After 18 months of authorized battles, Montenegro has
authorised the extradition of the disgraced crypto entrepreneur Do Kwon to the
United States, the place he faces fraud expenses, native media publication Vijesti reported.
In Could 2022, the cryptocurrency market confronted heightened volatility that left traders with losses. Two digital tokens, TerraUSD and
Luna, misplaced almost all their worth, erasing almost $40 billion from the market in days.
This catastrophe marked one of the important
failures in crypto historical past, with South Korean entrepreneur Do Kwon at its
middle.
Montenegro’s Essential Determination
Montenegro’s Minister of Justice, Bojan Božović, has
now signed the order permitting Do Kwon’s extradition to the US,
following an in depth evaluation by the nation’s Supreme Courtroom.
Whereas South Korea additionally sought his extradition, the
Ministry prioritized the US request, citing the severity of the costs and
broader authorized concerns. This determination ended months of courtroom
deliberations, as Montenegro lacked direct extradition treaties with both
nation.
The downfall of TerraUSD and Luna triggered world
outrage. US regulators accused Kwon of orchestrating a multibillion-dollar
fraud via his firm, Terraform Labs.
Outgoing SEC Chairman Gary Gensler claimed Kwon misled
traders with guarantees of stability and development for his tokens. Regardless of
billions in investments, the tokens entered a demise spiral in Could 2022,
sparking a broader cryptocurrency sell-off.
Interpol issued a “pink discover” for Kwon in
September 2022. Authorities tracked him throughout a number of international locations earlier than his
arrest in Montenegro in March 2023. He was detained at Podgorica Airport whereas
trying to board a flight to Dubai utilizing cast paperwork.
Mounting Authorized Troubles
Kwon has confronted authorized troubles worldwide. In February
2023, US regulators charged him with fraud, alleging he misrepresented
TerraUSD’s stability. In the meantime, his associate, Han Cheng Jun, was extradited to
South Korea earlier this 12 months.
In Montenegro, Kwon served a four-month sentence for
forging official paperwork. Following his launch, authorities detained him
once more whereas deciding his destiny for extradition.
With Montenegro’s determination finalized, Kwon will probably be
extradited to the US, the place he faces expenses of securities fraud and investor
deception. The case is anticipated to set an necessary second in cryptocurrency
regulation, probably shaping how world authorities deal with related incidents
sooner or later.
This text was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.
