OneCoin
Last changed 2026-10-27 · Fact-check review — Fact-check review (verdict: revise): the reviewer checked the page's claims against its sources; the trust score did not change. Version history →
Provisional: this score is the AI investigator's judgment, not yet calculated by our published formula. Treat it as indicative. How scoring works →
anchored·2QL9J4…PASbSummary
OneCoin was a fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme founded in 2014 by Ruja Ignatova ("the Cryptoqueen") and Karl Sebastian Greenwood. Operating as a Ponzi scheme and multi-level-marketing pyramid that sold 'educational packages' for a coin with no real blockchain, it is alleged by U.S. prosecutors to have defrauded about 3.5 million investors in more than 175 countries of over $4 billion. Ignatova disappeared in October 2017 and is an FBI Ten Most Wanted fugitive with a reward of up to $5 million; Greenwood, Mark Scott, Irina Dilkinska and Konstantin Ignatov have been convicted, and in April 2026 the DOJ opened a $40 million victim compensation process.
Connected Entities
3 entities · 60 linked investigations- OneCoin→mentioned with→Bitcoin(65%)
- OneCoin→mentioned with→Ruja Ignatova(80%)
- Ruja Ignatova→mentioned with→OneCoin(70%)
- Ruja Ignatova→mentioned with→Bitcoin(65%)
Connected Through
3 shared actors · 439 investigationsDistinct actors this investigation shares with others — holders, traders, and named parties. Shared infrastructure (exchanges, pools) is excluded.
- ♦Bitcointoken
- ♦OneCointoken
- □Ruja Ignatovaorganization
Timeline(31 events)
2012
Ruja Ignatova convicted of fraud in Germany in connection with her father's company acquisition; receives a 14-month suspended sentence.
Wikipedia / Ruja IgnatovaAugust 2014
OneCoin launched by Ruja Ignatova and Karl Sebastian Greenwood through OneCoin Ltd and OneLife Network Ltd, selling 'educational packages' bundled with tokens through an MLM network.
DOJ SDNY Press Release / WikipediaMarch 2015
Ignatova and Greenwood allegedly begin allocating coins that did not exist even in OneCoin's private database, internally called 'fake coins', according to the DOJ indictment.
Proskauer Rose LLPSeptember 2015
Bulgaria's Financial Supervision Commission issues a public warning about OneCoin investment risks.
OneCoin Wikipedia2016
OneCoin's internal marketplace closes without notice in January 2016, reopens in March 2016 and closes again without notice in January 2017.
OneCoin Wikipedia2016
Chinese authorities arrest OneCoin members and seize approximately $30.8 million in assets.
OneCoin WikipediaJuly 2016
Ruja Ignatova speaks at a OneCoin promotional event at Wembley Stadium, London, before a reported audience of about 90,000.
OneCoin WikipediaDecember 2016
Italy formally categorises OneCoin as illegal and halts promotional activities.
OneCoin WikipediaApril 2017
Germany's BaFin issues cease-and-desist orders to OneCoin Ltd and OneLife Network Ltd.
OneCoin WikipediaApril 2017
Indian police arrest 18 people in Navi Mumbai for organising a OneCoin recruitment event.
OneCoin WikipediaOctober 2017
A federal grand jury in the Southern District of New York files a sealed indictment against Ruja Ignatova for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, and a warrant is issued for her arrest.
DOJ SDNY / OCCRP / WikipediaOctober 2017
Ruja Ignatova boards a Ryanair flight from Sofia, Bulgaria to Athens, Greece, and disappears; she has not been seen in public since.
FBI / WikipediaFebruary 2018
Superseding indictment against Ignatova adds conspiracy to commit securities fraud and securities fraud.
DOJ SDNYOctober 2018
Greenwood extradited to the United States to face wire fraud and money laundering charges.
CoinDeskMarch 2019
Manhattan U.S. Attorney unseals charges against Ruja Ignatova and other OneCoin leaders; Konstantin Ignatov arrested at Los Angeles International Airport (reported as March 6 or March 7).
DOJ SDNYOctober 2019
Konstantin Ignatov pleads guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and becomes a cooperating government witness.
DOJ SDNY / CoinDeskNovember 2019
Mark Scott convicted by a federal jury in New York of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering for laundering $400 million in OneCoin proceeds through the 'Fenero Funds'.
DOJ SDNY / CoinGeekJune 2021
Irina Dilkinska, OneCoin's head of legal and compliance, arrested in Sofia, Bulgaria on a U.S. extradition request.
BehindMLMJune 2022
FBI adds Ruja Ignatova to its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list with an initial reward of $100,000.
FBIDecember 2022
Karl Sebastian Greenwood pleads guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The RegisterSeptember 2023
Karl Sebastian Greenwood sentenced to 20 years in federal prison and ordered to forfeit $300 million by U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos.
DOJ SDNY / CNBCNovember 2023
Irina Dilkinska pleads guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
DecryptJanuary 2024
Mark Scott sentenced by Judge Edgardo Ramos to 10 years in prison and ordered to forfeit about $393 million, four properties, a yacht and a Porsche.
DOJ SDNY / The RecordMarch 2024
Konstantin Ignatov sentenced to time served (about 34 months) by Judge Ramos and ordered to forfeit $118,000.
BehindMLMApril 2024
Irina Dilkinska sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to forfeit $111.4 million.
CoinDeskJune 2024
U.S. Department of State increases the reward for information leading to Ruja Ignatova's arrest and/or conviction to $5 million.
FBI / The RecordJuly 2024
London High Court issues Worldwide Freezing Orders against Ruja Ignatova, seven associates and two Guernsey companies, obtained by over 400 investors represented by Mishcon de Reya (the other input page dates this to August 2024).
ICIJApril 2026
U.S. DOJ announces a victim compensation process making about $40 million in forfeited assets available; claims deadline June 30, 2026.
DOJ / CoinDeskDecision Log
- slot 461977300 · hash 6xAVopnAYaxiLB3UhKzc9JDexct4Rf1QG2iSDUTX7AkU
- slot 461977296 · hash CDF5PnRH52v61UZ6E61oWjt6ir8pjviLpCM2fEJyHKXV
- slot 445504496 · hash Bgt48jhr2fLnDivjzJ7cbd8spB1cnYpwtQMqVdBWDDYy
- slot 423516468 · hash 6GuUVYJgwzsRuAu5AL8HKmVoMtfFHpGVbcdDqm5hyrWA
- slot 423516464 · hash HyDdk8CNPQtAPJLoPXkLPTvNAuJhY13msfuNqv95kX2P
- slot 423441588 · hash F6KfopzwjgA9MACUnpYkvxYpcnCcvm7uCuoa34pNkciX
This investigation is cryptographically anchored to the Solana blockchain (6 decisions). 41 of 42 cited source URLs have an Internet Archive snapshot.
model: claude-code-merge-writer
generated: 5/31/2026, 7:53:15 PM
last updated: 10/27/2026, 6:57:37 AM
10 viewsavoid.net — verified advice for a post-truth world