• Ruja Ignatova, also known as the Crypto Queen, is a Bulgarian-born German citizen and crypto entrepreneur who is wanted by the FBI for her involvement in a Ponzi scheme involving her company, OneCoin.
• A luxurious London penthouse apartment recently posted for sale in the Kensington district of England has brought Ignatova back into the spotlight, as it is suspected that the proceeds from the sale may be used to repay the victims of OneCoin.
• Senior prosecutor Gerald Ruebsam is hopeful that the funds from the sale of the London penthouse may be used to repay the victims of OneCoin.
Ruja Ignatova, also known as the Crypto Queen, is a Bulgarian-born German citizen and crypto entrepreneur who is wanted by the FBI for her involvement in a Ponzi scheme involving her company, OneCoin. Ignatova had presented her company, OneCoin, as a profitable competitor to Bitcoin in the expanding cryptocurrency sector. But in October of 2017, Ignatova suddenly disappeared from public view.
Investors had been eager to capitalize on the emerging trend of Bitcoin in June 2016. But it was not until October of 2017 that the 42-year old crypto entrepreneur was in the initial stages of what would become a $4 billion Ponzi scheme. OneCoin was a phony cryptocurrency, and its founder, Ignatova, has been missing for five years and is currently on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list. She is also one of Europe’s most sought fugitives.
Recently, a luxurious London penthouse apartment was advertised as for sale on the market, and it appears that the “missing crypto queen” was organizing the sale from underground. According to sources, the penthouse apartment in the London district of Kensington, England, was posted for sale some days ago for $15.5 million, then lowered to $13.6 million.
Senior prosecutor Gerald Ruebsam is hopeful that the funds from the sale of the London penthouse may one day be used to repay the victims of OneCoin. He said: “It’s not clear yet whether money will go to OneCoin investors, we have to wait and see how things develop.” He believes that the proceeds from the sale of the London penthouse may be used to help the victims of the OneCoin scheme.
Ruebsam also noted that it is possible that the penthouse sale was not linked to Ignatova and the OneCoin scheme, but that it could have been a regular transaction. He said: “There is nothing to suggest that this is a suspicious transaction.”
Regardless, the sale of the penthouse apartment has renewed speculation about the whereabouts of Ignatova and has brought her back into the spotlight. It is still unclear if the funds from the sale of the penthouse will be used to repay the victims of the OneCoin scheme. Only time will tell.
