TRUECOIN LLC v TECHTERYX, LTD

[2024] SGHC 296 High Court (General Division) 29 November 2024 HC/OA 364/2024 40 min read
15 cases cited (14 SG, 1 foreign)

Key facts

Court High Court (General Division)
Decided
Judge Andre Maniam
Charges / claim Arbitration, Injunctions
Counsel Tan Kok Quan Partnership, WongPartnership LLP, Foo Yiew Min, G Kiran, Leo Zhen Wei Lionel, Li Yiling Eden, Lim Jingzhen Jerrick, Tnee Zixian Keith (Zheng Zixian), Tyronne Toh Jia-En

Source: [2024] SGHC 296, High Court (General Division), decided — eLitigation. Updated .

Catchwords

Practice Areas

Judges (1)

Counsel (9)

Parties (2)

Case Significance

TrueCoin LLC v Techteryx, Ltd [2024] SGHC 296 is a grounds of decision of the General Division of the High Court by Andre Maniam J, heard on 14 August 2024 and delivered on 29 November 2024 in Originating Action No 364 of 2024. The court granted an anti-suit injunction (ASI) restraining the respondent, Techteryx (a British Virgin Islands company), from continuing a court action in Hong Kong against the applicant, TrueCoin (a Delaware company). The court found that the claims asserted in the Hong Kong action were prima facie within arbitration agreements between the parties, and that there were no strong reasons not to grant the ASI.

TrueCoin developed digital currency products including stablecoins, while Techteryx held exclusive rights in the TrueUSD stablecoin (TUSD) and controlled its US dollar reserves. On 2 December 2020, the parties entered a Strategic Alliance Agreement and a Master Services Agreement, both expressly governed by Delaware law. Techteryx appealed against the decision. The judgment cited 15 authorities and referenced the Arbitration Act, the International Arbitration Act, and the Supreme Court of Judicature Act. TrueCoin was represented by WongPartnership LLP and Techteryx by Tan Kok Quan Partnership.

[2024] SGHC 296 explained

TRUECOIN LLC v TECHTERYX, LTD ([2024] SGHC 296) is a Singapore judgment decided by the High Court (General Division) on 29 November 2024. It is categorised under Arbitration and Injunctions. It is a recent decision; within this corpus no later judgment has cited it yet. This page summarises what the reported decision covers and links the primary sources — the full judgment, the statutes it cites, and the other cases it engages with — so the decision can be read in context. It is reference information, not legal advice, and it does not state the outcome or any holding beyond what the official judgment records.

What is [2024] SGHC 296 about?

TRUECOIN LLC v TECHTERYX, LTD ([2024] SGHC 296) is a High Court (General Division) decision from 2024. Its published catchwords are “Arbitration — Restraint of proceedings — Foreign judicial” and “Injunctions — Purposes for grant — Restraint of proceedings”, which indicate the subject matter the judgment addresses. The full reasoning and orders are in the judgment itself, linked below.

Which legislation does [2024] SGHC 296 consider?

The judgment refers to Arbitration Act (Cap 10), International Arbitration Act (Cap 143A), International Arbitration Act (Cap 10), and Supreme Court of Judicature Act (Cap 322). The statutes cited are listed in full on this page, each linking to its primary text.

What earlier Singapore cases does [2024] SGHC 296 cite?

Among the in-corpus authorities it refers to are [2024] SGCA 50. The complete list of cases cited, and of later cases that cite this decision, is shown on this page.

Summary

TrueCoin LLC, a Delaware company, sought an anti-suit injunction restraining Techteryx, Ltd, a British Virgin Islands company, from continuing a court action in Hong Kong concerning the TrueUSD stablecoin, on the basis that Techteryx's claims fell within arbitration agreements in a Strategic Alliance Agreement and a Master Services Agreement providing for Singapore International Arbitration Centre arbitration. The issue was whether the Hong Kong action was brought in breach of those arbitration agreements and whether there were strong reasons not to grant an anti-suit injunction. The General Division of the High Court found the claims were prima facie in breach of the arbitration agreements, which had not been superseded by a later joint written instruction, granted the injunction permanently restraining Techteryx from pursuing the Hong Kong action against TrueCoin, and awarded costs and disbursements to TrueCoin.

What did the court decide in TrueCoin LLC v Techteryx, Ltd [2024] SGHC 296?

In TrueCoin LLC v Techteryx, Ltd [2024] SGHC 296, Andre Maniam J granted an anti-suit injunction restraining Techteryx from continuing a Hong Kong court action against TrueCoin, finding the claims were prima facie within the parties' arbitration agreements and there were no strong reasons not to grant it.

When will a Singapore court grant an anti-suit injunction to protect arbitration agreements ([2024] SGHC 296)?

In TrueCoin LLC v Techteryx, Ltd [2024] SGHC 296, the High Court granted an anti-suit injunction because the foreign claims in Hong Kong were prima facie within the parties' arbitration agreements and there were no strong reasons against restraining the foreign proceedings.

Statutes Cited

Cases Cited (15)

SG (3)
[2018] SGHC 56 [2021] SGHC 244 [2024] SGCA 50
SLR (11)
[2014] 1 SLR 860 [2015] 2 SLR 352 [2016] 1 SLR 373 [2016] 3 SLR 431 [2016] 5 SLR 455 [2019] 1 SLR 732 [2020] 4 SLR 1014 [2022] 2 SLR 622 [2023] 1 SLR 349 [2024] 1 SLR 287 [2024] 2 SLR 279
UK (1)
[2002] 1 All ER 749

Related cases

Other Singapore judgments involving the same parties or counsel.

Referenced in

Judgment

Read the full judgment on the official Singapore Courts portal.

Read on eLitigation

Source: eLitigation ([2024] SGHC 296)