Cheyenne Ligon

On the news team at CoinDesk, Cheyenne focuses on crypto regulation and crime. Cheyenne is originally from Houston, Texas. She studied political science at Tulane University in Louisiana. In December 2021, she graduated from CUNY's Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, where she focused on business and economics reporting. She has no significant crypto holdings.

Cheyenne Ligon

Latest from Cheyenne Ligon


Policy

Ripple to Get $75M of Court-Ordered Fine Back From SEC, Drops Cross-Appeal

Last August, New York judge Analisa Torres ordered Ripple to pay the regulator a $125 million fine for violating securities laws through institutional sales of XRP.

Ripple Labs CEO Brad Garlinghouse (Photo by Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch)

Policy

SEC Drops Investigation into Web3 Gaming Firm Immutable

The Australian crypto company disclosed it had received a Wells notice from the U.S. SEC last November.


Policy

Massachusetts Regulator Probes Robinhood Over Prediction Markets Hub: Reuters

Robinhood launched its in-app prediction markets hub last week, allowing users to bet on the outcome of March Madness matchups.

Robinhood's prediction market allows users to bet on the outcome of college basketball games, like Gonzaga v Houston during the 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament in Wichita, Kansas on March 22, 2025 (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Finance

Crypto ETFs Gaining Massive Popularity Among U.S. Advisors as 'Reputational' Risk Gone

Crypto is now part of every financial advisor’s conversation and 57% of them plan to increase their allocations, TMX VettaFi senior investment strategist Cinthia Murphy said.

A presentation by TMX VettaFi at the Exchange conference in Las Vegas showing various crypto exchange-traded funds currently on the market. (CoinDesk/Helene Braun)A presentation by TMX VettaFi at the Exchange conference in Las Vegas showing various crypto exchange-traded funds currently on the market. (CoinDesk/Helene Braun)

Policy

Shuttered Russian Crypto Exchange Garantex Rebrands as Grinex, Global Ledger Finds

The Swiss blockchain analytics firm said it found a trove of off and on-chain data to suggest Grinex is a direct successor to Garantex.

Moscow's International Business Center, where Federation Tower is located. Garantex and a host of other non-compliant Russian exchanges operate out of Federation Tower. (Getty Images/ValerijaP)

Policy

U.S. Government Removes Tornado Cash Sanctions

Tornado Cash was sanctioned multiple times over allegations of helping Lazarus Group launder funds.

The seal of the U.S. Treasury Department.

Policy

Proof-of-Work Crypto Mining Doesn’t Trigger Securities Laws, SEC Says

In a staff statement published Thursday, the SEC said that both solo mining and mining pool operations would fail the first prong of the Howey Test.

SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)

Policy

Gotbit Founder Aleksei Andriunin Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud, Market Manipulation

Prosecutors are recommending that Andriunin, 26, spends no more than 24 months in a U.S. prison.

Alexey Andryunin

Policy

U.S. Senate Takes First Big Step to Advance Stablecoin Bill

The first committee approval of a stablecoin bill in this new congressional session now moves the so-called GENIUS Act toward the Senate floor.

Senator Tim Scott (Jesse Hamilton/CoinDesk)

Policy

Garantex Operator Aleksej Besciokov Arrested in India: Report

Besciokov is charged with money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to violate sanctions and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.

Aleksej Besciokov (U.S. Secret Service)