Bitcoin miner Hut 8 argues to toss ‘short and distort’ shareholder suit

As a seasoned researcher with years of experience in analyzing financial markets, I find myself intrigued by the ongoing legal battle between Hut 8 Corp and its shareholders, sparked by a short-seller report from J Capital Research. Having witnessed numerous similar situations in my career, I can’t help but see a familiar pattern emerging here: a short seller publishes a negative report about a company, the stock price drops, and then a class-action lawsuit follows suit.


Bitcoin mining corporation Hut 8 Corp has submitted a request to discard a collective action claim initiated by its stockholders, asserting that this lawsuit was instigated by a brief-selling report accusing the company of paying too much for a business with significant operational problems.

In a court filing made on December 2nd, Hut 8 asserted that J Capital Research orchestrated a scheme aimed at lowering the value of Hut 8’s stocks for their personal profit.

As a researcher, I find myself delving into an issue stemming from a speculator’s strategic maneuver to generate profits from their short position on Hut 8 shares, potentially undermining the interests of common stockholders.

“These ‘short and distort’ schemes are all too frequently followed by shareholder class actions that parrot the short seller’s negative views and label the report a ‘corrective’ disclosure.”

The miner contended that similar instances of manipulation and misrepresentation are often discarded, and he believes this case should also be disregarded as well.

In January, J Capital Research released a report suggesting that Hut 8 had exaggerated the profitability of their acquisition of US Bitcoin Corp (USBTC), kept secret problems with an operations site in Texas, and possibly failed to disclose some shareholdings.

Following the release of the report, Hut 8’s stock prices plummeted by 23%, leading to several shareholder lawsuits filed in March. These lawsuits were brought forth by investors who sustained losses and argue that any Hut 8 shareholders who purchased during the specified timeframe are entitled to reimbursement.

Hut 8 stated that its share price has more than tripled since the release of J Capital’s report, and it now stands at a point where it has fully rebounded. Furthermore, they emphasized that several future-oriented statements made by them are shielded by “safe harbor provisions,” while any prior warnings regarding USBTC’s brief operational history had already been disclosed.

In simple terms, US Bitcoin Trust Company (USBTC) owned half of a partnership for a Bitcoin mining operation located in Texas. This mining facility was taken over by Hut 8 in a merger that took place in November 2023.

Hut 8 contended that the lawsuit lacked evidence showing the initial claims were untrue at the time they were made, that the investors suffered losses as a result, and that the accusations directly caused the drop in the company’s stock value.

The company decided that the shareholder’s claim should be entirely disregarded, permanently, along with any additional, subsequent, or alternative relief the court finds fair and appropriate.

On December 3rd, Hut 8’s shares (HUT) ended the day 3.6% lower at $25.06. There was a minimal increase of 0.5% in post-market trading, as indicated by Google Finance.

The Bitcoin miner’s stock is up nearly 99% so far this year and has gained 296% since a January low of $6.33.

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2024-12-04 08:14