The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan charged founders and promoters of two alleged cryptocurrency Ponzi schemes with fraud and money‑laundering counts. Prosecutors say operators raised investor funds with false promises and diverted or laundered proceeds.

Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York announced criminal charges against founders and promoters accused of running two cryptocurrency‑based Ponzi schemes that solicited investor funds with promises of large returns and then diverted or laundered proceeds. The indictment alleges the operators misrepresented investment strategies, concealed losses and used a web of entities and transactions to move funds and obscure victims’ money as the schemes collapsed. Charges include securities and wire fraud counts as well as money‑laundering offenses, and prosecutors indicated investigative assistance from federal financial and cyber units. The action is part of intensified U.S. enforcement against crypto‑enabled investment fraud, emphasizing both criminal accountability and asset recovery. Authorities urged affected investors to contact law enforcement and noted that the case will proceed through SDNY’s criminal docket, with potential forfeiture and restitution remedies sought to compensate defrauded investors while the government continues transnational cooperation to trace and seize illicit proceeds.