Crypto Lending, Staking and Yield Platform Loss Attorneys
Recovering losses from lending, staking, and yield products under the securities registration and fraud provisions, Florida Chapter 517, and the creditor rules that apply when a platform fails.
Lending, staking, and yield products promised a return on deposited digital assets. When a platform halts withdrawals or fails, the depositor’s position depends on what the product was. If the account or the token sold was a security, the federal and Florida registration and anti-fraud provisions provide rescission and damages claims against the platform and the people who ran it. If the platform is in bankruptcy, the depositor’s claim is governed by the Bankruptcy Code and its recovery depends on what property the estate holds.
Industria Business Lawyers represents investors nationwide in claims arising from lending, staking, and yield platforms, and in the bankruptcy proceedings that follow a platform’s collapse. Every provision cited on this page was read from the United States Code, the Code of Federal Regulations, or the 2026 Florida Statutes. A consultation is free.
The Statutes These Claims Rest On
Registration, fraud, and bankruptcy provisions, quoted from the text in force.
Unregistered Securities
Section 5(a) of the Securities Act, 15 U.S.C. 77e(a), makes it unlawful, unless a registration statement is in effect as to a security, to use interstate commerce or the mails to sell the security through a prospectus or otherwise. Section 12(a)(1), 15 U.S.C. 77l(a)(1), makes any person who offers or sells a security in violation of Section 5 liable to the purchaser for the consideration paid with interest, less income received, upon tender, or for damages if the purchaser no longer owns the security.
Florida Registration and Rescission
Section 517.07(1), Florida Statutes, makes it unlawful to sell or offer to sell a security within the state unless it is exempt, sold in an exempt transaction, a federal covered security, or registered. Section 517.211(1) provides that a sale made in violation of section 517.07 may be rescinded at the election of the purchaser, and that each person making the sale and every director, officer, partner, or agent who personally participated or aided in it is jointly and severally liable.
Fraud in Connection with the Sale
Rule 10b-5, 17 CFR 240.10b-5, makes it unlawful, in connection with the purchase or sale of any security, to employ any device, scheme, or artifice to defraud, to make any untrue statement of a material fact or omit a material fact necessary to make the statements not misleading, or to engage in any act, practice, or course of business which operates as a fraud or deceit. Section 517.301(1)(a), Florida Statutes, prohibits the same conduct in connection with the offer, sale, or purchase of any investment or security.
Florida Damages for Fraud
Section 517.211(2) provides that any person purchasing or selling a security in violation of section 517.301, and every director, officer, partner, or agent who personally participated or aided in the sale or purchase, is jointly and severally liable in an action for rescission if the plaintiff still owns the security, or for damages if the plaintiff has sold it. Section 517.211(3) extends liability to a person who controls someone found to have violated the registration or dealer provisions listed in section 517.211(1), unless the control person establishes good faith and did not directly or indirectly induce the violation.
The Automatic Stay
11 U.S.C. 362(a) provides that a bankruptcy petition operates as a stay of the commencement or continuation of any action against the debtor that was or could have been commenced before the case, and of acts to obtain possession of or exercise control over property of the estate. A claim against a platform in bankruptcy proceeds through the claims process unless relief from the stay is granted.
Property of the Estate
11 U.S.C. 541(a) provides that the estate is comprised of all legal or equitable interests of the debtor in property as of the commencement of the case. Whether deposited digital assets are property of the estate or property of the customer depends on the terms of service and the platform’s handling of the assets, and it determines whether the customer is an owner or an unsecured creditor.
How a Platform Loss Is Analyzed
Two questions decide the path: what was sold, and who holds the assets now.
Was it a security? A lending or yield account that pooled customer assets and paid a return generated by the platform’s efforts is analyzed under the federal definition of security and under the definitions in section 517.021, Florida Statutes, while the SEC’s March 2026 interpretation (Release No. 33-11412) states that protocol staking that conforms to its description, including custodial staking by a platform, does not involve the offer and sale of a security. Where it was a security, the registration claims under Section 12(a)(1) and section 517.211(1) do not require proof of fraud, only proof of an unregistered, non-exempt sale.
What was said? Statements about how deposits were used, how yield was generated, and what protections existed are compared to what the platform actually did. Rule 10b-5 and section 517.301(1)(a) reach untrue statements and material omissions.
