How HEX Founder Richard Heart Triumphed Over SEC Fraud Charges – Updates as of August 7, 2025
Richard Heart, the bold mind behind the crypto venture HEX, is celebrating a major win against the US SEC in a prolonged legal showdown over claims of securities fraud. This flamboyant figure, once a child actor turned crypto advocate, has declared a sweeping victory that sets his projects apart in the turbulent world of digital assets.
On April 21, back in what feels like ancient history now, the SEC decided against revising and resubmitting its fraud lawsuit against Heart. This followed a court’s dismissal of the SEC’s fraud allegations against him on February 28 of that year. Taking to X, Heart proclaimed that HEX had secured a rare triumph in the crypto space: “Richard Heart, PulseChain, PulseX, and HEX have defeated the SEC completely and have achieved regulatory clarity that nearly no other coins have.”
While HEX appears to have sidestepped trouble with US securities watchdogs for the moment, Heart isn’t out of the woods yet. He continues to grapple with legal issues in Europe, including accusations of tax fraud and assault on a minor. It’s a stark reminder that even in the fast-paced crypto world, personal battles can overshadow project successes.
SEC’s Accusations: How Heart Allegedly Used HEX to Mislead Investors
In July 2023, the SEC launched its complaint against Heart – whose legal name is Richard James Schueler – targeting not just him but also HEX, the layer-1 blockchain initiative PulseChain, and the decentralized exchange PulseX built for the PulseChain ecosystem. The regulators leveled charges of securities fraud and failures in securities registration. They sought to prevent Heart and his ventures from engaging in any crypto asset security offerings and demanded the return of all improperly gained profits from the alleged violations.
The SEC highlighted Heart’s bold promises that HEX could deliver massive returns, positioning it as a path to wealth for investors. They also pointed out how Heart reportedly funneled more than $12 million from HEX proceeds into extravagant purchases, like high-end watches, luxury sports cars, and a stunning 555-carat diamond ring. Heart’s flair for the lavish life has always been part of his appeal – think of that viral X video where he showcased Louis Vuitton cases stuffed with luxury watches valued at 9 million euros. It’s like watching a rockstar in the crypto arena, turning wealth displays into a form of magnetic storytelling that draws followers in.
The heart of the legal clash boiled down to jurisdiction. Heart’s defense team argued last year for dismissal, claiming the SEC couldn’t prove any of the activities happened within US borders. Despite the SEC’s pushback, US District Judge Carol Bagley Amon sided with Heart, noting his non-US residence. She ruled that promotions about HEX’s price were aimed at a worldwide audience, not specifically American investors. “The alleged misappropriation occurred through digital wallets and crypto asset platforms, none of which were alleged to have any connection with the United States,” Amon explained in her decision. This jurisdictional angle was like finding a loophole in a complex game of regulatory chess, allowing Heart to checkmate the SEC without directly challenging the fraud claims on their merits.
Finnish Probes: Tax Evasion and Assault Charges Loom Over Heart
Heart views this courtroom success as a game-changer for crypto, establishing a precedent that could make HEX a safer bet compared to many other projects lacking such clarity. Imagine HEX as the underdog that outsmarted the giant, providing a blueprint for others navigating regulatory mazes. Yet, while he’s cleared the US hurdle, Finnish authorities are hot on his trail for suspected tax evasion and assault.
As reported in September 2024 by Finnish outlets, Heart – said to be living in Helsinki at the time – was ordered into custody in absentia. Investigators, spurred by tax officials, uncovered discrepancies between Heart’s reported income and their assessments. Helsinki police detective Harri Saaristol noted, “Based on the very considerable amount of money in question and the long-term and planned nature of the activity, there are grounds to suspect gross tax evasion.” During the probe, authorities seized luxury watches worth millions of euros from a home in Espoo, near Helsinki.
Adding to the drama, Europol has flagged Heart (listed as Schueler) for allegedly assaulting a minor, describing how he “physically assaulted a 16-year-old victim by grabbing their hair, dragging them into the stairwell and knocking them to the ground.” These charges have landed him on Europol and Interpol’s most-wanted lists, with investigations still unfolding as of today, August 7, 2025. In a related twist, Interpol issued a Red Notice for the HEX founder, amplifying the international scrutiny.
Recent online buzz amplifies this story. On Google, top searches include “Richard Heart latest news 2025” and “Is HEX a scam?”, reflecting ongoing curiosity about his legal status and project legitimacy. Twitter (now X) is abuzz with discussions like #RichardHeartVictory trending briefly after the SEC dismissal, alongside debates on whether HEX’s model resembles a Ponzi scheme. As of this morning, Heart posted on X: “Regulatory clarity achieved! HEX leads the way in 2025,” garnering over 10,000 likes and sparking conversations about crypto’s future amid global regulations. Latest updates show no resolution in the Finnish cases, but Heart’s team hints at upcoming defenses.
