finance
CFTC Adds Trading Ban on Former Celsius CEO After Criminal Sentencing
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission permanently barred Alexander Mashinsky from any CFTC-regulated commodities activity on June 18, 2026. The order adds a registration and trading ban to his existing 12-year prison sentence, $50,000 fine, and $48 million restitution.
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U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission imposed a permanent registration and trading ban on Alexander Mashinsky on June 18, 2026. U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and approved by a judge the same day, prohibits the imprisoned former Celsius chief from any commodities activity regulated by the CFTC.
The CFTC did not impose any new fines. Mashinsky had already been sentenced to 12 years in prison, ordered to pay a $50,000 fine, and directed to return $48 million in his criminal case. "Mashinsky and Celsius engaged in a scheme to defraud hundreds of thousands of customers by misrepresenting the safety, profitability, and regulatory compliance of Celsius’ digital asset-based finance platform," the CFTC said in a statement.
The agency noted that during the 2022 crypto industry collapse, Celsius suffered devastating losses while telling customers their assets were safe and earning rewards. The ban concludes the CFTC’s civil case against Mashinsky, who founded and led Celsius until its collapse.
The agency described the registration prohibition as the final step in a years-long enforcement action that followed his criminal convictions.
