Skip to main content
AVOID.NET

Thodex

avoid.net/thodex0/100·95% conf.
[AI-DRAFTED · AWAITING VERIFICATION]

Auto-generated score, not yet verified against the scoring model. Under review — treat as indicative, not a verdict.

anchored·5CLAmA…1wYv

Summary

Thodex was a Turkish cryptocurrency exchange founded in 2017 (originally as Koineks) by Faruk Fatih Özer that collapsed in April 2021 when the platform abruptly halted trading and its founder fled to Albania, leaving approximately 391,000 users unable to access funds estimated at $2 billion to $2.6 billion. Özer was arrested in Albania in August 2022, extradited to Turkey in April 2023, convicted in September 2023 and sentenced to 11,196 years in prison alongside his two siblings, and died in a Turkish high-security prison on November 1, 2025, in circumstances that prompted a formal investigation.

Connected Entities

1 entity · 1 linked investigation
Exchanges
Thodex
Also appears in

Connected Through

1 shared actor · 1 investigation

Distinct actors this investigation shares with others — holders, traders, and named parties. Shared infrastructure (exchanges, pools) is excluded.

Have evidence about Thodex?

Timeline(16 events)

2017

Faruk Fatih Özer founds Koineks, the fourth cryptocurrency exchange in Turkey.

Thodex — Wikipedia

March 2020

Koineks is rebranded as Thodex.

Thodex — Wikipedia

20 April 2021

Thodex halts all trading and withdrawals; Faruk Fatih Özer departs Turkey for Tirana, Albania.

Daily Sabah: $2B crypto scam — Turkish exchange Thodex goes silent

22 April 2021

Turkish public prosecutors open a formal investigation into Thodex following mass user complaints.

Thodex — Wikipedia

23 April 2021

Interpol issues a Red Notice for Faruk Fatih Özer at Turkey's request.

Faruk Fatih Özer — Wikipedia

April 2021

Turkish financial crimes investigators freeze all remaining Thodex assets. 62 people, including Özer's siblings, are detained in Turkey.

Thodex — Wikipedia

30 April 2021

Central Bank of Turkey bans use of cryptocurrency as a payment method, citing risks highlighted by the Thodex collapse.

Fortune: Trouble in Turkey as crypto falls foul of local laws

September 2021

Turkish authorities issue arrest warrants for Özer and 81 other individuals connected to Thodex.

Thodex — Wikipedia

October 2021

Turkey is placed on FATF's grey list for weaknesses in AML/CTF compliance.

ComplyCube: What Do Turkey Crypto Regulations Look Like?

June 2022

Turkey is removed from the FATF grey list after implementing improved AML/CTF frameworks.

ComplyCube: What Do Turkey Crypto Regulations Look Like?

30 August 2022

Albanian police arrest Özer in the coastal town of Himarë in an operation code-named 'Brain.'

The National News: Police arrest fugitive Turkish crypto fraud suspect in Albania

17 November 2022

The Elbasan Court of First Instance in Albania grants Turkey's extradition request for Özer.

CoinDesk: Founder of Crypto Exchange Thodex to Be Extradited to Turkey from Albania

30 December 2022

The Durrës Court of Appeals upholds the extradition verdict after Özer's appeal.

CoinDesk: Founder of Crypto Exchange Thodex to Be Extradited to Turkey from Albania

20 April 2023

Özer is extradited to Turkey and detained in Istanbul, exactly two years after the Thodex shutdown.

CoinDesk: Collapsed Turkish Crypto Exchange Thodex's CEO Faruk Özer Extradited, Arrested in Istanbul

7 September 2023

Istanbul court convicts Özer on charges of aggravated fraud, leading a criminal organization, and money laundering. He is sentenced to 11,196 years, ten months, and fifteen days in prison and fined 135 million Turkish liras. His siblings receive similar sentences.

CoinDesk: 11,196 Years in Prison for Faruk Özer

November 2025

Özer is found dead in his cell at Tekirdağ F Type High Security Closed Penitentiary. Authorities report the apparent cause as hanging. Prosecutors open an investigation into the circumstances of his death.

Turkish Minute: CEO of collapsed crypto exchange Thodex found dead in Turkish prison
Provenance & Audit Trail

Decision Log

This investigation is cryptographically anchored to the Solana blockchain (5 events). 23 of 25 cited source URLs have an Internet Archive snapshot.

model: claude-code-investigator

generated: 5/8/2026, 2:31:32 AM

last updated: 7/26/2026, 10:16:21 PM

1 view

avoid.net — verified advice for a post-truth world