BTC-e
Launch
2011
Death / Exploit
July 2017
Total Loss
$4 Billion (Laundered Funds & Seized Bitcoin)
BTC-e, an illicit digital asset platform operated by Alexander Vinnik, was the most covert illicit exchange in cryptocurrency history. By deliberately omitting Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance protocols, the platform facilitated the laundering of digital assets stolen during the Mt. Gox cyberattack. In 2017, following a coordinated international effort, US authorities arrested Vinnik in Greece, while the FBI seized the platform's domains and server infrastructure, executing an immediate shutdown.