Crypto Exec Joe McCann Draws Scrutiny After Fiancée’s Death In Zanzibar

Crypto founder Joe McCann’s passport is sitting with Zanzibar police. He isn’t going anywhere until they get answers.

Authorities Hold McCann Pending Autopsy

Tanzanian police are questioning McCann, founder of the crypto hedge fund Asymmetric, after his fiancée, Ashly Robinson, 31, died on April 9 at a hospital in Zanzibar. Robinson had been rushed there after hotel staff found her unresponsive in her room the day before.

Based on reports from NBC News and CBS News, police have ruled her death a suicide — but they are holding McCann’s passport while they await the results of a formal autopsy.

The couple had been staying at the same hotel when a dispute arose between them. Officials said the two were separated and moved to different rooms following what police described as a “misunderstanding.” Staff later found Robinson in her room with a belt around her neck.

McCann has not commented publicly. He could not be reached for comment.

Ashly Robinson, right, with her sister, Alyssa Endres. Source: Alyssa Endres

Family Pushes Back On Suicide Ruling

Robinson’s relatives are not satisfied with the official account. Her sister, Alyssa Endres, told NBC News that “none of this makes sense.”

According to the family, Robinson had recently celebrated her 31st birthday and her engagement to McCann — both of which had happened just days before her death. Endres described her sister as happy at the time.

 Robinson, who went by the name Ashlee Jenae on social media, posted her last photo April 5, showing her feeding a giraffe while she celebrated her birthday.

The family’s challenge to the police ruling adds another layer of uncertainty to a case that is already far from closed. Authorities have not said when the autopsy results are expected or whether additional charges could follow.

A Turbulent Year For McCann’s Fund

The scrutiny around McCann comes after a rough stretch for Asymmetric, his crypto hedge fund. Reports indicate the fund lost 80% of its value in 2025 amid a prolonged stretch of market turbulence.

Investors pushed back on the fund’s performance, and McCann changed its trading strategy in July of that year after facing significant backlash.

A separate deal that would have taken a Solana treasury company public — with McCann at the helm — was reportedly called off in August 2025, just weeks after the fund’s losses became public knowledge. No reason was given for why that deal fell apart.

Whether those financial pressures have any bearing on the events in Zanzibar remains unknown. Police have not drawn any public connection between the two.

For now, investigators are focused on a single question: how Ashly Robinson died.

McCann remains in Zanzibar as they work to find out.

Featured image from BollywoodShaadis, chart from TradingView