Ruja Ignatova
Co-founder of OneCoin, the multi-level-marketing scheme that the U.S. DOJ says took in more than $4 billion. Known as the 'Cryptoqueen', she disappeared in 2017 and is on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list.
Also known as: Cryptoqueen, Dr Ruja
Bio
Ruja Ignatova co-founded OneCoin, a Bulgaria-based multi-level-marketing scheme that sold a cryptocurrency the U.S. DOJ says had no actual value. Prosecutors state victims invested more than $4 billion. [1][2]
Status
Often referred to as the "Cryptoqueen", Ignatova disappeared in 2017, was added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list in 2022, and remains a fugitive. She has been charged with fraud and money laundering; she has not been tried. [1][2]
Bracketed numbers refer to the numbered sources listed below.
Sources (2)
See also
Luke BelmarIndividualsCryptocurrency influencer Luke Belmar (@lukebelmar on X) became the subject of controversy following allegations related to the promotion of a memecoin. Critics on social media alleged that Belmar used a series of posts referencing a forthcoming cryptocurrency project and a large-scale airdrop to generate interest in a token without explicitly identifying a specific contract address. Belmar published multiple posts discussing an upcoming memecoin, describing plans for what he characterized as a major airdrop and making comparisons to other cryptocurrency projects. Because no contract address was publicly provided, several tokens emerged claiming association with his statements. Critics alleged that this ambiguity enabled speculation around multiple tokens while avoiding a direct endorsement of any particular asset.
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.