Butterfly Labs has provided an official response via Public Relations firm Blanc & Otus about earlier reporting that the FTC has launched an official investigation against the company.
“Butterfly Labs is disappointed in the heavy-handed actions of the Federal Trade Commission. In a rush to judgment, the FTC has acted as judge, jury and executioner, contrary to our intended system of governmental checks and balances. The FTC’s current actions are negatively impacting our thousands of customers and our dozens of employees. Their current media campaign should only further alarm a knowing citizenry and raise questions as to why the FTC wouldn’t simply let this case play out through the judicial system. That is what Butterfly Labs intends to do.”
“It appears the FTC has decided to go to war on bitcoin overall and is starting with Butterfly Labs. Butterfly Labs is being portrayed by the FTC as a bogus and fake company. To the contrary, Butterfly Labs is very real. As pointed out in court filings Butterfly Labs made last night, Butterfly Labs has shipped more than $33 million in products to customers and voluntarily granted refunds approximating $17 million to customers for cancelled orders. Butterfly Labs was literally in the midst of shipping out completed products to fulfill the remaining millions of dollars of orders on our books and issuing requested refunds when the FTC effectively closed the doors of Butterfly Labs without any chance to be heard in court.
“At this time, Butterfly Labs is cooperating fully with the Temporary Receiver appointed by the Court. A hearing is set for September 29 and Butterfly Labs has asked the Court to allow it to present testimony from key witnesses for the company. Butterfly Labs intends to defend our business and our nascent and promising industry. The government wants to shut Butterfly Labs down, and we are not going away without a fight to vindicate bitcoin, our company, and our employees. Our continued focus is our customers and finding a way to continue to deliver products and processing refunds for those who have requested them.”
Coin Fire had contributors in DC over the weekend working with the FTC to get the documents unsealed and provided to the public after first reporting late last week about a FTC investigation. We will continue to watch this story for further developments and will have contributors in the first hearing if the court allows to bring the latest information.
LOL BFL they are going to war against YOU. Not Bitcoin. Bitcoin is all fine and dandy. You shipped so far out that the hardware was a joke. The equivalent of what you did is if someone pre-ordered a car in 2008 and got it in 2014…when all the new tech and fuel savings are realized in newer models. Not to mention we get the car with 100k miles on it. That more or less sums up what you did to your customers.