OneCoin Co-Founder Sentenced to 20 Years for $4B Cryptocurrency Ponzi Scheme
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Co-founder of $4B OneCoin cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme sentenced to 20 years in prison and ordered to repay $300M.
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Co-founder Karl Greenwood earned 5% commission on OneCoin sales totaling over $300M, spent on lavish lifestyle.
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OneCoin had no inherent value but founders convinced 3.5M people to invest by marketing it as the next "can't miss" coin.
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Ruja Ignatova, nicknamed "Cryptoqueen," charged in 2017 but has been a fugitive since boarding a flight to Greece. Recently added to FBI's Most Wanted list.
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Crypto Ponzi schemes cost victims $7.8B in 2022, with majority of illicit activity tied to Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain, not Bitcoin.