Delio CEO Jeong Sang-ho has appealed the 15-year prison sentence imposed after Seoul Southern District Court's Aug. 13 first-trial fraud conviction tied to nearly 70 billion won in customer digital assets, extending one of South Korea's highest-profile crypto cases. Court records in the Supreme Court's case search system showed a notice of appeal was filed on Aug. 14, keeping scrutiny on crypto deposit services after Delio's June 2023 suspension of withdrawals left thousands unable to access funds; the company had also been exposed to Haru Invest's withdrawal freeze. The ruling came two years and three months after the initial indictment and narrowed prosecutors' original allegation of about 250 billion won involving roughly 2,800 customers after key server evidence was excluded, leading to conviction under an alternative indictment covering more than 1,078 victims. A higher court is expected to review the case next, a process that could take months and further delay restitution and related civil claims while the outcome shapes debate over consumer protection and oversight of crypto intermediaries in South Korea.