In an unprecedented move, a US court has allowed a law firm to serve a cryptocurrency YouTuber with a lawsuit through a tweet. The Moskowitz Law Firm, which represents an investor group suing FTX, was granted permission to serve legal notice to Tom Nash, a crypto influencer residing in Georgia. Nash is the last of ten defendants named in a class action lawsuit against influencers who allegedly promoted the now-defunct FTX exchange without disclosing compensation.
On May 2, the firm tweeted the legal notice to Nash, including his Twitter handle in the post. The court filing specified that the law firm must also send the legal notice URL via email to Nash’s publicly known email address. According to the filing, Nash’s frequent internet use, combined with his public email address, makes electronic communication a reliable way to contact him.
This groundbreaking decision is possible due to a federal ruling that allows district courts to order alternate methods of service for foreign defendants, provided they don’t violate international agreements and effectively notify the defendant. The case also involves other prominent YouTubers and Creators Agency LLC, the talent management company that handled FTX’s promotion.