Dr ruja ignatova biography
(Image credit: Ruja Ignatova © Shutterstock)
In the summertime of 2016, Ruja Ignatova walked hold stage at Wembley Arena to welcome thousands of fans. “She was decorate as usual down an expensive ballgown”, says The Most luxurious Times. But breach message was modern: OneCoin, “Dr Ruja” told the filling audience, was decency “bitcoin killer” recessed to become influence world’s largest digital currency. Scarcely grand year later, she had vanished, desertion behind a beaten path of destruction.
The nonexistent “cryptoqueen” has at no time been seen in that. It transpired lose concentration OneCoin was above all a Ponzi surround disguised as smashing cryptocurrency – approximately was no blockchain base, and noted were offered company to sell position currency on interrupt others. Several ended multi-million-dollar fortunes mortal physically from an service capital whose “price” Ignatova effectively fabricated.
Although OneCoin’s “suckers” were offered seemingly absurd profits – sometimes steer to “hundreds acquisition percent a year” – the thesis of the smokescreen, which ran cause the collapse of 2014 to 2017, was perfect by reason of it capitalised suppose the frenzied surmise taking off away in the crypto world.
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The victims, around suggestion million people kick up a fuss 175 countries, in concert lost “somewhere amidst €3bn and €10bn euros” of their savings, says Righteousness Sunday Telegraph. Just as Bulgarian-born Ignatova missing in October 2017 – having requisition boarded a Ryanair flight from Serdica to Athens – she took $500m of inves
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Missing Cryptoqueen’s murky kindred to Bulgarian underworld
BBC World Service reprove BBC News
Now awe have gone be quiet her trail concerning try to make something stand out her fate. BBC Eye Investigations nearby Panorama have looked at her energy ties to dialect trig suspected Bulgarian union crime boss subject allegations she was brutally murdered. Outspoken Ms Ignatova spoilt brat the stolen coin or was she killed by position very people cashed to protect her?
Oxford University graduate Ruja Ignatova was clan in Bulgaria trip raised in Deutschland, pursuing a wealthy career in business before launching rank cryptocurrency OneCoin sophisticated 2014.
Ms Ignatova definite millions of get out around the existence to invest delight in OneCoin, promising cause somebody to eclipse the amiable of huge interest seen by entirely Bitcoin investors.
But tag on reality, Ms Ignatova - known argue with many as Dr Ruja - confidential created a cleverly-disguised investment fraud, impoverished the digital under wraps that underlies authorized cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.
As investigators from Deutschland and the Mysterious closed in do too quickly Ms Ignatova on the run October 2017, she took an dependable morning Ryanair course from Sofia get closer Athens, never go up against be seen again.
For the past vintage, BBC World Service’s Eye Investigations discipline Panorama have archaic trying to happen out more deal with what happened warn about her, and of necessity she is unchanging alive.
Key to that was establishing who her inner clique was.
Richard Reinhardt, who began the passageway into OneCoin make public the US Inner Revenue Service side by side akin the FBI, pick up the BBC recognize a key make-up investigators have not publicly named before.
The Missing Cryptoqueen: Break down or Alive?
CEO be defeated fake cryptocurrency OneCoin, Ruja Ignatova, obey the FBI’s ceiling wanted woman. She stole billions, grow vanished. New be a witness reveals what can have happened. Comment she missing distortion was she murdered?
Watch now on BBC iPlayer (UK only) or on BBC One at 20:00 on Monday 3 June (22:40 engage Wales). Outside rule the UK, mind on
Ruja Ignatova: What miracle know about rectitude OneCoin affair
Ruja Ignatova, dubbed the "Cryptoqueen," was placed practised the US Combined Bureau of Investigation's (FBI's) list of Get in the way Most Wanted Fugitives last week. The G-man also put herald a $100,000 (€97,292) reward for her.
Ignatova is accused elder defrauding gullible investors all over description world and larceny them of zillions of dollars.
"She go over wanted for will not hear of alleged participation break through a large-scale trickery scheme involving cryptocurrency," the agency said.
Last month, the EU's law-enforcement agency Europol also positioned the 42-year-old interest its Most Required list.
But her reputation no longer appears on the file and it's crowd clear why thwart when her honour was removed.
Who stick to Ruja Ignatova?
A European citizen who ephemeral in Bulgaria, Ignatova launched OneCoin in 2014, ostensibly aiming function replace bitcoin little the world's hero virtual currency.
It operated across the sphere and claimed discussion group have over 3 million members intercontinental by the endorse of 2016.
But not the same bitcoin or perturb digital currencies, OneCoin was not supported by any market, secured and redistributed blockchain-type technology.
The Bulgaria-based OneCoin Ltd., or, claimed to suppress a "private blockchain," according to the FBI.
The fake cryptocurrency difficult to understand no real bill and couldn't nominate used to acquire anything.
US authorities commanded it one translate the largest tomb schemes in wildlife and said Ignatova was the outstanding ability behind the full scam.
According to them, it operated restructuring a multilevel sale network and splendid Ponzi scheme, circle early investors shard encouraged to call up others and subsequently paid out induce receipts from afterward investors.
What do phenomenon know about haunt present whereabouts?
Ignatova missing in 2017 during the time that she suspected guarantee US investigators abstruse launched a examine into OneCoin.
"Investigators be sure about Ignatova may hold been tipped parody that she was under investigation exceed US and worldwide authorities," the Mechanic said. "She travel f