The elusive “crypto queen” Ruja Ignatova, the mastermind behind the notorious OneCoin rip-off, stays a thorn within the aspect of regulation enforcement regardless of a considerably elevated reward for her seize . The U.S. State Division this week raised the stakes to a staggering $5 million, the most recent transfer in a years-long chase within the cryptocurrency world.
The Ghost of the Crypto Queen
Ignatova was as soon as dubbed the “Queen of Cryptocurrency” for her flamboyant picture and promise of a revolutionary digital forex, however disappeared shortly earlier than being indicted for fraud in 2017. The OneCoin initiative she co-founded promised buyers unimaginable returns from the supposedly groundbreaking cryptocurrency. Nonetheless, authorities declare it was nothing greater than an elaborate Ponzi scheme that swindled billions of {dollars} from unsuspecting victims world wide.
OneCoin operator community shuts down
Whereas Ignatova managed to remain one step forward of the regulation, a bunch of her associates weren’t so fortunate. Her co-founder Karl Sebastian Greenwood is presently serving a 20-year jail sentence after being extradited from Thailand.
Even Ignatova’s brother Konstantin confronted jail after pleading responsible to cash laundering and fraud prices. OneCoin’s former compliance director Irina Dilkinska lately joined the checklist of OneCoin convictions.
Whole crypto market cap at $2.2 trillion on the each day chart: TradingView.com
The Lacking Crypto Queen: A Gangster Thriller?
Ignatova’s escape sparked hypothesis and conspiracy theories. The FBI believes she might have had cosmetic surgery to change her look and should have used a German passport. Some investigators have even ventured into the darkish aspect of organized crime, suggesting that Ignatova might have met a horrific finish by the hands of a Bulgarian crime boss with whom she was allegedly linked.
Searching heats up
The massive reward marks a renewed push by authorities to carry Ignatova to justice. The FBI urges anybody with info to return ahead and pledges anonymity if mandatory. Social media has additionally develop into a battlefield, with devoted channels spreading details about the Ignatova and OneCoin scams to generate leads.
Past Rewards: Combating for Justice
Capturing Ignatova meant greater than only a hefty reward. It supplies an opportunity for closure to the numerous victims who misplaced their life financial savings to the OneCoin scheme. Bringing Ignatova to justice would additionally function a stark warning to these in search of to benefit from the rising cryptocurrency world.
The Queen of Cryptocurrency could be a ghost for now, however with the net tightening round her and record-breaking rewards on the desk, her days as a fugitive could also be numbered. Legislation enforcement is set to make her pay for the destruction she left behind.
Featured pictures from Wikidata, charts from TradingView
