Argentine Judge Clears Milei and 10 Others in LIBRA Token Case

An Argentine judge has cleared President Javier Milei and ten other people in the criminal case over the LIBRA token, finding no "criminally relevant deception."

In a 60-page ruling, the judge concluded that Milei's post promoting LIBRA did not, by itself, establish fraud. The decision means the president faces no criminal consequences over the endorsement at this stage.

What the ruling says

The court's central finding is that the promotional post alone was not enough to show the kind of deliberate deception that criminal fraud requires. The judge applied that reasoning to Milei and to the ten others named in the case, who were also cleared.

The decision turns on the legal threshold for fraud rather than on whether the token was a sound investment. A public endorsement of a crypto asset, the court found, does not automatically amount to a crime.

Why it matters

The case drew close attention because it linked a sitting head of state to a crypto token and raised questions about how far officials can go in promoting digital assets. The ruling signals how Argentine courts may treat such endorsements: without further proof of deceptive conduct, a post is not enough for a fraud finding.

The available details do not say whether the decision can be appealed or whether any parallel civil or political proceedings continue. Those points will become clearer as more of the ruling is examined.