Tuesday, January, 21, 2025

Hut 8 Agrees to $2.35M Settlement in USBTC Merger Investor Lawsuit

Hut 8 agrees to pay $2.35M to settle USBTC merger investor claims, with King Mountain disclosures and court approval still in focus.
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Areeba Rashid

Areeba Rashid is a dedicated crypto news writer with a passion for making complex topics accessible to everyone. She covers the latest developments in the crypto world, including in-depth price analysis, helping readers stay informed and make sense of market trends.
  • Hut 8 agreed to a $2.35M settlement to resolve merger-related investor claims in court.
  • King Mountain disclosures remained central after the court narrowed the investor lawsuit.
  • The proposed deal needs court approval and includes no admission of wrongdoing by Hut 8.

Hut 8 has agreed to a $2.35 million settlement to resolve a securities class action linked to its 2023 merger with U.S. Bitcoin Corp. The proposed deal was filed in New York federal court. It still needs court approval before completion.

The lawsuit covered investors who bought or acquired Hut 8 securities during the merger class period. Plaintiffs alleged that the company and related defendants gave misleading details about USBTC’s operations. They also disputed asset values added through the all-stock transaction.

Also Read: ICE and OKX Launch Joint Venture to Build Tokenized Financial Markets

King Mountain Claims Remain Central to Hut 8 Settlement

The Texas-based King Mountain joint venture became the center of the case. USBTC held a 50% stake in that site before the merger. Investors said the merger documents did not fully explain issues that affected operations.

Those alleged issues included energy curtailment at King Mountain. Plaintiffs also cited internet connectivity problems before the deal closed. They argued that those details mattered to investors reviewing the proposed combination.

The court had already narrowed the case. It dismissed Exchange Act claims and some Securities Act claims tied to USBTC’s alleged pre-merger financial condition. However, Securities Act claims linked to King Mountain disclosures were allowed to proceed.

A January 2024 report from J Capital Research added attention to the dispute. The short-seller report questioned USBTC asset values before the merger. It also said King Mountain lacked reliable power and high-speed internet access at key points.

The settlement terms do not require any admission of misconduct. The filing said the defendants continue to deny misconduct and any legal violation. Hut 8 agreed to pay the amount to resolve the case while limiting litigation risk.

The parties reached the proposed figure after mediation. According to the filing, they accepted a mediator’s proposal in May. That decision avoided more discovery, legal costs, and court fights over damages.

The $2.35 million payment equals about 19.6% of estimated maximum recoverable damages. The filing said that level is above the 2025 median for Securities Act-only settlements. It also exceeds the 2025 average for that category.

The filing also cited risks if the case continued. Defendants planned to challenge traceability because registered and unregistered shares entered the market after the merger. Those shares later traded together, which could have complicated investor claims.

The case relates to an earlier chapter in Hut 8’s merger history. The company’s market story has shifted toward power access, compute capacity, AI data centers, and high-performance computing. Bitcoin mining remains part of the business, but it is no longer the only focus.

That shift appeared in a separate Texas lease agreement. Hut 8 signed a 15-year, $9.8 billion lease for a 352-megawatt facility built around NVIDIA’s reference architecture. The deal linked the company more closely to AI infrastructure demand.

According to Yahoo Finance data, Hut 8 shares traded near $121. The stock has climbed over the past year as investors weighed data center revenue and power assets. The settlement would remove one merger-related legal overhang, though final court approval remains pending.

Also Read: THORChain Resumes Operations Following $10M Security Breach

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