加密貨幣：100億英鎊索賠

競爭上訴法庭（CAT）已將海外資助者遵守訴訟資助者協會行為準則的關鍵部分作為授予集體訴訟令的條件。

A collective proceedings order has been granted by the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) in a £10bn cryptocurrency class action claim against four exchanges.

競爭上訴法庭 (CAT) 已針對四家交易所的 100 億英鎊加密貨幣集體訴訟索賠授予集體訴訟令。

The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) has made an overseas funder’s compliance with key parts of the Association of Litigation Funders’ code of conduct a condition of granting a collective proceedings order.

競爭上訴法庭（CAT）已將海外資助者遵守訴訟資助者協會行為準則的關鍵部分作為授予集體訴訟令的條件。

Softwhale Holdings is funding UK litigation for the first time and is not a member of the association.

Softwhale Holdings 首次資助英國訴訟，但並非該協會的成員。

But it said from an early stage that it would voluntarily comply with the code’s requirements in relation to capital adequacy and case funding and the CAT has stitched this into the fabric of the BSV claim in a ruling late last month.

但它從一開始就表示將自願遵守該準則有關資本充足性和案件資助的要求，並且 CAT 已在上個月末的一項裁決中將其納入 BSV 索賠的結構中。

The CAT said it would grant the order once receiving the undertaking, “subject to any points which would cause us to reconsider”.

禁止酷刑委員會表示，一旦收到承諾，它將批准該命令，「但須遵守任何可能導致我們重新考慮的問題」。

The claim alleges that four leading cryptocurrency exchanges – Binance, Bittylicious, Kraken and Shapeshift – colluded to delist cryptocurrency Bitcoin Satoshi Vision (BSV) in 2019.

該指控稱，四家領先的加密貨幣交易所——Binance、Bittylicious、Kraken 和 Shapeshift——在 2019 年合謀將加密貨幣比特幣 Satoshi Vision (BSV) 下架。

It is estimated that more than 240,000 investors in the UK suffered losses of around £10bn.

據估計，英國超過24萬名投資者遭受了約100億英鎊的損失。

The class representative is Lord Currie, chief executive of BSV Claims and a former chair of the Competition & Markets Authority, while former Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland KC is on the advisory board. London disputes law firm Veltior Law is acting for Lord Currie.

該集體代表是 BSV Claims 首席執行官、競爭與市場管理局前主席柯里勳爵 (Lord Currie)，而前財政大臣羅伯特·巴克蘭 (Robert Buckland KC) 是顧問委員會成員。倫敦爭議律師事務所 Veltior Law 是柯里勳爵的代理律師。

Softwhale Ventures is part of the Ayre Group, owned by Canadian online gambling billionaire Calvin Ayre, who is also active in bitcoin and blockchain.

Softwhale Ventures 是 Ayre Group 的一部分，該集團的所有者是加拿大線上博彩億萬富翁 Calvin Ayre，他也活躍於比特幣和區塊鏈領域。

The CAT ruling said that, while there was “extensive correspondence” from the proposed defendants taking points of objection to the funding arrangements, they did not pursue them at the hearing.

禁止酷刑委員會的裁決稱，雖然擬議被告發出了“大量信件”，對資助安排表示反對，但他們並沒有在聽證會上提出異議。

The original litigation funding agreement was entered into in July 2022 and had to be redrawn following last year’s Supreme Court ruling in PACCAR. It provides up to £18.6m of funding, with Softwhale’s fee calculated by reference to a multiple of the total funding commitment, which the CAT had confirmed did not fall foul of PACCAR.

最初的訴訟資助協議於 2022 年 7 月簽訂，並在去年最高法院對 PACCAR 案做出裁決後不得不重新起草。它提供了高達 1860 萬英鎊的資金，Softwhale 的費用是根據總資金承諾的倍數計算的，CAT 已確認這一金額與 PACCAR 沒有衝突。

Softwhale’s performance of the agreement is guaranteed by Mt Burgos Holdings Ltd, up to more than £9.8m.

Softwhale 履行協議由 Mt Burgos Holdings Ltd 提供高達超過 980 萬英鎊的擔保。

The CAT recorded that there was also after-the-event insurance in place, providing cover of £2m up to certification and £14m post-certification. The policy includes an anti-avoidance endorsement.

CAT 記錄稱，還設立了事後保險，在認證前提供 200 萬英鎊的保險，在認證後提供 1400 萬英鎊的保險。該政策包括反避稅背書。

If the policy proves insufficient to cover any adverse costs order, a deposit of £5m cash is held in the claim trust account, and the funding agreement includes an undertaking to ensure that the account is maintained at a minimum level of £5m.

如果保單證明不足以支付任何不利費用指令，則索賠信託帳戶中將保存 500 萬英鎊現金存款，並且融資協議包括一項承諾，確保該帳戶維持在 500 萬英鎊的最低水平。