PANews reported on September 24 that according to Bloomberg, Marshall Wace filed a lawsuit against crypto data provider Lukka Inc., intending to prevent it from advancing a new round of financing because the investment management company believes that this round of financing will put two of its funds at a disadvantage. On Thursday, Delaware Chancery Court Judge Lori Wil approved Marshall Wace's request and decided to temporarily suspend the proposed financing plan while the lawsuit was expedited. Previously, in 2022, Marshall Wace's XO Digital Finance Fund and Eureka Fund invested $50 million in Lukka as part of the Series E preferred stock financing in exchange for the right to consent to certain data providers' actions that may affect the investment.
In the lawsuit, Marshall Wace's investment fund accused Lukka of violating the company's articles of association and that its consent was required for this round of proposed financing, but Lukka's lawyer said that consent was not required in this case. In addition, it also accused Lukka of reaching a "pay-to-participate" financing plan that unfairly benefited Liberty City Ventures. If the financing is successful, Marshall Wace's repayment order in the liquidation event will be reduced from the first to after the three new series of senior preferred shares, making it extremely difficult to obtain compensation. Marshall Wace had expressed its willingness to participate in the financing after the terms were modified, but was rejected. Lukka's lawyer said that if the financing is suspended, the company will be harmed because it needs the funds to "continue operations and pay employees."