Gerald Cotten
Founder and CEO of the Canadian exchange QuadrigaCX. An Ontario Securities Commission review concluded he ran it like a Ponzi scheme. He was reported to have died in December 2018.
Bio
Gerald Cotten founded and ran QuadrigaCX, reportedly Canada's largest cryptocurrency exchange at its 2019 collapse. An Ontario Securities Commission review concluded the collapse "resulted from a fraud committed by" Cotten, who traded against clients using fictitious accounts under aliases. [1][2]
Status
QuadrigaCX announced that Cotten had died in India in December 2018; the platform ceased operations and entered creditor protection weeks later. [1][2]
Bracketed numbers refer to the numbered sources listed below.
Linked scams & cases
Sources (2)
- QuadrigaCX: A Review by Staff of the Ontario Securities Commission — Ontario Securities Commission
- Quadriga (company) — overview — Wikipedia
See also
- Donald BasileIndividualsFounder behind Bitcoin Latinum (LTNM). The SEC charged him in 2026 with defrauding investors of ~$16M by falsely claiming the token was insured and asset-backed, and misappropriating funds for personal use (including a $160,000 horse).
- Kristoffer KrohnIndividualsA promoter (and SEC recidivist) who sold Green United's 'Green Boxes,' allegedly acting as an unregistered broker and misrepresenting GREEN's value and returns. Charged by the SEC for fraud and registration violations.
- John WiseIndividualsFounder and CEO of Loci, which ran the LOCIcoin ICO. The SEC charged him with fraud for false claims about Loci's revenue, staff, and user base (raising $7.6M) and for misusing $38K of investor funds; he settled with an officer/director bar.
This page was last updated on Jun 8, 2026. View revision history.