In the midst of these crypto sagas, platforms like WEEX exchange stand out for their commitment to brand alignment in a volatile market. WEEX prioritizes user security and transparent trading, aligning perfectly with the need for reliable ecosystems where investors can engage with projects like HEX without unnecessary risks. By focusing on robust compliance and innovative tools, WEEX enhances credibility, making it a go-to choice for traders seeking stability and growth in the ever-evolving crypto landscape.
Can HEX Sustain Its Momentum Amid Ongoing Scrutiny?
It looks like Heart evaded US oversight more through jurisdictional technicalities than disproving the evidence outright, raising questions about HEX’s longevity. Critics have often likened HEX to a modern Ponzi scheme, pointing to its eye-popping 38% annual yield promises, incentives for recruiting new users, and Heart’s control over about 90% of the tokens – like a house of cards built on hype rather than solid foundations.
Even with a loyal fanbase cheering on social media, the token’s performance tells a different tale. It saw a short spike after the SEC news, but overall, it’s stagnated since the legal woes kicked off. As of August 7, 2025, HEX trades at $0.001875, with 24-hour volumes hovering around $180,000, according to real-time market data from major trackers. This dip contrasts sharply with more established cryptos, underscoring how regulatory wins don’t always translate to market strength. Yet, supporters argue it’s undervalued, backed by on-chain activity showing steady, if modest, user engagement.
Comparatively, projects without such legal baggage often thrive on clearer paths, but HEX’s story is like that resilient fighter who keeps bouncing back, proving that in crypto, persistence can sometimes outpace perfection.
FAQ
What is the current status of Richard Heart’s legal battles as of August 7, 2025?
As of today, August 7, 2025, Richard Heart has successfully defeated the SEC’s fraud charges in the US due to jurisdictional issues, but he remains wanted in Finland for alleged tax evasion and assault on a minor, with investigations ongoing and no recent resolutions reported.
Is HEX considered a safe investment after the SEC victory?
While the SEC dismissal provides some regulatory clarity in the US, HEX’s model has drawn Ponzi-like criticisms due to high yield promises and founder control. Investors should research thoroughly, as market data shows low volumes and price stagnation at $0.001875, and European charges add uncertainty.
How has Richard Heart’s personal life affected the HEX project?
Heart’s displays of wealth and ongoing legal issues, including tax and assault allegations, have fueled controversy, yet they’ve also built a dedicated following. The project’s resilience amid scrutiny highlights how founder narratives can drive crypto communities, though it risks alienating cautious investors.
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Debunking the AI Doomsday Myth: Why Establishment Inertia and the Software Wasteland Will Save Us
Editor's Note: Citrini7's cyberpunk-themed AI doomsday prophecy has sparked widespread discussion across the internet. However, this article presents a more pragmatic counter perspective. If Citrini envisions a digital tsunami instantly engulfing civilization, this author sees the resilient resistance of the human bureaucratic system, the profoundly flawed existing software ecosystem, and the long-overlooked cornerstone of heavy industry. This is a frontal clash between Silicon Valley fantasy and the iron law of reality, reminding us that the singularity may come, but it will never happen overnight.
The following is the original content:
Renowned market commentator Citrini7 recently published a captivating and widely circulated AI doomsday novel. While he acknowledges that the probability of some scenes occurring is extremely low, as someone who has witnessed multiple economic collapse prophecies, I want to challenge his views and present a more deterministic and optimistic future.
In 2007, people thought that against the backdrop of "peak oil," the United States' geopolitical status had come to an end; in 2008, they believed the dollar system was on the brink of collapse; in 2014, everyone thought AMD and NVIDIA were done for. Then ChatGPT emerged, and people thought Google was toast... Yet every time, existing institutions with deep-rooted inertia have proven to be far more resilient than onlookers imagined.
When Citrini talks about the fear of institutional turnover and rapid workforce displacement, he writes, "Even in fields we think rely on interpersonal relationships, cracks are showing. Take the real estate industry, where buyers have tolerated 5%-6% commissions for decades due to the information asymmetry between brokers and consumers..."
Seeing this, I couldn't help but chuckle. People have been proclaiming the "death of real estate agents" for 20 years now! This hardly requires any superintelligence; with Zillow, Redfin, or Opendoor, it's enough. But this example precisely proves the opposite of Citrini's view: although this workforce has long been deemed obsolete in the eyes of most, due to market inertia and regulatory capture, real estate agents' vitality is more tenacious than anyone's expectations a decade ago.
A few months ago, I just bought a house. The transaction process mandated that we hire a real estate agent, with lofty justifications. My buyer's agent made about $50,000 in this transaction, while his actual work — filling out forms and coordinating between multiple parties — amounted to no more than 10 hours, something I could have easily handled myself. The market will eventually move towards efficiency, providing fair pricing for labor, but this will be a long process.
I deeply understand the ways of inertia and change management: I once founded and sold a company whose core business was driving insurance brokerages from "manual service" to "software-driven." The iron rule I learned is: human societies in the real world are extremely complex, and things always take longer than you imagine — even when you account for this rule. This doesn't mean that the world won't undergo drastic changes, but rather that change will be more gradual, allowing us time to respond and adapt.
