Contradicted
A reliable and applicable record states the opposite.
A January 2018 OneCoin company statement said the company had never been involved in criminal or illegal activities and called money laundering reports untrue and misleading.
had never been involved in criminal or illegal activities
- About
- OneCoin Ltd.
- Claim made by
- The Sofia Globe, company statement
- Published
- 23 January 2018
- Evidence score
- 88 How it was scored
- Last reviewed
- 25 October 2026
Why this label
The company denial is contradicted by the later criminal record. OneCoin said in January 2018 that it had never been involved in criminal or illegal activitiesS5. In December 2022 co-founder Greenwood pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraudS2. The DOJ describes OneCoin as a fraudulent pyramid scheme and he was sentenced to 20 yearsS1S2. The denial came from the company and predates the plea. A co-founder's guilty plea to money laundering conspiracy is a finding that contradicts the claim of clean conduct.
Current procedural position
Company statement issued 23 January 2018S5. Co-founder Greenwood pleaded guilty 16 December 2022 and was sentenced 12 September 2023S1S2. Founder Ignatova at largeS3.
Record supporting the assessment
which was in fact a fraudulent pyramid scheme.
ordered to pay approximately $300 million in forfeiture
Conflicting or limiting record
untrue and misleading to the public
Evidence score: 88 of 100
The score grades how well the record establishes this assessment. It is not a score of OneCoin Ltd.. Score = source authority + directness + corroboration + procedural accuracy + currency + reproducibility.
| Component | Points | Max | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source authorityIs the source competent to establish the proposition? | 27 | 30 | The contradicting records are US prosecutor releases tied to a plea. |
| DirectnessDoes the source state the proposition or only discuss adjacent facts? | 17 | 20 | The plea to money laundering conspiracy answers the clean conduct claim. |
| CorroborationDo independent records support the same material point? | 13 | 15 | The plea release and the sentencing release agree. |
| Procedural accuracyDoes the record settle the procedural state the claim describes? | 14 | 15 | The contradiction rests on a guilty plea and a final sentence. |
| CurrencyHas the record been checked against later developments? | 9 | 10 | The conviction stands, affirmed on appeal 31 January 2025S7. |
| ReproducibilityCan a reader locate the passage and repeat the assessment? | 8 | 10 | The DOJ releases are public, the company statement is reported by press. |
| Total | 88 | 100 |
Timeline
Related cases
- United States v. Karl Sebastian GreenwoodUS District Court for the Southern District of New York. Criminal. Not published.Stage: Convicted by guilty plea and sentenced. Sentence affirmed on appeal, final as of October 2026S7.
Revision history
- Assessment first published with label Contradicted.
Have a record that changes this assessment? See corrections and responses.
Sources
- S2Tier A Co-founder of multibillion-dollar cryptocurrency pyramid scheme "OneCoin" pleads guiltyUS Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York, via IRS Criminal Investigation. Government press release. 16 December 2022.Supports the guilty plea counts, the no true blockchain and worthless coin findings, and the pyramid scheme description.
- S1Tier A Co-Founder Of Multibillion-Dollar Cryptocurrency Scheme "OneCoin" Sentenced To 20 Years In PrisonUS Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York. Government press release. 12 September 2023.Supports the 20 year sentence, the forfeiture, the scheme size and that Ignatova remains at large. Does not establish Ignatova's personal guilt.
- S5Tier C OneCoin: Reports of money laundering 'untrue and misleading'The Sofia Globe. Press report. 23 January 2018.Records OneCoin's company denial. Used for the origin of the denial claim, not as proof the denial was true.
- S7Tier A United States v. Scott, United States v. Greenwood, Summary Order, Nos. 23-7199(L), 24-368US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Court judgment. 31 January 2025.Affirms Greenwood's 240 month sentence on appeal. Settles that the sentence is final.
- S3Tier A Ruja Ignatova, Ten Most Wanted FugitivesFederal Bureau of Investigation. Government press release. 30 June 2022.Supports the Ten Most Wanted listing, the reward and the fugitive status. Charges listed are allegations, not findings.
Other claims about OneCoin Ltd.
- Supported96A September 2023 US Department of Justice statement said OneCoin co-founder Karl Sebastian Greenwood was sentenced to 20 years in prison and ordered to pay about US$300 million for his part in the OneCoin scheme.Regulator statement, 12 September 20233 records citedFraud
- Supported93The Department of Justice said OneCoin was sold as a cryptocurrency but lacked a true blockchain, had no real value, and that its price was set by the company itself.Regulator statement, 16 December 20223 records citedProduct claims
- Unresolved81US prosecutors charged OneCoin founder Ruja Ignatova with wire fraud, securities fraud and money laundering conspiracy counts, and the FBI says she remains a fugitive on its Ten Most Wanted list.Regulator statement, 8 March 20192 records citedFraud