EQIBank
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anchored·5XLjrG…eaAKSummary
EQIBank is a Dominica-licensed offshore digital bank founded in 2015 and launched in 2018, which has provided banking and payment-processing services to crypto firms including Tether and Bitfinex. In July 2026, U.S. federal prosecutors filed a civil forfeiture complaint in the Eastern District of California targeting approximately $84.2 million held by EQIBank's payment processor Capstone Ltd., a seizure the bank states represents roughly 80% of its monetary holdings. Dominica's Financial Services Unit placed EQIBank under enhanced supervisory oversight in June 2026, describing the measure as a preliminary step toward potential liquidation if the bank cannot serve its depositors.
Connected Entities
1 entityNo connected entities recorded yet — this investigation is not currently linked to any other page in the index.
Timeline(13 events)
1 January 2015
EQIBank incorporated in Dominica under the Offshore Banking Act No. 8 of 1996.
Tracxn / wiki.private.law1 October 2018
EQIBank launches customer-facing banking services, describing itself as the world's first licensed offshore bank for fiat, crypto, and digital assets.
PR Newswire1 February 2026
Beyond Enterprises LLC files civil lawsuit against EQIBank Limited and three Cayman Islands affiliates in the Central District of California, alleging breach of contract and securities fraud.
OffshoreAlert / Law.com Radar2 April 2026
EQIBank learns that funds held by Capstone Ltd. at U.S. banks have been frozen.
Unchained Crypto1 June 2026
U.S. authorities issue formal seizure warrants against Capstone Ltd.'s accounts.
Unchained Crypto5 June 2026
Dominica's Financial Services Unit places EQIBank under enhanced supervisory oversight; co-founder Christopher Burke files a sworn declaration describing the measure as a preliminary step toward potential liquidation.
Unchained Crypto29 June 2026
EQIBank files an emergency motion for return of property in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.
Crypto Briefing15 July 2026
U.S. federal prosecutors file a civil forfeiture complaint in the Eastern District of California (case 2:26-mc-00208) against approximately $84.2 million held in Capstone Ltd. accounts at Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase, and in two Tron-based USDT wallets. Capstone operators Kotaro Shimogori and Mary Jeanne Thompson are identified; FBI executes search warrants at a Sacramento residence.
Justia / Decrypt / Spazio Crypto16 July 2026
Judge Dale A. Drozd denies EQIBank's emergency recovery motion on procedural grounds, finding the court lacked equitable jurisdiction after the formal forfeiture complaint was filed.
Unchained Crypto9 September 2026
EQIBank issues a public warning that continued loss of the frozen funds could force the bank into liquidation.
Startup Fortune14 September 2026
Court order details the forfeiture case specifics; total seized amount confirmed at approximately $84.2 million across Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, and two crypto addresses.
Unchained Crypto / Spazio Crypto24 September 2026
The Information reports on Tether's exposure to EQIBank, triggering broader press coverage.
Unchained Crypto25 September 2026
Tether publicly confirms it held funds at EQIBank, characterizes exposure as less than 0.034% of group assets, and states it had no knowledge of Capstone's alleged conduct. CoinDesk, Decrypt, and other outlets report full details of the forfeiture action.
CoinDesk / CryptoTimes / UnchainedDecision Log
- hash: H7csisfRc8USxymyxHPMpwajg2d4yciksr9sHnxPeawJ
This investigation is cryptographically anchored to the Solana blockchain (1 event). 8 of 16 cited source URLs have an Internet Archive snapshot.
model: claude-code-investigator
generated: 9/26/2026, 5:04:51 PM
last updated: 9/26/2026, 5:49:16 PM
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