[U.S. SEC Accuses Three Crypto Market Makers of Market Manipulation] The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed market manipulation charges against three crypto market makers: ZM Quant, Gotbit, and CLS Global, accusing them of using algorithms to create fake trading volumes to deceive retail investors. At the same time, the SEC has charged nine individuals, including promoters and company employees, alleging they employed manipulation services and conducted meaningless trades, violating anti-fraud and registration provisions of securities laws. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) uncovered the related activities through a sting operation involving a fictitious token, NexFundAI. This case has resulted in charges against 15 entities and has triggered criminal proceedings.