Alexander Vinnik, the co-founder of the now-defunct Russian cryptocurrency exchange BTC-e, is currently facing money laundering charges in the United States.
Crypto Exchange Co-Founder Could Be Part of Prisoner Swap for WSJ Journalist
Recent reports from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reveal that Vinnik is expressing optimism about a potential prisoner swap involving himself and the captured WSJ journalist Evan Gershkovich. According to filings submitted by Vinnik's lawyer, there have been political negotiations at the highest levels of the Russian government regarding a potential prisoner exchange.
Vinnik stands accused of operating BTC-e, a crypto exchange allegedly involved in identity theft and money laundering, including funds from the infamous Mt. Gox hack. Prosecutors claim that BTC-e lacked proper Know-Your-Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money-Laundering (AML) procedures, enabling criminals to freely utilize the platform. They further allege that Vinnik personally controlled bank accounts into which funds connected to administrative BTC-e accounts were transferred. Cryptocurrency analytics expert Elliptic has previously suggested that BTC-e handled Bitcoin linked to Fancy Bear, a Russian state hacking group suspected of being responsible for the 2016 Democratic National Convention breach.
