Crypto In The Courtroom—2025 Class Actions Could Hit All-Time High

bitcoinistPublished on 2025-07-31Last updated on 2025-08-01

Abstract

According to a report by Cornerstone on Wednesday, investors in the US have filed six class-action lawsuits tied to crypto...

Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

According to a report by Cornerstone on Wednesday, investors in the US have filed six class-action lawsuits tied to crypto so far in 2025. That number nearly matches the seven brought all of last year. Meanwhile, AI-related suits are closing in on last year’s total too.

Surge In Crypto Lawsuits

In the first half of 2025, six crypto-related filings went to court. That is a big jump from seven for all of 2024. Half of those new suits target token issuers. One is against a mining company. Two more name outfits that sell rigs or have crypto partnerships.

The law firm Burwick Law filed three of the six cases. Its founder, Max Burwick, says private suits give investors a clear way to hold firms to account. Pomerantz LLP and Glancy Prongay & Murray led the rest of the filings.

Source: Cornerstone

AI Cases On The Rise

Based on a report, 12 AI-related lawsuits hit US courts in the same period. Last year saw 15 in total. Stanford law professor Joseph Grundfest points to “AI-washing” as the main culprit.

That’s when companies overstate their AI skills to grab investor cash. Investors strike back with civil claims once the truth comes out and share prices slide.

Total filings in H1 2025 for all securities cases stood at 114. That figure is almost flat compared to 115 in H2 2024. It shows that lawsuits driven by hot themes are rising fast, while overall litigation stays steady.

Total crypto market cap currently at $3.8 trillion. Chart: TradingView

Regulatory Pullback Drives Private Action

Investors did not wait for regulators to move. Even after US agencies like the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission eased up on crypto under US President Donald Trump, suits kept coming.

That pattern suggests civil actions are now part of the playbook for those who feel burned by sudden losses.

Looking at the data, last year’s seven crypto suits are on course to be beaten by 2025’s total. And AI filings look set to match or exceed the 15 logged in 2024.

Both areas have a small group of law firms leading the charge. Burwick Law stands out for crypto. On the AI side, a variety of firms are jumping in.

What Companies Should Watch

Companies working with crypto or AI must be precise in how they talk about their tech. Overblown claims or careless wording on blockchain ties or machine-learning breakthroughs could invite civil suits.

Clear, honest disclosures are the best defense. Legal experts warn that private lawsuits can pick up where regulators leave off.

Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.

Christian, a journalist and editor with leadership roles in Philippine and Canadian media, is fueled by his love for writing and cryptocurrency. Off-screen, he's a cook and cinephile who's constantly intrigued by the size of the universe.

Related Reads

Stablecoins Are the 'Royalists' of the Crypto World: Open USD Brings the Old Monetary System into the Fray

Title: Stablecoins Are the "Royalists" of the Crypto World: Open USD Brings the Old Monetary System into the Fray The article analyzes the launch of Open USD, a new dollar-pegged stablecoin backed by a coalition of over 140 traditional financial, payment, and tech giants like Visa, BlackRock, and Google. Author Hu Yilin argues that stablecoins like Open USD represent not a "moderate" wing of the crypto revolution, but a "royalist reform" within the old monetary system. He posits that while stablecoins adopt blockchain's efficiency, programmability, and borderless nature, they fundamentally reinforce the US dollar's centrality and the Federal Reserve's authority. They aim to replace inefficient "bureaucrats" (like traditional payment networks) rather than challenge the "monarch" (the dollar-based system). Thus, Open USD symbolizes the old system co-opting blockchain technology to upgrade dollar hegemony, potentially marginalizing native crypto projects like Circle's USDC. Hu contrasts this with more revolutionary paths, like a "Bitcoin standard," which seeks to change the monetary base itself. He warns that if the crypto ecosystem's unit of account, collateral, and value anchor remain dollar-denominated stablecoins,链上繁荣 may enrich the traditional financial system ("off-chain") rather than granting monetary premium to native crypto assets like ETH. Projects with civilizational ambitions, he argues, cannot reduce their narrative to mere "fuel" or transaction fees but must grapple with the core revolutionary idea: that a decentralized market does not require a central bank as the anchor of monetary order.

marsbit3h ago

Stablecoins Are the 'Royalists' of the Crypto World: Open USD Brings the Old Monetary System into the Fray

marsbit3h ago

Trading

Spot
活动图片