CFTC Imposes Lifetime Trading Ban on Celsius Founder Alex Mashinsky

Celsius founder Alex Mashinsky has received a lifetime trading and registration ban from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as part of the final resolution to the agency's enforcement action tied to the crypto lender's collapse.

The CFTC had previously accused Mashinsky and Celsius of running a scheme that misled hundreds of thousands of customers about the company's financial condition, risk exposure, and business practices.

According to the regulator, the order permanently prohibits Mashinsky from participating in commodities, futures, and derivatives markets under CFTC oversight. He is also barred from violating certain anti-fraud provisions under the Commodity Exchange Act and related agency regulations.

Mashinsky already serves a 12-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to one count of commodities fraud and one count of securities fraud in December 2024, with a federal judge imposing a $50,000 fine and ordering the forfeiture of approximately $48.39 million.