Nikhilesh De

Nikhilesh De is CoinDesk's managing editor for global policy and regulation, covering regulators, lawmakers and institutions. He owns < $50 in BTC and < $20 in ETH. He won a Gerald Loeb award in the beat reporting category as part of CoinDesk's blockbuster FTX coverage in 2023, and was named the Association of Cryptocurrency Journalists and Researchers' Journalist of the Year in 2020.

Nikhilesh De

Latest from Nikhilesh De


Policy

U.S. SEC Loses Crypto Lawsuit Over 'Dealer' Definition That Pushed Into Crypto

A Texas federal court ruled that the regulator's new dealer definition that roped in crypto entities was "untethered" to U.S. securities law.

A U.S. court in Texas ordered the SEC to yank a rule that it says unlawfully roped in crypto firms. (Hans Watson/Flickr)

Policy

Crypto Foe and SEC Chair Gary Gensler Will Quit When Trump Takes Office

Gensler's plan to fully leave the commission — not just step down as chairman — on Jan. 20 answers the major question of whether he'd stick around to defend his policies until his term ends in 2026.

SEC Chair Gary Gensler (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)

Policy

SEC Distributes $4.6M to BitClave Investors

The SEC sued BitClave in 2020, alleging that it violated securities laws in the course of its $25.5 million initial coin offering in 2017.

Former SEC Chairman Jay Clayton (CoinDesk archives)

Policy

Former FTX CTO Gary Wang Won’t Have to Serve Prison Time, Judge Rules

Wang was one of the key cooperating witnesses with U.S. prosecutors in Sam Bankman-Fried’s trial, earning him a “world of credit,” a judge said on Wednesday.

FTX co-founder Gary Wang, center, near the federal courthouse in Manhattan as he was set to testify again on Oct. 10, 2023 (Victor Chen/CoinDesk)

Finance

Juiced USDS Yields Woo Solana Traders to Sky's Stablecoin

Sky's Solana rollout has been a smashing success. Will it last?

(Ravi Sharma/Unsplash)

Policy

Trump Said to Consider Crypto Lawyer Teresa Goody Guillén to Lead SEC

A former SEC attorney who now represents blockchain companies, Goody Guillén would be "an instant change maker," said one token project founder.

Donald Trump at BTC 2024 (Danny Nelson/CoinDesk)

Policy

Howard Lutnick, Tether's Wall Street Banker, Is Trump's Pick for Commerce Chief, Not Treasury Secretary

Lutnick, whose Cantor Fitzgerald has been a custodian for Tether since 2021, has been a vocal proponent of bitcoin and USDT for years.

Howard Lutnick is a fan of bitcoin and Tether's USDT. (Danny Nelson/CoinDesk)

Policy

California Judge Puts the Kibosh on Kraken’s Interlocutory Appeal Attempt

Kraken asked the judge to allow an appeals court to review his earlier ruling that the SEC had adequately alleged that the cryptocurrencies sold on Kraken’s platform could be securities.

Kraken co-founder Jesse Powell (CoinDesk)

Policy

Can a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Move Forward Without Congress? Experts Disagree

The U.S. government already holds more than 208,000 bitcoin, but retaining it is more complicated than might be assumed.

Former U.S. President and now President-elect Donald Trump (Jon Cherry/Getty Images).

Policy

Bitfinex Hack Launderer Heather 'Razzlekhan' Morgan Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison

In the theft of bitcoin from Bitfinex — worth about $9 billion in today's prices — Morgan's 18 months followed the five-year sentencing of her husband last week.

Heather "Razzlekhan" Morgan, from her video "Rap Anthem for Misfits & Weirdos: Versace Bedouin Music Video (2019)" (Razzlekhan on YouTube)