South Korea seeks to freeze $62 million of bitcoin related to crypto founder Do Kwon as manhunt continues

South Korean government are in search of the arrest of Do Kwon, co-founder and leader government officer of Terraform Labs. His corporate is in the back of the now-collapsed terraUSD and luna cryptocurrencies. South Korean prosecutors are actually in search of to freeze bitcoin related to Kwon.

Woohae Cho | Bloomberg | Getty Photographs

South Korean government sought Kwon’s arrest this month and claimed he’s at the run. The prosecutors stated that Interpol, the worldwide policing group, has issued a “Pink Understand” for Kwon. Such notices are issued for fugitives sought after both for prosecution or to serve a sentence.

Kwon, then again, insists he isn’t at the run and stated Tuesday on Twitter that he’s “making 0 effort to cover.” The crypto founder claims he is going on walks and is in his lounge coding.

Public spat continues

The Seoul Southern District prosecutors administrative center declined to touch upon how they recognized that the bitcoin is related to Kwon.

However analysis from analytics platform CryptoQuant means that the Luna Basis Guard (LFG) arrange a virtual pockets on Sept. 15 and despatched 3,310 bitcoin to KuCoin and OKX. The Luna Basis Guard is a non-profit geared toward selling the blockchain Terra, created via Kwon’s corporate Terraform Labs.

The LFG spoke back on Tuesday announcing it had no longer created any new wallets, or moved bitcoin or different virtual currencies round since Would possibly 2022. It additionally posted its pockets deal with on Twitter.

However CryptoQuant responded: “That is the public one,” suggesting the Luna Basis Guard has some other pockets deal with no longer explicitly related to the nonprofit.

Kwon additionally refuted the claims of bitcoin being moved.

He stated on Twitter that there was once no try to “cashout” and that he is no longer used KuCoin or OKX in “a minimum of the closing yr.” He added that no finances of Terraform Labs, LFG or different entites were frozen.

KuCoin informed CNBC on Wednesday that it’s “prepared to cooperate with any international legislation enforcement businesses in relation to instances of investigations relating the foundation and freezing of suspected belongings.”

It added that when it comes to Kwon and the request via South Korean prosecutors to freeze finances related to the crypto founder, “we would really like you to first deal with the problem to any comparable government and explain their stance in regards to the subject.”

CNBC informed KuCoin it had already spoken to government. A KuCoin spokesperson stated the corporate “cannot reveal any main points so as to not intrude with the case.”

OKX has no longer but spoke back to a request for remark.