Judge rules O'Neal must respond to class action lawsuit as Astrals NFT "seller"

Former professional basketball player Shaquille O'Neal will need to defend himself against some claims made against him in the Astrals NFT collective lawsuit. The lawsuit has been ongoing for over a year, with O'Neal being named as a defendant, claiming that the NFT is an unregistered security.

Recently, Miami Federal Court Judge Federico Moreno ruled on O'Neal's motion to dismiss, finding that the plaintiff's allegation that O'Neal was the "seller" of the Astrals NFT project means that he must respond to it. However, the judge rejected the claim that O'Neal was in control of the project.

The May 2023 lawsuit alleges that the NFT was an unregistered security promoted by O'Neal online. Judge Moreno wrote that the lawsuit "sufficiently alleges that Astrals and Galaxy tokens are 'securities' subject to federal securities laws." (Cointelegraph)