BitMEX hit with 623 BTC lawsuit on day it announces shutdown

BitMEX is facing a class action lawsuit accusing the crypto derivatives platform of fraudulently engineering customer liquidations to seize traders’ Bitcoin collateral. On Thursday, BKX Services Inc. and David Namdar filed the complaint in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. The plaintiffs allege they lost a combined 622.66 BTC through forced liquidations on BitMEX, with BKX claiming losses of at least 305.81 BTC and Namdar alleging losses exceeding 316.85 BTC. The lawsuit revives long-running allegations about the platform’s internal trading operations and liquidation engine and comes just as the exchange is preparing to close in September. “BitMEX deliberately developed a system that profited from the liquidations,” the plaintiffs alleged. The complaint claimed that an internal trading desk had access to private customer information and could continue trading during server freezes that prevented ordinary users from accessing or closing their positions. Cointelegraph reached out to BitMEX for comment but did not receive a response before publication. BitMEX users seek Bitcoin return under fraud claims According to the filing, BitMEX allowed customers to us...