如何解读Mt. Gox的破产流程

    Mt. Gox公司称，“蒸发门”事件是由目前尚未定性的黑客或盗窃行为导致的，但是Selachii公司发起的集体诉讼要求法院彻查背后是否存在大家猜测的重大过失或欺诈。豪利特说：“Mt. Gox公司的所有电脑都要经过司法检查，包括马克•卡佩勒斯的个人电脑。”

    由于Mt. Gox声称储户的所有存款和比特币几乎都在“蒸发门”中蒸发殆尽，所剩的只是一小部分，因此另一个任何民事诉讼都难以绕过的问题也自然浮上水面：Mt. Gox破产清算的　钱从哪里来。豪利特认为：“如果有任何过失或违法交易的因素，大家就可以开始盯着那些董事会成员，”把他们当做清算资金的一个来源。豪利特说，媒体报道的马克•卡佩勒斯的个人财产有很多个版本，相互差距非常大。有的说他几乎一贫如洗，也有的说他的个人财产高达2.5亿美元，后者可能会让债权人颇感一丝安慰。

    赔偿金的另一个来源也可能包括Mt. Gox的母公司Tibanne。后者的资产包括bitcoins.com的域名，它也可以清算成资金。最后，在很多国家的法律中，私人存款保险都是从事金融业务必须满足的一个法律要求，但是鉴于Mt. Gox现在也没有发布进一步稳定人心的声明，豪利特认为它有存款保险的可能性不大。他说：“我认为他们没有保险，而这也是我们指控它涉嫌存在过失的另一个原因。”

    理查德•豪利特强调，他并不希望一定要在法庭上解决问题。“我们希望接触Mt. Gox公司和马克•卡佩勒斯，看看我们能否不通过诉诸集体诉讼来解决问题。但是我们没法接触到他们。”

    卡佩勒斯可能会后悔他那神神秘秘、遮遮掩掩的习惯。豪利特指出，在民事案件中，如果发现欺诈和严重过失的证据，几乎肯定会引起刑事调查程序，尤其是在日本。如果是这样的话，这位前CEO有可能会锒铛入狱。（财富中文网）

    译者：朴成奎

    Mt. Gox has claimed that its loss was due to a hack or theft of an as-yet-unspecified nature, but the suit will put legal force behind widespread speculation about negligence and fraud. "All of the computers at Mt. Gox will need to be forensically examined," says Howlett -- including Mark Karpeles's personal computer.

    The other major question looming over any civil suit is that of where the money for a settlement would come from, given Gox's claims to have lost all but a fraction of deposits. But, says Howlett, "[if] there has been any element of negligence or wrongful trading ... that's when you can start looking at the directors" as a source of settlement funds. Howlett says reports of Mark Karpeles's personal wealth have varied greatly, from near destitution to a personal fortune of up to $250 million, which could go a long way to making depositors whole.

    Another source of compensation could include Mt. Gox's parent company, Tibanne, which holds assets such as the bitcoins.com domain name that could be liquidated.

    Finally, private deposit insurance is a legal requirement of doing business in many jurisdictions – but given the lack of any reassuring statements so far from Mt. Gox, Howlett thinks it's a longshot. "I'm assuming they haven't got insurance," he says. "And that's another reason to claim negligence."

    Richard Howlett is at pains to emphasize that he wishes all this wasn't necessary. "We want to reach out to Mt. Gox and Mark Karpeles and see if we can proceed with this matter without having to pursue a class action. But they're impossible to reach."

    Karpeles may come to deeply regret his habits of secrecy and obfuscation. Howlett points out that a finding of fraud or gross negligence in a civil case would almost certainly trigger a criminal investigation, most likely in Japan, that could end with the former CEO behind bars.