Josip Heit & Apertium Crush Texas Securities Board in Landmark Lawsuit—DeFi Just Leveled Up
Regulators got schooled. GSD Group chairman Josip Heit and blockchain innovator Apertum just scored a knockout against the Texas Securities Board—and the ruling could rewrite DeFi’s playbook.
The Verdict That Shook Austin
When the gavel came down, it wasn’t just a win—it was a seismic shift. The TSSB’s attempt to rein in decentralized finance got decentralized itself. No fines, no restrictions—just pure precedent.
Why TradFi Should Sweat
This isn’t just about legal technicalities. The ruling effectively greenlights DeFi protocols to operate like the disruptive force they are—while legacy finance still charges $25 wire fees for 1998-level service.
Heit’s team didn’t just argue the case—they weaponized crypto’s core ethos against regulatory overreach. And won. Now watch as every DeFi project from Singapore to Wyoming cites this decision like scripture.
Game on, bureaucrats.
one of the strongest regulatory authorities in the United States, has . The Apertum Foundation and its senior advisor, Josip Heit, represented by Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP, have prevailed in their litigation against the TSSB. On 31 July 2025, the TSSB formally dismissed its case against the Apertum Foundation and Mr. Heit. This dismissal confirms that neither the Apertum token nor the DAO1 platform constitutes an investment contract within the meaning of applicable securities laws.
, as this landmark decision marks one of the biggest wins under U.S. law’s evolving framework established during the . Industry experts see it as a significant breakthrough, unlocking new paths for innovation and technological freedom across the blockchain sector.
Apertum is a leading general layer-1 blockchain on the Avalanche ecosystem. , including its DAO1 DeFi platform and its native $APTM token. Apertum is already acknowledged as one of the fastest, most secure, and scalable next-generation blockchains, ranked among .
Josip Heit, senior advisor to the Apertum Foundation, commented:
“From Day One, the Apertum Foundation has offered a compliant, SAFE platform and cutting-edge technology. We promised to defend ourselves aggressively against the Texas Securities Board’s mistaken allegations, and we have now been vindicated. This dismissal confirms we did nothing wrong. We will continue to offer transformative technology to our users and to work with our lawyers to comply with all applicable laws in the jurisdictions where we operate. Thank you to our users for standing with us.”
Avi Perry, co-Chair of the Securities Litigation Group at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP, said:
“This dismissal is a big win for the Apertum Foundation and Mr. Heit. This case should never have been brought, and we fought hard to reach the right result. The Texas Securities Board’s allegations were incorrect, and we are thrilled for our clients that the meritless cease-and-desist order against them has been withdrawn in its entirety. We credit the Securities Board for acknowledging its error and dismissing this case.”
The Apertum ecosystem includes a decentralized exchange (DEX) and blockchain fully integrated with CoinMarketCap, a platform with Apertum’s token is traded on global cryptocurrency exchanges such as MEXC, BitMart, P2B, and LBank, collectively supporting more than worldwide. The platform has secured and has worth of tokens, while a total of worth of $APTM native tokens to the community through its decentralized finance platform.
