Skip to main content

Bitfinex Claims to Be Victim of Fraud After Crypto Capital President Arrested

Bitfinex Claims to Be Victim of Crypto Capital Fraud After President Arrested

The operators of Bitfinex claim that the cryptocurrency exchange is a victim of fraud committed by its payment processor Crypto Capital. The men behind Crypto Capital now face charges related to money laundering in Poland and the U.S.

Also Read: Tether Created ‘Largest Bubble in Human History’ Claims Lawsuit Against Bitfinex

Crypto Capital Leadership Accused of Money Laundering

Crypto Capital is a payment processor that handled funds for and on behalf of Bitfinex for several years according to public court documents. The cryptocurrency exchange accuses Crypto Capital of causing it to lose hundreds of millions of dollars.

On Thursday it was reported that the payments processor’s president, Ivan Manuel Molina Lee, was extradited to Poland from Greece to answer charges related to money laundering. Another principal of the company, Oz Yosef, was indicted on three criminal counts by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York on Wednesday.

Bitfinex Claims to Be Victim of Fraud After Crypto Capital President Arrested

Bitfinex has issued a statement on the matter, saying that it was not involved in money laundering and that it has been lied to by Crypto Capital representatives including Molina and Yosef. Bitfinex claims that Crypto Capital falsely referred to its integrity, banking expertise, robust compliance program and financial licenses to reassure it was capable of handling the company’s transactions.

International Legal Saga

According to media reports from Poland, the allegations against the president of Crypto Capital include laundering funds for an international drug cartel from Colombia via Bitfinex and transferring them to Polish bank accounts. The reports mention that investigators found that from December 2016 to February 2018 approximately PLN 1.4 billion (US $360 million) was transferred to these accounts, which have been seized by authorities.

Bitfinex Claims to Be Victim of Fraud After Crypto Capital President Arrested

“Bitfinex is the victim of a fraud and is making its position clear to the relevant authorities, including those in Poland and the United States,” stated the company’s general counsel Stuart Hoegner on Friday. “We cannot speak about Crypto Capital’s other clients, but any suggestion that Crypto Capital laundered drug proceeds or any other illicit funds at the behest of Bitfinex or its customers is categorically false. This week’s developments do nothing to affect or otherwise deter Bitfinex’s claims to funds in Poland or anywhere else. We will continue to work to recover all funds for and on behalf of our stakeholders.”

What do you think about the continued legal drama surrounding Bitfinex? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.


Images courtesy of Shutterstock.


Verify and track bitcoin cash transactions on our BCH Block Explorer, the best of its kind anywhere in the world. Also, keep up with your holdings, BCH and other coins, on our market charts at Bitcoin.com Markets, another original and free service from Bitcoin.com.

The post Bitfinex Claims to Be Victim of Fraud After Crypto Capital President Arrested appeared first on Bitcoin News.



from Bitcoin News https://ift.tt/2pXJPdd

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Mt Gox Creditors Updated, Trustee Says Rehabilitation Custodian Is ‘Currently Preparing to Make Repayments’

On August 31, 2022, the Mt Gox trustee Nobuaki Kobayashi explained in a recent letter that the rehabilitation custodian is “currently preparing to make repayments” to Mt Gox creditors. Trustee Updates Mt Gox Creditors — Repayment Date and Exchange Still Unknown Last week speculation and rumors concerning the release of 140K bitcoin ( BTC ) from Mt Gox littered social media platforms and headlines. Bitcoin.com News covered the situation six days ago as a number of people and Mt Gox creditors called the rumors “ fake news .” During that same period of time, a bitcoin whale transferred 10,000 BTC to unknown wallets, and a 2018 annotation , heuristics, and clustering methods show the funds likely originated from the June 2011 Mt Gox hacks. Following the mysterious whale transfer, last Wednesday, Mt Gox published an official update from the court trustee Nobuaki Kobayashi that explains the court is “currently preparing to make repayments” to creditors. Mt Gox creditors have been wait...

Economists Discuss Russia, China Potentially Developing Gold-Backed Currency That Could Undermine US Dollar

Economists have weighed in on reports that China and Russia may be developing a new gold-backed currency that could undermine the U.S. dollar’s status as the world’s primary reserve currency. Russia and China May Be Developing Gold-Backed Currency Several experts have shared their views on Russia and China potentially creating a new gold-baked currency, Fox Business reported Saturday, emphasizing that China has been buying up huge quantities of gold while Russia was forced off the U.S. dollar due to sanctions imposed on the country following its invasion of Ukraine. The news outlet noted that some experts have cautioned that these moves, along with the closer relationship that has developed between Moscow and Beijing, point to the likelihood of China attempting to launch a gold-backed currency. However, neither Russia nor China has officially confirmed plans for such a currency. Craig Singleton, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a former U.S. diplomat,...

Fidelity Discusses Bitcoin as Portfolio Insurance — Could Soon Stand in ‘Stark Contrast’ to Path Fiat Currencies Take

Fidelity Digital Assets, a subsidiary of Fidelity Investments, says that bitcoin could be considered portfolio insurance. The firm notes that the cryptocurrency “may soon stand in stark contrast to the path that the rest of the world and fiat currencies may take — namely the path of increased supply, additional currency creation, and central bank balance sheet expansion.” Fidelity Says Bitcoin Could Be Portfolio Insurance Fidelity Digital Assets, a subsidiary of Fidelity Investments, recently published a research study titled “The Rising Dollar and Bitcoin.” The research outlines “how bitcoin could be considered portfolio insurance” as the rising dollar impacts global currency markets. “The strengthening U.S. dollar is wreaking havoc among other countries and may put pressure on the Federal Reserve to soon reverse its tightening monetary actions, something that has precedent based on 1985’s Plaza Accord,” Fidelity explained. In addition, “more monetary debasement may be needed to ...