Armstrong had previously published O’Leary’s private phone number and urged followers to harass him as a supposed murderer.
A United States federal judge has ordered crypto influencer Ben Armstrong, previously known as “BitBoy,” to pay $2.8 million after he failed to defend himself in a defamation lawsuit brought by investor and television personality Kevin O’Leary.
According to court documents, US District Judge Beth Bloom of the Southern District of Florida entered the default judgment on Thursday, while citing Armstrong’s lack of any response during the proceedings. The damages award includes roughly $78,000 for reputational harm, $750,000 for emotional distress, and $2 million in punitive damages.
Background of the Case
The case stems from a series of posts Armstrong published on X in late March 2025, in which he accused O’Leary and his wife of murder and alleged they paid millions of dollars to cover up their involvement in a fatal 2019 boating collision in Ontario.
Two people were killed when one boat struck another on a lake, but O’Leary was only a passenger and was never charged. His wife, Linda O’Leary, on the other hand, was later acquitted of careless operation of a vessel following a 13-day trial. Armstrong publicly disclosed O’Leary’s private phone number and urged followers to contact him as a “real-life murderer.” These posts prompted a temporary suspension from the platform.
In January 2026, Armstrong moved to overturn the default judgment. He said incarceration and mental health problems prevented his involvement, while sealed filings referenced a bipolar disorder diagnosis. The court rejected the request and noted that Armstrong had been properly served and waited nearly a year before taking action.
Legal Woes
The ruling further expands the list of legal troubles facing Armstrong, who has faced repeated arrests since 2023. He was taken into custody in March 2025 on a fugitive warrant tied to alleged threats sent to a Georgia judge and was arrested again in June 2025 on multiple counts of harassing phone calls.
Armstrong was removed from the BitBoy Crypto brand in August 2023 after its parent company cited substance abuse concerns, which ended his run as one of the most visible figures in crypto media.
His career was repeatedly overshadowed by controversy, including admissions of paid promotions for failed or fraudulent projects and a high-profile legal dispute with YouTuber Atozy that he ultimately abandoned after a backlash from the crypto community.
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