DoJ Charges Another Individual in BTC-e Case

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The United States Department of Justice has accused Alexander Klimenko, a citizen of Belarus and Cyprus and alleged co-owner of the BTC-e cryptocurrency exchange, of conspiring to launder money and engaging in an illegal financial business.

According to investigators, Klimenko, along with Alexander Vinnik and others, controlled the BTC-e exchange from 2011 to July 2017.

Klimenko is also believed to own technology company Soft-FX and forex broker FXOpen, with his connection to these companies being reported by Belarusian media.

Prosecution claims that Klimenko, and Soft-FX in particular, were responsible for renting and maintaining the servers used by BTC-e.

The exchange operated without a license and lacked proper anti-money laundering and know-your-customer procedures, making it a platform for illegal activities, as stated by the US Department of Justice. Klimenko, 42, was arrested in Latvia on December 21, 2023 at the request of US authorities.

He was recently extradited to the US and has been arrested, facing up to 25 years in prison.