Indicted Crypto Founder Seeks Pardon From US President Trump

According to the latest report, Anatoly Legkodymov, co-founder of crypto platform Bitzlato, has officially requested a pardon from United States President Donald Trump. Legkodymov, a Russian national, was arrested and charged with operating an unlicensed money transmitting business through his cryptocurrency platform, Bitzlato.

After his arrest in January 2023, Legkodymov submitted a guilty plea to one charge of running an unlicensed money-transmitting business in December 2023. On July 18, 2024, a US Judge sentenced the defunct crypto exchange co-founder to time served after spending 18 months in detention at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Centre (MDC).

Co-Founder Seeks Pardon To Avoid French Extradition? 

In a July 11 report by a Russian media outlet, Ivan Melnikov, vice president of the Russian branch of the International Committee for Human Rights, revealed that Legkodymov has officially asked Trump for a federal pardon. According to Melnikov, this move comes as the French authorities try to extradite the Bitzlato co-founder to France.

Reports suggest that the French authorities are trying to extradite Legkodymov to face similar charges of operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business. The Russian engineer faces up to 20 years in France for allowing the transfer of significant funds connected to cyber crimes and attacks.

Melnikov told the Russian outlet:

Anatoly is not a criminal; he became a target in a political campaign against the crypto market and talented Russian programmers. His decision to ask for a pardon is based on the hope that the US will return to a more balanced and fair approach to digital finance, and that the US and Russia will gradually build dialogue.

This request might be more strategic than random, considering that Trump has issued roughly 58 presidential pardons since taking the Oval Office in January. Notably, the US President pardoned the Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who was facing two life sentences in federal prison.

Has Crypto Completely Won Trump’s Heart?

Ross Ulbricht is only one of numerous crypto figures to have received federal pardons from Trump in the past few months. Four former executives of crypto exchange BitMEX, namely Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo, Gregory Dwyer, and Samuel Reed, also received pardons from the president.

Earlier in May, former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao revealed that he applied for a pardon from Trump after serving jail time as part of his plea deal with the US Department of Justice. Recent reports suggest that the CEO of the now-defunct FTX exchange Sam Bankman-Fried is also trying to secure a federal pardon from the US President.