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Former Hodlnaut chief executive Zhu Juntao has been charged in Singapore with 6 counts of fraud by false representation, reviving scrutiny of the failed crypto lender's public statements after the 2022 collapse of the Terra ecosystem. Singapore Police charged Zhu, 36, following an investigation by the Commercial Affairs Department; he faces 3 charges under Section 424A(1)(a) read with Section 424A(3) of the Penal Code 1871, along with 3 further charges under the same provision read with Section 109. The charges center on alleged false statements about Hodlnaut's exposure to TerraUSD, the algorithmic stablecoin that lost its dollar peg in May 2022. Police said Zhu allegedly instigated Hodlnaut employees to make misleading statements in the company's official Telegram group and in emails sent to some users between May and July 2022, and published 3 similar posts on his personal Twitter account (now known as X) in June 2022. Those statements allegedly claimed that Hodlnaut did not have direct exposure to UST and had not suffered losses from its crash. The Terra collapse was one of the main shocks behind the 2022 crypto credit crisis, wiping out about $50 billion in market value and triggering stress across lenders, hedge funds, trading desks, and yield platforms.
Charges and Allegations
The case centers on whether customers received accurate information while deciding whether to keep assets on the platform, withdraw funds, or assess the company's solvency risk. Police said Zhu allegedly instigated employees to make misleading statements in Telegram, emails, and social media posts between May and July 2022, and published 3 posts on his personal Twitter account in June 2022. Those statements allegedly claimed Hodlnaut did not have direct exposure to UST and had not suffered losses from its crash.
In a crypto lending platform, user trust depends heavily on disclosures about asset exposure, losses, liquidity, and counterparties. If those disclosures are false, customers can be left making decisions based on a distorted picture of the platform's condition.
If convicted, Zhu faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine, or both, on each charge.
Hodlnaut's Collapse
Hodlnaut was a Singapore-based crypto platform that allowed users to deposit tokens for yield. Before becoming defunct in August 2022 due to financial difficulties, it had more than 30,000 users worldwide, according to police.
The company halted withdrawals in August 2022. Its website now says its affairs, business, and property are being managed by court-appointed liquidators.
Hodlnaut was part of a wider breakdown across crypto lenders after the Terra crash and the broader market slump. Celsius Network and Voyager Digital also entered bankruptcy in 2022, leaving large numbers of customers with frozen funds. Celsius reported more than $10 billion in assets before its collapse, while Voyager's Chapter 11 filing listed between $1 billion and $10 billion in assets and liabilities.
The failures exposed the fragility of lending models built on token deposits, yield promises, and concentrated market exposures.
Implikasi Regulasi
Dakwaan terhadap Zhu menambah lapisan penegakan lain pada upaya pembersihan pasca-2022. Singapura telah berupaya mempertahankan sektor aset digital yang teregulasi sambil memperketat standar terkait akses konsumen, perizinan, dan perilaku platform. Kasus penipuan yang terkait dengan komunikasi pengguna menunjukkan bahwa pihak berwenang bersedia meneliti bukan hanya kegagalan bisnis, tetapi juga akurasi pernyataan yang dibuat sebelum dan selama terjadi keruntuhan.
Bagi pemberi pinjaman kripto dan bursa, dakwaan ini menunjukkan bahwa tekanan pasar tidak mengurangi risiko keterbukaan—melainkan meningkatkannya. Klaim tentang eksposur, kerugian, likuiditas, dan solvabilitas dapat menjadi dasar untuk tindakan pidana atau perdata jika regulator di kemudian hari menemukan bahwa pengguna telah disesatkan.
Kasus ini juga penting untuk adopsi institusional. Bank, manajer aset, dan perusahaan pembayaran yang menilai mitra aset digital akan menelaah tata kelola, kontrol risiko, pengungkapan kepada pengguna, serta komunikasi saat krisis sebagai bagian dari uji tuntas.
Likuidasi Hodlnaut tetap menjadi pengingat bahwa siklus kredit 2022 tidak berakhir hanya dengan kebangkrutan dan penarikan yang dibekukan. Pertanggungjawaban hukum masih terus berkembang, dan mantan eksekutif dapat menghadapi pengawasan selama bertahun-tahun mengenai apa yang mereka katakan saat platform kehilangan kemampuan untuk membayar kembali pelanggan.