Who is liable? Section 517.211 reaches every director, officer, partner, or agent who personally participated or aided in the sale, and control persons under section 517.211(3). Where the platform itself is insolvent, claims against those individuals are evaluated alongside any recovery through the platform’s bankruptcy case.
Bankruptcy. If the platform has filed, 11 U.S.C. 362(a) stays direct claims against it. The customer’s position turns on whether the deposited assets are property of the estate under 11 U.S.C. 541(a), which is decided from the terms of service, and on the proof of claim filed in the case. Claims against non-debtor individuals and affiliates are evaluated separately.
Time. Section 95.11(5)(f), Florida Statutes, requires an action founded on a violation of chapter 517 to be brought within two years from when the facts were or should have been discovered with due diligence, and no more than five years from the violation, and section 95.11(3)(i) sets four years for an action founded on fraud. Federal claims have their own limits: under 15 U.S.C. 77m a Section 12(a)(1) claim must be brought within one year after the violation and no more than three years after the security was bona fide offered to the public, under 28 U.S.C. 1658(b) a Rule 10b-5 claim must be brought within two years after discovery of the facts and no more than five years after the violation, and bankruptcy claim deadlines are set by the bankruptcy rules or by the court and are often short.
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How We Handle a Platform Loss Claim
Terms of service, account statements, deposit and withdrawal history, and every communication from the platform.
Whether the account or token was a security under federal law and the definitions in section 517.021, Florida Statutes.
The platform, and the directors, officers, partners, agents, and control persons section 517.211 reaches.
Where a case has been filed, the property-of-the-estate question under 11 U.S.C. 541(a) and the proof of claim.
Rescission under section 517.211(4) or damages under section 517.211(5), and the federal measures, from the account records.
Federal or Florida court, arbitration where the terms require it, or the bankruptcy court, within the applicable periods.
Settlement, distribution through the bankruptcy, or judgment against the individuals responsible.
FAQ
01 • Investors Was my crypto lending account a security?
That depends on how the product worked. An account that pooled assets and paid a return generated by the platform’s efforts is analyzed under the federal definition of security and the definitions in section 517.021, Florida Statutes. Where it was a security sold without registration or exemption, Section 12(a)(1) and section 517.211(1) provide rescission claims.
02 • Investors The platform is in bankruptcy. Can I still sue?
11 U.S.C. 362(a) stays actions against the debtor. Claims are pursued through the bankruptcy claims process, and claims against non-debtor individuals and affiliates are evaluated separately.
03 • Investors Who can I recover from if the platform has no money?
Section 517.211, Florida Statutes, makes every director, officer, partner, or agent who personally participated or aided in the sale jointly and severally liable, and section 517.211(3) reaches a person who controls someone found to have violated the provisions listed in section 517.211(1), unless that person shows good faith and did not directly or indirectly induce the violation.
04 • Investors Are my deposited assets still mine?
Under 11 U.S.C. 541(a), the estate includes all of the debtor’s legal or equitable interests in property. Whether deposited assets belong to the customer or the estate is decided from the terms of service and the platform’s handling of the assets.
05 • Investors How long do I have?
Section 95.11(5)(f), Florida Statutes, requires an action founded on a violation of chapter 517 to be brought within two years from when the facts were or should have been discovered with due diligence, and no more than five years from the violation, and section 95.11(3)(i) sets four years for an action founded on fraud. Under 15 U.S.C. 77m, a Section 12(a)(1) claim must be brought within one year after the violation and no more than three years after the security was bona fide offered to the public; under 28 U.S.C. 1658(b), a Rule 10b-5 claim must be brought within two years after discovery of the facts and no more than five years after the violation; and bankruptcy claim deadlines are set by the bankruptcy rules or by the court.
Investors nationwide. Call (202) 860-1210 or briefly describe what happened through the form, without account numbers or other confidential details, and we will ask for statements after our conflict check. Free consultation. Every claim is reviewed against the statute text in force.
This page provides general information about losses on crypto lending, staking, and yield platforms under federal and Florida law and does not constitute legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship with Industria Business Lawyers. Whether a claim, defense, or obligation exists depends on the facts and the law in force. Provisions cited were read on October 9, 2026 from the United States Code, the Code of Federal Regulations, and the 2026 Florida Statutes at flsenate.gov.