PANews reported on February 8 that according to Cointelegraph, Braden John Karony, the former CEO of the cryptocurrency company SafeMoon, has asked a judge to postpone his criminal trial, apparently hoping that the Trump administration's attitude towards digital assets will lead to the withdrawal of at least one charge.
In a Feb. 5 filing with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (EDNY), Karony requested a federal judge to postpone jury selection for his trial from March to April 2025, citing “significant changes” introduced by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) during President Trump’s term. The SafeMoon CEO’s legal team cited an executive order signed by Trump on Jan. 23 that explored potential changes to digital asset regulation in the United States, as well as a statement from SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce that suggested the commission would consider providing “retroactive relief” for certain cryptocurrency cases.
It is unclear when Judge Eric Komitee will make a decision on Karony's request. In November 2023, U.S. authorities indicted Karony, Kyle Nagy and Thomas Smith of SafeMoon, charging them with securities fraud conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. Karony was released on $3 million bail in February 2024 to await trial. Karony has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
