Aleksey Besciokov, who was accused in the US of administering the sanctioned Garantex crypto exchange and was awaiting extradition, has died in an Indian prison. His death was reported on September 5 by a number of Russian media outlets, citing a post by entrepreneur Sergei Mendeleev and reports on Telegram channels; according to their information, Besciokov died on August 31, but his relatives only found out about it now. There is no official confirmation from the Indian authorities at the time of publication, and the cause of death has not been disclosed.
On March 12-13, 2025, Indian authorities detained Beshchekov in the state of Kerala at the request of the United States. Indian publications and international media reported on the arrest, citing the US Department of Justice and Indian law enforcement agencies.
According to the US Secret Service, Beshchekov (along with Alexander Mira Serd) was charged with conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy to violate the IEEPA, and conspiracy to conduct an unregistered payment business (Eastern District of Virginia jurisdiction). On March 6, 2025, the US also seized the domains that supported Garantex’s operations.
On August 14, 2025, the US State Department announced a reward of up to $6 million for information leading to the arrest/conviction of Garantex leaders (including up to $5 million for information about Alexander Mira Serd). On the same day, the US Treasury Department updated sanctions against the network associated with Garantex (including Grinex).
Garantex was added to the US sanctions lists back in April 2022 for systematically ignoring AML/CFT requirements, and on March 6, 2025, US authorities announced comprehensive actions against the exchange’s infrastructure. Indian law enforcement officials indicated that Beshchekov, a Lithuanian citizen residing in Russia, was responsible for the technical infrastructure and approval of transactions on Garantex.
At the time of writing, there have been no official reports from the Indian authorities regarding Beshekhov’s death; public information is based on social media posts and media publications citing them. We continue to monitor statements from Indian law enforcement agencies/the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the US Department of Justice, and the defendant’s lawyers. The information will be updated when official confirmation or details of the cause of death become available.
https://www.fixygen.ua/news/20250906/v-indiyskiy-vyaznitsi-pomer-tvorets-kriptobirzhi-garantex.html
The European cryptocurrency exchange WhiteBIT has launched integration with the Diia public service, the company’s press service reported on Saturday.
WhiteBIT said that thanks to integration with the Diia application, now any user from Ukraine can pass KYC verification on the WhiteBIT exchange in less than one minute. Usually this procedure on all cryptocurrency exchanges requires filling out a questionnaire, scanning documents and time for verification. To pass KYC, it will be enough to select “Quick verification with the Diia app.” After that one needs to confirm the transfer of documents on the Diia app.
“In the conditions of war, cryptocurrency becomes a powerful tool for strengthening the defense capability of our country. It allows raising money for humanitarian aid, the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and terrorist defense. People from all over the world want and are ready to support Ukraine through donations of their cryptoassets. We do not stand aside, but strive be the first to introduce innovations, simplify the path of users and make their interaction with WhiteBIT as comfortable as possible. After all, this, among other things, helps the Ukrainian economy, the army, people who are in trouble because of the war. We are glad that the state is becoming a convenient service and our cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Transformation confirms this. Instead of wasting time on a routine, now our clients can go through the verification procedure in just two clicks,” WhiteBIT CEO Vladimir Nosov is quoted as saying.
In addition, WhiteBIT said that the company has created a joint project with WhitePay, where everyone can choose from more than 90 cryptocurrencies and send funds to help the Ministry of Health or injured civilians, the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the territorial defense.
