CRYPTO

The Crypto Fugitive: Do Kwon's Journey to US Courts

USATue Dec 31 2024
In a surprising turn of events, Do Kwon, the co-founder of Terraform Labs, was sent to the US on the last day of 2024. He's been accused of a massive crypto fraud, losing investors billions. The story began in May 2022 when TerraUSD and Luna, the stablecoins from his company, collapsed. This caused a major dip in the crypto market, with $40 billion vanishing. Kwon had already left South Korea by then. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced their charges in February 2023. They claimed that Kwon and his company didn't give investors the full truth about these crypto assets. South Korea had similar charges. Kwon was caught in March 2023 in Montenegro with a fake passport. Montenegro doesn't have extradition deals with the US or South Korea. So, Kwon's case was argued in court for over a year. Finally, Montenegro's Justice Minister, Bojan Bozovic, ordered his extradition. Terraform Labs filed for bankruptcy in the US in January 2023. This whole situation raises questions about crypto regulations and investor protection.

questions

    Did Kwon try to board the flight with a fake passport because he thought 'forgery' was a fun new feature of his blockchain?
    Did Interpol issue the red notice as a cover-up for their own failed crypto investments?
    How did the lack of regulatory oversight allow Terraform Labs to operate in such a manner?

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