The glamorous ‘crypto queen’ who stole a £3.2billion fortune before disappearing ‘reemerges after going into hiding for the last six years’

A Bulgarian crypto mogul on the FBI’s Most Wanted list may have unwittingly revealed himself to authorities.

Oxford-educated entrepreneur Dr. Ruja Ignatova built a crypto empire and convinced millions worldwide to invest in what she dubbed “The Bitcoin Killer”.

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But the clever thief may have just revealed her whereabouts to the police after being on the run for 6 years.

Ms Ignatova’s luxury London penthouse went up for sale online earlier this week, leading many to believe Ruja orchestrated it herself.

The four-bed flat reportedly contained around £500,000 worth of artwork, including paintings by Andy Warhol.

The amazing property was listed for sale on Knight Frank’s website with an asking price of £12.5million, which was then downgraded to £11million.

The real estate company quickly removed the listing after it was revealed that it had ties to the notorious criminal crypto queen.

Ms Ignatova reportedly bought the property under a company name, but a recent change in UK law meant she had to act as the owner.

By purchasing the house under a company name, Ms Ignatova’s name was kept out of public records until this week.

Investigative reporter Jamie Bartlett, host of The Missing Cryptoqueen podcast, reported the suspicious listing to police.

He told iNews: “The world’s most wanted woman is now officially listed as the ultimate beneficial owner of a London penthouse.”

The refugee founded her company OneCoin in 2014 together with her business partner Sebastian Greenwood.

They pitched their multi-billion dollar idea to investors and promised a lucrative return on investment if they did business with the two entrepreneurs.

It boasted that it’s faster, cheaper and safer than its rival – with people from 175 countries signing up to get rich quick.

Without the establishment of a blockchain — the digital ledger that forms the basis for managing crypto — the coin was worthless.

The FBI has valued the now-defunct company at nearly £3.2billion before Ms Ignatova slipped off the radar with the money.

The scammer has not been seen since October 2017 and remains the only woman on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list.

Authorities believe the crypto queen may have traveled to the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Russia, Eastern Europe, or even back to Bulgaria using a German passport.

Police believe she used her wealth to alter her appearance with extreme plastic surgery, ditching hopes of her ever being found again.

Her co-founder Sebastian Greenwood was arrested in 2018 and her brother Konstantin Ignatov pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering related to the scheme in 2019.

He has yet to be sentenced after his May 2021 hearing was postponed, but he faces up to 90 years in prison.

But recent developments give hope to those who cheated on Ms. Ignatova.

Bartlett said: “It suggests that she is still alive and there are documents out there somewhere that contain important clues as to her recent whereabouts.

“Last but not least, it should be made easier for the authorities to freeze these assets – and maybe even begin to refund victims.”

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