The US has agreed to release Alexander Vinnik, a Russian national accused of being a cybercrime kingpin, as part of a prisoner exchange with Russia that freed Marc Fogel, an.official said on Wednesday (Feb 12).
Vinnik operated BTC-e, once one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges. He was arrested in 2017 in a small beachside village in northern Greece and detained at Washington's request on suspicion of laundering $4 billion through the exchange. 
The prisoner swap marks a rare diplomatic breakthrough between the two nations.
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<h2 dir="ltr">US authorities linked Vinnik to failure of Mt. Gox</h2>
US authorities alleged that Alexander Vinnik was involved in the infamous 2014 hack of Mt. Gox, a Japanese Bitcoin exchange that ultimately went bankrupt. According to the Justice Department, Vinnik acquired funds stolen from Mt. Gox and then laundered them through his own cryptocurrency exchanges, BTC-e and Tradehill, based in San Francisco.
Vinnik was initially extradited to France and later to the US, where he pleaded guilty in May 2024 to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
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<h2 dir="ltr">BTC-e facilitated over $9bn in transactions in 2011-2017</h2>
Vinnik was facing up to 20 years in prison. According to the court records, he was set to be sentenced in January but a US federal judge in November agreed to postpone the sentencing until June, in a brief order that did not cite the reason for the delay.
The US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California revealed that BTC-e, operated by Alexander Vinnik, facilitated over $9 billion in transactions between 2011 and 2017, catering to more than a million users worldwide, including many in the United States, before being dismantled following Vinnik's arrest.
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"BTC-e was one of the primary ways by which cyber criminals around the world transferred, laundered, and stored the criminal proceeds of their illegal activities," the attorney's office said last year. 
It added that the exchange received criminal proceeds from numerous hacking incidents, ransomware attacks, identity theft schemes, corrupt public officials, and narcotics rings, and Vinnik ran it "with the intent to promote these unlawful activities".
Court records indicate that US District Judge Susan Illston arranged a Tuesday afternoon status conference regarding Vinnik's case, though the meeting's specifics remain undisclosed.
(With inputs from agencies)
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World: The US has agreed to release Russian national Alexander Vinnik in a prisoner swap with Russia, securing the freedom of American Marc Fogel, an official announced.

The US has agreed to release Alexander Vinnik, a Russian national accused of being a cybercrime kingpin, as part of a prisoner exchange with Russia that freed Marc Fogel, an.official said on Wednesday (Feb 12). Vinnik operated BTC-e, once one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges. He was arrested in 2017 in a small beachside village in northern Greece and detained at Washington's request on suspicion of laundering $4 billion through the exchange. The prisoner swap marks a rare diplomatic breakthrough between the two nations. Also read | Indian PM to meet President Trump: Tariffs, deportation, Quad on Modi’s agenda US authorities linked Vinnik to failure of Mt. Gox US authorities alleged that Alexander Vinnik was involved in the infamous 2014 hack of Mt. Gox, a Japanese Bitcoin exchange that ultimately went bankrupt. According to the Justice Department, Vinnik acquired funds stolen from Mt. Gox and then laundered them through his own cryptocurrency exchanges, BTC-e and Tradehill, based in San Francisco. Vinnik was initially extradited to France and later to the US, where he pleaded guilty in May 2024 to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Also read | 124 journalists killed in deadliest year for reporters: CPJ BTC-e facilitated over $9bn in transactions in 2011-2017 Vinnik was facing up to 20 years in prison. According to the court records, he was set to be sentenced in January but a US federal judge in November agreed to postpone the sentencing until June, in a brief order that did not cite the reason for the delay. The US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California revealed that BTC-e, operated by Alexander Vinnik, facilitated over $9 billion in transactions between 2011 and 2017, catering to more than a million users worldwide, including many in the United States, before being dismantled following Vinnik's arrest. Also read | In US, PM Modi to stay at 'world's most exclusive' hotel that once hosted Abraham Lincoln "BTC-e was one of the primary ways by which cyber criminals around the world transferred, laundered, and stored the criminal proceeds of their illegal activities," the attorney's office said last year. It added that the exchange received criminal proceeds from numerous hacking incidents, ransomware attacks, identity theft schemes, corrupt public officials, and narcotics rings, and Vinnik ran it "with the intent to promote these unlawful activities". Court records indicate that US District Judge Susan Illston arranged a Tuesday afternoon status conference regarding Vinnik's case, though the meeting's specifics remain undisclosed. (With inputs from agencies)

US releases Alexander Vinnik in prisoner exchange with Russia. Who is he?