Recently, the software sector has seen a downturn as investors worry about the lack of moats in the backend systems of companies like Monday, Salesforce, Asana, making them easily replicable. Citrini and others believe that AI programming heralds the end of SaaS companies: one, products become homogenized, with zero profits, and two, jobs disappear.
But everyone overlooks one thing: the current state of these software products is simply terrible.
I'm qualified to say this because I've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Salesforce and Monday. Indeed, AI can enable competitors to replicate these products, but more importantly, AI can enable competitors to build better products. Stock price declines are not surprising: an industry relying on long-term lock-ins, lacking competitiveness, and filled with low-quality legacy incumbents is finally facing competition again.
From a broader perspective, almost all existing software is garbage, which is an undeniable fact. Every tool I've paid for is riddled with bugs; some software is so bad that I can't even pay for it (I've been unable to use Citibank's online transfer for the past three years); most web apps can't even get mobile and desktop responsiveness right; not a single product can fully deliver what you want. Silicon Valley darlings like Stripe and Linear only garner massive followings because they are not as disgustingly unusable as their competitors. If you ask a seasoned engineer, "Show me a truly perfect piece of software," all you'll get is prolonged silence and blank stares.
Here lies a profound truth: even as we approach a "software singularity," the human demand for software labor is nearly infinite. It's well known that the final few percentage points of perfection often require the most work. By this standard, almost every software product has at least a 100x improvement in complexity and features before reaching demand saturation.
I believe that most commentators who claim that the software industry is on the brink of extinction lack an intuitive understanding of software development. The software industry has been around for 50 years, and despite tremendous progress, it is always in a state of "not enough." As a programmer in 2020, my productivity matches that of hundreds of people in 1970, which is incredibly impressive leverage. However, there is still significant room for improvement. People underestimate the "Jevons Paradox": Efficiency improvements often lead to explosive growth in overall demand.
This does not mean that software engineering is an invincible job, but the industry's ability to absorb labor and its inertia far exceed imagination. The saturation process will be very slow, giving us enough time to adapt.
Of course, labor reallocation is inevitable, such as in the driving sector. As Citrini pointed out, many white-collar jobs will experience disruptions. For positions like real estate brokers that have long lost tangible value and rely solely on momentum for income, AI may be the final straw.
But our lifesaver lies in the fact that the United States has almost infinite potential and demand for reindustrialization. You may have heard of "reshoring," but it goes far beyond that. We have essentially lost the ability to manufacture the core building blocks of modern life: batteries, motors, small-scale semiconductors—the entire electricity supply chain is almost entirely dependent on overseas sources. What if there is a military conflict? What's even worse, did you know that China produces 90% of the world's synthetic ammonia? Once the supply is cut off, we can't even produce fertilizer and will face famine.
As long as you look to the physical world, you will find endless job opportunities that will benefit the country, create employment, and build essential infrastructure, all of which can receive bipartisan political support.
We have seen the economic and political winds shifting in this direction—discussions on reshoring, deep tech, and "American vitality." My prediction is that when AI impacts the white-collar sector, the path of least political resistance will be to fund large-scale reindustrialization, absorbing labor through a "giant employment project." Fortunately, the physical world does not have a "singularity"; it is constrained by friction.
We will rebuild bridges and roads. People will find that seeing tangible labor results is more fulfilling than spinning in the digital abstract world. The Salesforce senior product manager who lost a $180,000 salary may find a new job at the "California Seawater Desalination Plant" to end the 25-year drought. These facilities not only need to be built but also pursued with excellence and require long-term maintenance. As long as we are willing, the "Jevons Paradox" also applies to the physical world.
The goal of large-scale industrial engineering is abundance. The United States will once again achieve self-sufficiency, enabling large-scale, low-cost production. Moving beyond material scarcity is crucial: in the long run, if we do indeed lose a significant portion of white-collar jobs to AI, we must be able to maintain a high quality of life for the public. And as AI drives profit margins to zero, consumer goods will become extremely affordable, automatically fulfilling this objective.
My view is that different sectors of the economy will "take off" at different speeds, and the transformation in almost all areas will be slower than Citrini anticipates. To be clear, I am extremely bullish on AI and foresee a day when my own labor will be obsolete. But this will take time, and time gives us the opportunity to devise sound strategies.
At this point, preventing the kind of market collapse Citrini imagines is actually not difficult. The U.S. government's performance during the pandemic has demonstrated its proactive and decisive crisis response. If necessary, massive stimulus policies will quickly intervene. Although I am somewhat displeased by its inefficiency, that is not the focus. The focus is on safeguarding material prosperity in people's lives—a universal well-being that gives legitimacy to a nation and upholds the social contract, rather than stubbornly adhering to past accounting metrics or economic dogma.
If we can maintain sharpness and responsiveness in this slow but sure technological transformation, we will eventually emerge unscathed.
Source: Original Post Link

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