The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced an unprecedented $17.1 billion in monetary relief for fiscal year 2024, with a significant portion stemming from its largest digital asset-related enforcement actions to date. The agency reported $2.6 billion in civil monetary penalties and $14.5 billion in disgorgement and restitution, reflecting its intensified focus on the cryptocurrency sector.

Digital asset enforcement played a pivotal role in the CFTC’s record-setting year. Notably, the agency secured a $12.7 billion judgment against FTX and Alameda Research, marking the largest recovery in its history. 

The resolution included $8.7 billion in restitution and $4 billion in disgorgement to compensate victims of the collapse. Litigation remains ongoing against other key figures, including FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried and executives Gary Wang, Caroline Ellison, and Nishad Singh.

The CFTC also reached a groundbreaking settlement with Binance, its founder Changpeng Zhao, and former compliance officer Samuel Lim. Binance agreed to pay $1.35 billion in civil penalties and $1.35 billion in disgorgement for operating an illegal digital asset derivatives exchange and willfully evading compliance requirements. Zhao was personally fined $150 million, and Lim faced penalties of $1.5 million.

Additional actions included charges against Voyager's former CEO for commodity pool fraud related to the platform's bankruptcy, as well as legal victories in cases involving Ponzi schemes, fraud, and manipulation in digital asset markets.

CFTC Chairman Rostin Behnam highlighted the agency’s adaptability to evolving markets shaped by disruptive technologies. "Misconduct in our jurisdictional markets is rarely confined, especially as these boundaries are continually being redefined," he said.

The agency also pursued several cases involving decentralized finance (DeFi), carbon credits, and compliance failures, underscoring its broadening scope in enforcement.