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Ruholamin Haqshanas
Author
Ruholamin Haqshanas
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Alexander Vinnik, the former operator of the now-defunct BTC-e cryptocurrency exchange, has been returned to Russia as part of a prisoner swap with the United States.
Vinnik arrived in Moscow late on February 13 aboard a Mitsubishi Challenger jet from Istanbul, Turkey, according to Russia’s state news agency TASS.
His release was part of an exchange for American schoolteacher Marc Fogel, who was repatriated on February 11.
Fogel had been detained in Russia since 2021 following his arrest at a Moscow airport for possession of illegal cannabis.
Vinnik Was Arrested in 2017 Greece
Vinnik, a Russian national, was initially arrested in Greece in 2017 and later extradited to the United States in August 2022.
In May 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with BTC-e’s operations between 2011 and 2017.
BTC-e was a major cryptocurrency exchange widely used by illicit actors.
Investigations have linked the platform to money laundering activities, with significant amounts of Bitcoin being funneled through the exchange and converted into Ether during Ethereum’s initial coin offering.
Additionally, blockchain analysis has connected BTC-e to the infamous Mt. Gox hack, which resulted in the loss of millions of dollars in Bitcoin.
The U.S. Justice Department estimates that BTC-e processed over $9 billion in transactions and served around a million users worldwide.
Vinnik’s associate, Aleksey Bilyuchenko, remains on the United States Secret Service’s most-wanted list for his role in operating the platform.
The prisoner swap comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions and speculation about potential diplomatic engagements.
Reports suggest that former U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin may meet in Saudi Arabia for discussions on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has firmly rejected any negotiations that exclude his country.
Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President JD Vance has warned of potential sanctions and military action if Moscow fails to agree to a peace settlement that upholds Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Speaking at a NATO meeting in Brussels on February 12, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth called the idea of Ukraine reclaiming its pre-2014 borders “unrealistic” and dismissed NATO membership for Ukraine as an impractical path forward.
Russian Court Extends Detention of Pilot Arrested for Sending Crypto to Ukraine Military
In another incident, a Russian court has extended the detention period of a commercial pilot who was arrested for allegedly sending crypto to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Federal Security Service (FSB) arrested the man in Krasnodar, Southern Russia, on suspicion of “treason” late last month.
At the end of January, a court ruled that the FSB could hold the pilot in custody until February 16, 2025.
However, the Russian state-aligned newspaper RIA Novosti, citing a “source in the security agencies,” said a court had extended the detention period “until April 16.”
The FSB claims that the pilot converted rubles into an unnamed “cryptocurrency” on “an online platform.”
