The Crypto Queen That Is Longed For ?
Authorities in the Bailiwick of Guernsey have issued a stern ultimatum to Ruja Ignatova, the widely known fugitive in the US as the Missing Crypto Queen.
Guernsey is a Crown Dependency located in the Channel Islands near the coast of France. Guernsey is not part of the United Kingdom but is under British protection.
The local government has given Ignatova 28 days, until December 16, to file an official objection before her assets held in the jurisdiction are permanently seized under a court seizure order.
The primary focus of this seizure is the funds from the liquidation of two luxury properties in London: a penthouse in the elite Kensington district and a smaller apartment, both previously owned by Ignatova through a shell company registered in Guernsey.
The penthouse sold for £10 million and the smaller apartment for £1.4 million. However, by May 2024, only about £8.8 million remains after deducting administrative fees, taxes, and legal costs.
The escrowed funds are intended to provide compensation to the victims of the OneCoin fraud scheme. Ignatova, a German citizen born in Bulgaria, founded OneCoin in 2014.
The project was later revealed to be a Ponzi scheme disguised as a cryptocurrency, which according to FBI data, caused global investor losses exceeding US$4 billion.
Ignatova's whereabouts remain a mystery after she disappeared eight years ago, just days after a US arrest warrant was issued.
Although the FBI suspects she may be traveling with armed guards or may have undergone plastic surgery, separate investigations suggest she may have been killed by the Bulgarian mafia figure responsible for her security, although reported sightings continue this year in South Africa.
