Entries related to Nate Chastain

May 3, 2023

Former OpenSea executive convicted of fraud and money laundering in NFT insider trading case

Nate Chastain, the former Head of Product for the popular OpenSea NFT marketplace, was convicted by a jury of fraud and money laundering for illegally profiting from his insider knowledge of which NFTs would be featured on the site. The two charges each carry a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison.

Chastain was asked to resign by OpenSea in September 2021 after a Twitter user discovered apparent evidence that he had been engaging in insider trades. He was arrested and charged with money laundering in June 2022.

Chastain unsuccessfully argued in his defense that information about which NFTs would be prominently featured on OpenSea wasn't insider knowledge, and "nobody told Nate that he couldn't use or share that information". However, prosecutors argued that attempt to use anonymous accounts to make the trades suggested that he knew what he was doing was wrong.

This case has been described as the first NFT-related insider trading case, and could set a precedent for other similar charges.

"Ex-OpenSea manager convicted in NFT insider trading case", Reuters
"Ex-OpenSea Manager Nate Chastain Guilty of NFT Fraud, Money Laundering", Blockworks

June 1, 2022

Former OpenSea executive arrested, charged with money laundering

Nate Chastain was asked to resign from his position as Head of Product at OpenSea in September 2021 following allegations of NFT insider trading. Online sleuths had discovered that he had apparently bought NFTs based on insider knowledge that they would later be featured on OpenSea's front page. On June 1, the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Southern District of New York unsealed an indictment charging Chastain with wire fraud and money laundering, alleging that he had used anonymous crypto wallets and OpenSea accounts to buy NFTs before they were featured on the front page, then resell them for two to five times what he paid for them.

After leaving OpenSea in the wake of the allegations, Chastain began pitching a new NFT platform called "Oval" to investors, seeking $3 million in seed funding.

Chastain was arrested on June 1. The two charges he faces each carry a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison. The Attorney's Office described the charges as the first ever relating to insider trading of digital assets, and stated that, "today's charges demonstrate the commitment of this Office to stamping out insider trading — whether it occurs on the stock market or the blockchain."

Press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Southern District of New York

March 31, 2022

Nate Chastain, executive who was canned from OpenSea for alleged insider trading, creates a new NFT platform

Nate Chastain resigned from OpenSea at their request in September 2021 after it was discovered that he had allegedly been buying NFTs based on insider knowledge that they would be featured on the OpenSea front page, then reselling them at a profit. Fortunately for him, the crypto sphere is a great place for scammers and fraudsters to get second and third and fourth chances, and so Chastain is right back at NFTs with a new venture, "Oval". Oval is trying to raise a $3 million seed round and $30 million pre-money valuation, or a $7.5 million seed round and $50 million valuation, depending which pitch deck you look at.

"OpenSea Exec Who Quit After ‘Insider Trading’ Scandal Is Back With NFT Platform", CoinDesk

September 15, 2021

Head of Product for major NFT platform, OpenSea, is asked to resign following allegations of NFT insider trading

(attribution)

A Twitter sleuth discovers that OpenSea's Head of Product, Nate Chastain, had apparently been engaging in a form of insider trading by buying NFTs that he knew would later be featured on the front page of OpenSea, then selling them once their value increased from the spotlight. The Twitter user identified a chain of transactions show Chastain laundering the transactions through several anonymous accounts. OpenSea posted a statement confirming the shady trades had taken place, and that they had requested and received the employee's resignation, though they didn't specifically name Chastain as the culprit. Chastain's Twitter profile was updated shortly after, identifying him as a former OpenSea employee. OpenSea announced the next day that they had implemented policies preventing employees from trading on confidential information, which I guess they just hadn't bothered to think about previously.

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