Alexander Vinnik, the former operator of the bitcoin exchange BTC-e, is set to be released from U.S. custody in a prisoner exchange with Russia. Vinnik, 44, who had previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, is being swapped for Marc Fogel, an American teacher imprisoned in Russia. BTC-e, once a major player in the cryptocurrency space, facilitated over $9 billion in transactions between 2011 and 2017 and was allegedly used by cybercriminals for money laundering and other illicit activities. Vinnik was arrested in Greece in 2017 and extradited to the U.S., where he faced significant legal consequences for his actions linked to BTC-e. His lawyers had sought inclusion in other notable prisoner exchanges but had been unsuccessful until now, marking a surprising breakthrough in negotiations with the Kremlin.

Source 🔗