After 18 months of authorized battles, Montenegro has
authorized 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 a seismic
collapse that left buyers with losses. Two digital tokens, TerraUSD and
Luna, misplaced almost all their worth, erasing $40 billion from the market in days.
This catastrophe marked some of the important
failures in crypto historical past, with South Korean entrepreneur Do Kwon at its
middle.
Montenegro’s Essential Resolution
Montenegro’s Minister of Justice, Bojan Božović, has
now signed the order permitting Do Kwon’s extradition to the US,
following an in depth overview by the nation’s Supreme Court docket.
Whereas South Korea additionally sought his extradition, the
Ministry prioritized the US request, citing the severity of the fees 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 by way of his firm, Terraform Labs.
Outgoing SEC Chairman Gary Gensler claimed Kwon misled
buyers with guarantees of stability and development for his tokens. Regardless of
billions in investments, the tokens entered a dying spiral in Could 2022,
sparking a broader cryptocurrency sell-off.
Interpol issued a “crimson 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
making an attempt to board a flight to Dubai utilizing solid 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 yr.
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 shall be
extradited to the US, the place he faces expenses of securities fraud and investor
deception. The case is predicted to set an necessary second in cryptocurrency
regulation, doubtlessly shaping how world authorities deal with comparable incidents
sooner or later.
This text was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.