A Russian accused of laundering $4 billion using Bitcoin digital currency has been ordered to be extradited to the United States by Greece&#39;s Supreme Court.

Alexander Vinnik owned an exchange for cyber currency and was accused of money laundering using cryptocurrency.&nbsp;

Vinnik was first indicted in July by an American court for charges involving money laundering, identity theft and facilitating drug trafficking.

He has been held in a Greek jail since his arrest on July 25 in the northern Greek tourist resort of Halkidiki.&nbsp;

Vinnik was also charged with receiving funds from the infamous hack of Mt. Gox -- an earlier digital currency exchange that eventually failed, in part due to losses attributable to hacking.

Although Vinnik denies the accusations, he has said he would accept extradition to his home country. Russia has also filed a demand to extradite Vinnik so he can stand trial on separate fraud charges while two Greek courts separately approved both extradition requests in October.

In Russia, Vinnik is wanted on separate fraud charges totalling 9,500 euros.

The final say on Vinnik&#39;s extradition now rests with Greece&#39;s justice minister.&nbsp;

Alexander Vinnik&#39;s BTC-e was founded in 2011 and became one of the world&#39;s largest and most widely used digital currency exchanges.

In addition, BTC-e &quot;was noted for its role in numerous ransomware and other cyber-criminal activity&quot;. It allegedly received more than $4 billion (3.4 billion euros) worth of Bitcoin over the course of its operation, AFP reported.&nbsp;

BTC-e was slapped with a whopping $110 million fine for &quot;willfully violating&quot; US anti-money laundering laws.

Vinnik has been ordered to pay $12 million by the US Treasury Department.

(With inputs from AFP)&nbsp;

Vinnik was first indicted in July by an American court for charges involving money laundering

A Russian accused of laundering $4 billion using Bitcoin digital currency has been ordered to be extradited to the United States by Greece's Supreme Court. Alexander Vinnik owned an exchange for cyber currency and was accused of money laundering using cryptocurrency. Vinnik was first indicted in July by an American court for charges involving money laundering, identity theft and facilitating drug trafficking. He has been held in a Greek jail since his arrest on July 25 in the northern Greek tourist resort of Halkidiki. Vinnik was also charged with receiving funds from the infamous hack of Mt. Gox -- an earlier digital currency exchange that eventually failed, in part due to losses attributable to hacking. Although Vinnik denies the accusations, he has said he would accept extradition to his home country. Russia has also filed a demand to extradite Vinnik so he can stand trial on separate fraud charges while two Greek courts separately approved both extradition requests in October. In Russia, Vinnik is wanted on separate fraud charges totalling 9,500 euros. The final say on Vinnik's extradition now rests with Greece's justice minister. Alexander Vinnik's BTC-e was founded in 2011 and became one of the world's largest and most widely used digital currency exchanges. In addition, BTC-e "was noted for its role in numerous ransomware and other cyber-criminal activity". It allegedly received more than $4 billion (3.4 billion euros) worth of Bitcoin over the course of its operation, AFP reported. BTC-e was slapped with a whopping $110 million fine for "willfully violating" US anti-money laundering laws. Vinnik has been ordered to pay $12 million by the US Treasury Department. (With inputs from AFP)

Greece SC orders extradition of Russian accused of laundering $4 billion using Bitcoin

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US releases Alexander Vinnik in prisoner exchange with Russia. Who is he?

Greece SC orders extradition of Russian accused of laundering $4 billion using Bitcoin