Unresolved
The available records do not permit a responsible conclusion.
US 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.
- About
- OneCoin Ltd.
- Claim made by
- US Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York, regulator statement
- Published
- 8 March 2019
- Evidence score
- 81 How it was scored
- Last reviewed
- 25 October 2026
Why this label
An indictment is an allegation, not a finding. The 2019 charges release lists wire fraud, securities fraud and money laundering conspiracy counts against Ignatova and says she remains at largeS4. The FBI announced her addition to the Ten Most Wanted list on 30 June 2022 and reports a rewardS3. She has never answered the charges in a US court, and no conviction or acquittal exists. The scheme size and the co-founder's guilty plea are establishedS1S2, but Ignatova's personal guilt has not been tested. The records do not permit a finding, so the claim is unresolved.
Current procedural position
Charged in SDNY, indictment unsealed 8 March 2019S4. Added to the FBI Ten Most Wanted list on 30 June 2022S3. At large as of October 2026, no capture confirmed. Bulgaria said in June 2024 it would charge her in absentiaS6.
Record supporting the assessment
remains at large
The FBI today announced the addition of Ruja Ignatova to its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.
Conflicting or limiting record
No record located that conflicts with this assessment.
Evidence score: 81 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 prosecutor release and the FBI page are tier A. |
| DirectnessDoes the source state the proposition or only discuss adjacent facts? | 18 | 20 | The records list the charges and the fugitive status directly. |
| CorroborationDo independent records support the same material point? | 12 | 15 | DOJ, the FBI and Bulgarian prosecutors agree she is wanted. |
| Procedural accuracyDoes the record settle the procedural state the claim describes? | 6 | 15 | Charges are pending against a fugitive, no trial or verdict. |
| CurrencyHas the record been checked against later developments? | 9 | 10 | Checked to October 2026, still at large, no verified capture. |
| ReproducibilityCan a reader locate the passage and repeat the assessment? | 9 | 10 | The DOJ release and the FBI page are public. |
| Total | 81 | 100 |
Timeline
Related cases
- United States v. Ruja IgnatovaUS District Court for the Southern District of New York. Criminal. Not published.Stage: Charges pending. Defendant at large, warrant outstandingS4S3.
Responses
- OneCoin Ltd., 23 January 2018: OneCoin said in January 2018 that reports were untrue and misleading and that it had never been involved in criminal or illegal activities.S5
Revision history
- Assessment first published with label Unresolved.
Have a record that changes this assessment? See corrections and responses.
Sources
- S4Tier A Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against Leaders Of "OneCoin," A Multibillion-Dollar Pyramid SchemeUS Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York. Government press release. 8 March 2019.Supports the charges against Ignatova, that she remains at large, and the FBI no real value statement. The charges are allegations.
- 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.
- S6Tier C Bulgaria to lay charges, seize property of 'cryptoqueen' IgnatovaThe Sofia Globe. Press report. 26 June 2024.Reports Bulgaria's plan to charge Ignatova in absentia and a US reward of up to US$5 million. Colour and later development only.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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
- Contradicted88A 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.Company statement, 23 January 20183 records citedMoney laundering