The Rise and Fall of the Cryptoqueen

The three-part documentary "Kill Bitcoin" is about Ruja Ignatova, the multi-million dollar scammer behind the cryptocurrency OneCoin. The German con artist with Bulgarian roots deceived 17,000 victims in total. Using the stolen money, Ignatova led a life of luxury, the investigation of which took authorities years. Since her disappearance, numerous legends have surrounded her whereabouts. She's been spotted a few times, but experts think she's been dead for a while.

How it affects the cryptocurrency world

Such scandals harm not only established digital currencies like Bitcoin but also numerous new coins like Sealana. Ignatova's story inspired a book, and a film adaptation starring Kate Winslet has already been announced. Now, there is a Sky documentary titled "Kill Bitcoin." The first episode is now available on YouTube, but the other two parts are paid content.

The Search for Justice

The documentary features defrauded investors, former OneCoin employees, and intelligence experts. "Kill Bitcoin" shows the impact of the fraud and attempts to answer the question of where the former Cryptoqueen has gone. The series premiered yesterday on Sky Crime and is already available on subscription services or the streaming service Wow. Each of the three episodes lasts 45 minutes. To get people talking about the documentary, Sky released the first episode for free on YouTube.

Meanwhile, the authorities are working hard to secure the Cryptoqueen's assets. Since 2017, Ignatova has been one of the most wanted women in the world. The FBI is offering a five-million-dollar reward for her capture. In Germany, her accomplices were given prison sentences of three and five years at the beginning of the year, but these aren't yet legally binding. The OneCoin co-founder got 20 years in the US and was ordered to pay back about 300 million dollars. There are still more proceedings going on in both Germany and Bulgaria. If you want to know more about OneCoin and its founder, Ruja Ignatova, the ARD Mediathek has a 90-minute film and a four-part series on the topic.