13 entries in this category.
In June 2026, blockchain investigator reports highlighted a case involving approximately 5.73 BTC (worth roughly $475,000 at the time of freezing) that had been frozen by cryptocurrency exchange Changelly in March 2025. The individual associated with the funds, using the online alias AmanKesar11, reportedly contacted investigators seeking assistance in recovering the frozen assets. During discussions, multiple and conflicting explanations were provided regarding the origin of the funds.
A political-corruption scandal in which the Czech Ministry of Justice, under minister Pavel Blažek, accepted a donation of 468 bitcoin (~$45M) in early 2025 from Tomáš Jiříkovský, a convicted darknet/drug figure, then sold part of it. After Deník N revealed the deal in May 2025, Blažek resigned, a criminal money-laundering investigation followed, and the government narrowly survived a no-confidence vote.
Impersonation + giveaway scam using a fake Solana Foundation account to solicit SOL for '2x rewards'.
A Bitcoin-based global pyramid/Ponzi scheme run by Sergei Mavrodi — founder of the infamous 1990s Russian MMM scheme — that promised ~30% monthly returns by having members 'help' each other with Bitcoin 'donations.' Launched around 2015, it spread across 80+ countries before collapsing in 2016.
A privacy-focused Bitcoin wallet and mixing service (Whirlpool, Ricochet) whose founders the U.S. DOJ charged in 2024 with running an unlicensed money-transmitting business. Prosecutors said it processed $2B+ in Bitcoin and laundered $100M+ in criminal proceeds; both founders pleaded guilty in 2025.
A crypto hedge fund (with affiliate VQR Multistrategy Fund) that claimed ~$90M in assets and a market-neutral arbitrage strategy. Founder Stefan Qin pleaded guilty to securities fraud after draining investor capital; he was sentenced in 2021 to 7.5 years.
An X (Twitter) account described in a public post as an impersonator tied to a malware-focused social-engineering operation. Per the post, the account displayed (then removed) a well-known VC firm's tag in its bio, and a target was sent a malware-laden 'WeChat' installer plus an install command hosted on a now-scrubbed domain.
Phishing campaign distributing a counterfeit 'Ledger Live' update that exfiltrates seed phrases.
More than $100M was drained from users of the non-custodial Atomic Wallet beginning June 3, 2023, affecting 5,000+ wallets. Elliptic attributed the theft to North Korea's Lazarus Group based on laundering patterns; the root cause was never fully disclosed.
The crypto market maker Wintermute lost about $160M in September 2022 after an attacker brute-forced the private key of a 'vanity' admin address generated with the buggy Profanity tool, then used it to drain the firm's DeFi vault.
About 119,754 BTC were stolen from the Bitfinex exchange in August 2016. In 2022 the U.S. DOJ arrested Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan ('Razzlekhan') for laundering the proceeds; both pleaded guilty, and Lichtenstein was sentenced to five years in 2024.
A Singapore-based crypto hedge fund, once reportedly managing ~$10B, that collapsed in June 2022 amid heavy leverage and the Terra/LUNA crash. A BVI court ordered it liquidated; Singapore's MAS banned founders Su Zhu and Kyle Davies for nine years.
On Aug 19, 2024, roughly 4,100 BTC (about $243M at the time) was stolen from a single creditor of the bankrupt lender Genesis through a social-engineering attack. ZachXBT traced the funds and identified three individuals; the case led to arrests and a U.S. DOJ indictment.
