US SEC Charges Unicoin and Its Top Executives with Running a Massive Crypto Scheme

The US SEC has brought serious fraud charges against Unicoin and its top executives, alleging they orchestrated a massive crypto scheme that raised more than $100 million

The US SEC has filed serious fraud charges against Unicoin and its top executives, accusing them of a massive crypto scheme that allegedly defrauded thousands of investors out of more than $100 million.

According to a complaint filed on Tuesday, the SEC claims that Unicoin CEO Alex Konanykhin, former president Silvina Moschini, and former CIO Alex Dominguez are accused of carrying out a deceptive offering campaign for more than two years.

According to the SEC’s allegations, Unicoin promised investors a “next-generation” crypto asset backed by billions of dollars in real estate. In reality, those backing assets were either significantly inflated or never existed at all. The agency says the company made a series of false and misleading statements from February 2022 to the present. These claims included that Unicoin tokens were secured by a multi-billion-dollar real estate portfolio. The actual value of those holdings was only a small fraction of what was being advertised.

More than 5,000 investors were allegedly involved in the scam. The SEC’s complaint details a coordinated and high-profile promotional campaign by Unicoin, encompassing advertisements in major airports, New York City taxis, television broadcasts, and an aggressive social media presence. These marketing efforts allegedly convinced over 5,000 retail investors to purchase rights certificates, described as a safer alternative to volatile cryptocurrencies. Unicoin claimed it had sold over $3 billion worth of these certificates, but the SEC says the company raised $110 million from investors.

The regulator is now seeking different penalties for Unicoin, including permanent injunctions, the return of illicit gains with interest, and the imposition of civil fines. There will also be lifetime bans on serving as officers or directors of public companies for the accused executives. The charges don’t stop at the company’s founders. Richard Devlin, Unicoin’s general counsel, is also named in the filing. Devlin, without admitting guilt, has agreed to a final judgment requiring him to pay a $37,500 civil penalty and submit to injunctive relief.

Unlike earlier enforcement actions focused on unregistered token distributions, this case has a different model of alleged fraud. It is not like the Kik and Telegram cases against the SEC. This case involves selling unregistered securities, which were disguised as asset-backed rights certificates.

The Unicoin case showcases the SEC’s evolving approach to handling crypto-related fraud, combining traditional marketing tactics with a deceptive investment scheme. It highlights the potential for abuse even in offerings sold through Section 4(a)(6) exemption. As the investigation proceeds, the downfall of Unicoin may serve as another warning to investors and an example for those who love flashy campaigns in the unregulated corners of the crypto market.