Do Kwon Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for $40 Billion Terra Crypto Project Collapse
Do Kwon, co-founder of Terraform Labs, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison in the United States for fraud related to the 2022 collapse of the TerraUSD (UST) and LUNA tokens. The crash of the Terra ecosystem, which he developed, resulted in an estimated $40-60 billion in losses for the crypto community, stemming from both the token devaluation and the failure of associated services like Anchor.
Kwon, who initially blamed the collapse on actions by third-party traders, faced nine charges including fraud, market manipulation, and money laundering. After his 2024 arrest in Montenegro with fake travel documents, he was extradited to the U.S. and later pleaded guilty to two charges.
While prosecutors sought a 12-year sentence and his defense argued for five, the judge deemed the defense's request "utterly unreasonable." The judge emphasized the "staggering" scale of the fraud, the number of victims, and Kwon's attempts to flee justice. He also condemned Kwon's "despicable" behavior for publicly advising retail investors to keep investing while he and his associates privately withdrew their funds.
Kwon's sentence will be reduced by the 17 months he already served in a Montenegrin prison. He may also be eligible for transfer to South Korea after serving half of his term and faces potential asset forfeiture of $19 million.
RBK-crypto12/12 08:30
