publicly denying the case’s findings remain in place.

Why this matters

Judge rejects CFTC Gemini sits on the regulatory side rather than the structural side: the useful question is which dated rule, if any, follows this notice, and who wrote it. A rule that is not published yet changes nothing about who may act today, so treat the pending text as pending rather than as settled.

Evidence boundary

The scope is limited to what the linked reports state, and where two of them diverge both positions are recorded without either being picked in advance.

What to verify

Before acting on Judge rejects CFTC Gemini, read the dated rule text itself rather than a summary of it, and note which agency wrote it and whether the comment period is still open.

Sources and editorial check time

This information is educational and is not financial, legal, or tax advice.

Sources