Supreme Court of the United States · Official docket →
Ian Freeman, fka Ian Bernard v. United States
Paid petition · United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, No. 23-1839 · judgment July 29, 2025
Before the decision, well below the 4.1% base rate, with no standout signals pointing toward a grant.
Question presented
Did the federal agency FinCEN exceed the authority granted in 2001 by Congress in 31 U.S.C. § 5330 to regulate money transmitting businesses when FinCEN interpreted one word in that statute – “funds” – as authority to require sellers of bitcoin and other virtual currencies prior to 2021 to register with FinCEN, when virtual currency was not invented until 2008 and when Congress did not amend the statute to capture virtual currencies until 2021, after they had become financial instruments of great political and economic significance?
Counsel of record
For petitioner
Richard C. Guerriero Jr.
Lothstein Guerriero PLLC
For respondent
D. John Sauer
Solicitor General
Case
Conference history
Distributed for 1 conference
Proceedings
- Feb 23 2026Petition DENIED.
- Jan 14 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/20/2026.
- Jan 12 2026Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
- Dec 22 2025Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due January 28, 2026)