Aleksei Andriunin, founder and CEO of the Gotbit platform, has reached a plea deal with US prosecutors, agreeing to forfeit approximately $23 million in cryptocurrency. Charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and market manipulation, Andriunin's deal is part of a legal process after his extradition to the United States in October 2024. The agreement states that the forfeiture does not satisfy any other debts owed to the government and does not bind the US Attorney General. Andriunin was implicated in a scheme involving the manipulation of cryptocurrency markets through Gotbit, a platform based in Belize that provided artificial trading volume for firms from 2017 to 2024. His arrest in Portugal led to the indictment alongside other employees. The plea agreement highlights the ongoing legal scrutiny of cryptocurrency operations and their compliance with regulatory standards.

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