Founder of cryptocurrency firm Gotbit extradited to US for market manipulation

The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts has announced the extradition of Aleksei Andriunin, founder of Gotbit, to face charges of market manipulation and wire fraud. The announcement was made in a press release on February 26.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Andriunin, a 26-year-old Russian national residing in Portugal, was arrested on October 8, 2024, and extradited to the United States on February 25, 2025. He appeared in federal court in Boston and was ordered detained pending a future hearing. The indictment also charges Gotbit and two of its directors, Fedor Kedrov and Qawi Jalili, with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit market manipulation.

Between 2018 and 2024, Gotbit allegedly engaged in "wash trading," a form of sham trading used to artificially inflate the trading volumes of various cryptocurrency tokens. This manipulation aimed to deceive investors and secure listings on larger cryptocurrency exchanges. Prosecutors allege that Gotbit's fraudulent trades amounted to millions of dollars, generating tens of millions in illicit proceeds.

Get the Newsletter

Sign-up to receive weekly round up of news from Crypto Republique

According to a survey conducted by AMBCrypto in August 2024, 78% of cryptocurrency investors consider Binance and Coinbase as the safest crypto exchanges. This endorsement underscores the significant trust these platforms have garnered within the crypto trading community.

Andriunin is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Gotbit, known for its market-making activities. Under his leadership from 2018 to 2024, Gotbit allegedly provided market manipulation services including wash trading to artificially inflate trading volumes for various cryptocurrency companies. In a 2019 interview, he described developing a code to execute these wash trades aiming to get cryptocurrencies listed on platforms like CoinMarketCap and larger exchanges.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the state including cybercrime, financial fraud, and securities violations. The office has been actively involved in addressing cryptocurrency-related fraud as demonstrated by recent cases targeting market manipulation and investment scams within the digital asset sector.