New Evidence of Murder

A new episode of the BBC's The Missing Cryptoqueen podcast brings disturbing updates. The podcast seems to back up last year's reports that Dr. Ruja Ignatova, the infamous Cryptoqueen, had ties to the Bulgarian underworld and was murdered.

OneCoin: The Beginning

In 2014, Ignatova launched OneCoin, a so-called 'revolutionary' new mineable cryptocurrency. It had a maximum supply of 120 billion coins, designed to mimic the success of Bitcoin.

Over the next few years, she raised millions of dollars in investment. However, it eventually became apparent that OneCoin was a scam. With multiple investigations looking into her, Ignatova disappeared in October 2017 after taking a flight from Bulgaria to Greece.

The Podcast Investigation

In 2019, the BBC Sounds podcast The Missing Cryptoqueen started investigating the scam and Ignatova's eventual disappearance. Then, in 2022, the FBI added her to their Top Ten Most Wanted list, where she remains. Ignatova had become a figure of global intrigue and mystery.

Claims of Murder

In 2023, an investigation by Bulgarian news outlet Bird reported that Ignatova was killed in 2018. The report was based on documents found in the possession of a murdered Bulgarian police official.

These documents, which have since been verified, claim her murder was ordered by a drug kingpin known as Taki. Her body was then dumped into the Ionian Sea.

According to a new report from the BBC World Service's Eye Investigations and Panorama, Ignatova had been paying Taki for protection.

Taki had reportedly been using the OneCoin network to launder money. 'We do have evidence that a very significant, if not the most prolific, drug trafficker of all time in Bulgaria was closely linked to OneCoin [and] served as [Ruja Ignatova's] personal security guard,' an assistant attorney told the BBC in 2019. Taki is thought to have been earning $100,000 monthly for his services.

A Liability to the Cartel

The new Missing Cryptoqueen episode also reports that multiple sources have told them that Taki murdered Ruja because she had become a 'liability' due to the number of investigations that OneCoin was facing.

'Knowing how violent cartels are, if [Taki] thought she was a threat to him, he would probably take her out instead of getting caught,' said former IRS reporter Richard Reinhardt.

Leaked documents from former spy Frank Schneider confirm that Operation Satellite, the codename of the international police investigation into Ruja and OneCoin, was looking into her relationship with Taki.

In 2023, Kuro, a member of Taki's organization, his wife, and two other people were murdered in Cape Town. While police are still searching for the killers, Bulgarian former deputy minister Ivan Hristanov called the 'public execution' a 'statement.'

'Certain people had to be removed because they knew too much about Taki,' he added.

Theories and Speculation

'It's a good theory. It's credible,' said the team behind The Missing Cryptoqueen podcast. However, they also believe that rumors surrounding Ruja's death could be spread to help her stay hidden.

There have been numerous sightings of Dr. Ruja in recent years, and the FBI has yet to remove her from their Top Ten Most Wanted list.