Anatoly Legkodymov, co-founder of the cryptocurrency service Bitzlato, has made an official request for a pardon to U.S. President Donald Trump. His plea comes amid ongoing attempts by French authorities to secure Legkodymov’s extradition to France.
This is reported by Finway
Legal Cases and International Extradition
In December 2023, Legkodymov pleaded guilty to money laundering of funds obtained illegally. In July 2024, a U.S. court sentenced him to 18 months in prison. He has already served this time at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), which the court credited towards his sentence. However, following his sentencing, Legkodymov remained in custody due to France’s request for his extradition, where he also faces up to 20 years in prison on similar charges.
According to investigative authorities, Bitzlato played a significant role in laundering approximately $700 million. As part of a plea agreement, Legkodymov agreed to shut down the platform and relinquished rights to crypto assets worth $23 million that were seized during his arrest.
Pardons in the Crypto Industry and Community Support
Legkodymov’s request for a pardon has garnered attention against the backdrop of recent cases where Donald Trump has already pardoned several individuals connected to the cryptocurrency industry. Notably, among those pardoned was Ross Ulbricht, founder of Silk Road, who was sentenced to two life terms in prison. Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao also made a similar request to Trump after serving four months in prison and paying a $50 million fine for violating anti-money laundering regulations.
“Anatoly is not a criminal; he has become a target of a political campaign against the cryptocurrency market. […] His decision to seek a pardon is based on hope that the U.S. will return to a more balanced and fair approach to digital finance,” stated Ivan Melnikov, Vice President of the Russian branch of the International Human Rights Committee.
Currently, Legkodymov’s fate remains uncertain: in addition to the consideration of his pardon request in the U.S., he risks being extradited to France, where he faces similar allegations of financial crimes.