Garantex
A Russian-run crypto exchange that the U.S. DOJ says processed at least $96B since 2019 while laundering proceeds for ransomware crews, darknet markets, and North Korea's Lazarus Group. Sanctioned by OFAC in 2022; its infrastructure was seized in March 2025 and two administrators were indicted.
Also known as: Garantex, Grinex
Summary
Garantex was a cryptocurrency exchange that, according to the U.S. DOJ, processed at least $96 billion in transactions between 2019 and 2025 and knowingly served as a laundering conduit for transnational criminal and terrorist organizations, ransomware operators, darknet markets, and North Korea-linked hackers. [1][2]
Sanctions and takedown
OFAC sanctioned Garantex in 2022; prosecutors say its operators then "redesigned" operations to evade sanctions and keep transacting. On March 7, 2025, the U.S. — with Germany and Finland — seized Garantex's domains (garantex.org/.io/.academy) and froze more than $26 million, and the Eastern District of Virginia unsealed an indictment against two administrators. [1][2]
The operators
Aleksej Besciokov was Garantex's primary technical administrator (reviewing/approving transactions); Aleksandr Mira Serda was its co-founder and chief commercial officer. Besciokov was arrested in Kerala, India on March 11, 2025. [1][2]
Bracketed numbers refer to the numbered sources listed below.
People & entities involved
- Aleksej BesciokovPrimary technical administratorIndividualsLithuanian national and Russian resident named by the U.S. DOJ as Garantex's primary technical administrator. Charged in March 2025 with money-laundering, sanctions, and unlicensed-money-transmitting conspiracies; arrested in India.
- Aleksandr Mira SerdaCo-founder & CCOIndividualsRussian national (formerly Aleksandr Ntifo-Siaw), co-founder and chief commercial officer of Garantex. Charged by the U.S. DOJ in March 2025 with money-laundering conspiracy over the exchange's role in laundering criminal proceeds.
Sources (2)
See also
- 2025 Czech government Bitcoin scandalOtherA 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.
Evolved Apes (NFT)ProjectsAn NFT collection launched on OpenSea in September 2021 that promised a fighting game. About a week later its anonymous developer 'Evil Ape' vanished with 798 ETH (~$2.7M). In June 2024 U.S. prosecutors charged three U.K. nationals over the scheme.
This page was last updated on Jun 15, 2026. View revision history.