×
Friday, April 26, 2024

Do Kwon: S. Korea's crypto 'genius' turned disgraced fugitive

Once hailed as a genius, South Korean entrepreneur Do Kwon -- now facing multiple criminal charges over his failed cryptocurrency -- was a brash industry figure whose fame disintegrated into global notoriety.. Yet as recently as March 2022, Kwon was being described in glowing South Korean media reports as a "genius" as thousands of private investors lined up to pour cash into his company.

Once hailed as a genius, South Korean entrepreneur Do Kwon -- now facing multiple criminal charges over his failed cryptocurrency -- was a brash industry figure whose fame disintegrated into global notoriety.

After months on the run, the 31-year-old, whose full name is Kwon Do-hyung, was arrested Thursday in Montenegro after being caught trying to catch a flight using fake Costa Rican travel documents.

He is accused of fraud over the dramatic implosion last year of his company Terraform Labs, which wiped out about $40 billion of investors' money and shook global crypto markets.

Immediately after his arrest the United States hit him with a slew of charges over what they called a "multi-billion-dollar crypto asset securities fraud" and South Korea, where he faces separate charges, said it wants to extradite him.

The cryptocurrency he created, an "algorithmic stablecoin" called Terra, was in reality a glorified Ponzi scheme, experts say.

Yet as recently as March 2022, Kwon was being described in glowing South Korean media reports as a "genius" as thousands of private investors lined up to...



Read Full Story: https://news.kisspr.com/2023/03/25/do-kwon-s-koreas-crypto-genius-turned-disg...