Aiden Pleterski, the "King of Crypto" in Canada, will be tried next week for a $30 million cryptocurrency fraud

The criminal trial of Aiden Pleterski, who calls himself the "King of Crypto," regarding allegations of cryptocurrency fraud will begin on October 5 in the Ontario Superior Court of Canada. He is accused of raising funds from investors between 2021 and 2022 by making false promises of "smart investments yielding high weekly profits," with the fraud amounting to approximately $30 million. Canadian authorities have filed charges of fraud and money laundering against him in May 2024.

According to CBC News, Pleterski failed to obtain a postponement to hire a lawyer and is expected to represent himself in court. The trial is expected to last about four weeks, and if convicted on the fraud charge alone, he could face up to 14 years in prison.

In December 2022, several men (some of whom are reportedly victims of the scam) allegedly kidnapped and tortured Pleterski for three days, threatening his and his family's safety, and forcing him to record a video detailing his role in the alleged fraud. Pleterski is one of many high-profile figures in the cryptocurrency industry facing criminal charges during the market downturn in 2022, with executives from the now-bankrupt FTX and Celsius also facing charges in the United States thereafter.