Top Lawyer Says Hinman Emails Contain No Bombshell, Favors Ethereum Over Ripple

Attorney Shapiro does not think Hinman’s emails will help Ripple in its case against the SEC. 

The release of Hinman’s emails has continued to spark debate within the cryptocurrency community. Top crypto and legal experts have expressed their views on the documents since they were released yesterday. 

While some experts believe the docs could be a big deal in the Ripple case, others do not share the same sentiment.  

Shapiro Says Hinman’s Emails Won’t Help Ripple in Its Case

Interestingly, Delphi Labs’ General Counsel Gabriel Shapiro is among those who do not believe Hinman’s emails will help Ripple in its case against the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. 

In a tweet yesterday, Shapiro described Hinman’s emails as a “nothingburger.” After reviewing some excerpts of the documents, Shapiro said he has yet to learn why Ripple thinks the emails will help its case. 

Hinman emails are a nothingburger though great for ETH. No idea why Ripple thinks these emails help Ripple’s case….

— _gabrielShapir0 (@lex_node) June 13, 2023

“I’d love it if this [Hinman’s emails] helped Ripple’s case, but it just doesn’t,” he added. 

The Delphi Labs General Counsel pointed out that Hinman’s emails are “great” for ETH, given that the former director of SEC’s Corporation Finance declared the crypto asset a non-security. 

Shapiro pointed out that Hinman collaborating with Ethereum’s co-founder Vitalik Buterin and ConsenSys before giving the speech might help Ripple’s fair notice defense. The United States attorney noted that these facts were known before the emails were released.  

He added that the emails were overhyped, like they contained a bombshell that might help Ripple win its case against the SEC. After reading additional analysis of Hinman’s emails on CryptoLaw, a U.S. legal and regulatory news outlet, Shapiro maintained that the emails are not a bombshell for Ripple’s case. 

Deaton Says Hinman’s Emails Will Help Ripple’s Fair Notice Defense

Meanwhile, CryptoLaw founder John Deaton believes Hinman’s emails will help Ripple and Coinbase’s fair notice defense. Attorney Deaton noted that he has no idea how the emails will help any of the firms in the courtroom. 

However, Deaton believes that in the Court of Public Opinion and in Congress, Hinman’s emails will prove how reckless and hypocritical the SEC has been.  

Deaton to Host a Live Cast About Hinman’s Docs 

It is worth noting that Deaton will be hosting an all-star panel of legal experts to discuss more on Hinman’s docs. The CryptoLaw live cast will feature top lawyers like Deaton, Jeremy Hogan, former SEC lawyer Marc Fagel, and Roslyn Layton’s counsel Carl Cecere.

🚨#CryptoLawTV Programming Note:
Special Livecast 6/14: THE HINMAN DOCS@JohnEDeaton1 heads an all-star panel of legal experts to react to the Hinman Documents being unsealed on June 13. Roslyn Layton’s counsel Carl Cecere (@CecereCarl) will react to the documents he fought to… pic.twitter.com/NmUK9on7FR

— CryptoLaw (@CryptoLawUS) June 8, 2023