Russian bitcoin exchange co-founder to be freed in deal for American's release

The Russian co-founder of a popular bitcoin exchange will be released from U.S. custody Wednesday, a day after a deal between Washington and Moscow freed American Marc Fogel, a U.S. official said.

- Louise Radnofsky, Alex Leary & Georgi Kantchev

Alexander Vinnik, the co-founder of BTC-e, is in U.S. custody in California and being prepared for transport to Russia, the official said. A lawyer for Vinnik confirmed that his family had been informed he was getting ready to be sent to Russia.

U.S. authorities have said BTC-e was a key platform used by cybercriminals to facilitate ransomware extortions, identity-theft schemes and narcotics distribution. Vinnik had been awaiting sentencing in the U.S. in late June, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. He had been detained since 2017, first in Greece and then in France, before his extradition to the U.S. in 2022 at the age of 42.

Preparations for Vinnik's departure from the U.S. followed a hastily convened hearing Tuesday at a U.S. federal court in San Francisco about his case, which took place behind closed doors. A few hours later, Fogel arrived in the U.S. and was greeted at the White House by President Trump, his special envoy Steve Witkoff and other politicians.

A U.S. Justice Department spokesman declined to comment.

Late Wednesday, the White House announced the release of an American citizen who had been held in Belarus, which is closely allied with Russia, without providing more details.

Rubio also said Belarus had freed two political prisoners at the behest of the U.S. He added that the U.S. would continue to press for the release of other U.S. citizens in Belarus and elsewhere, as well as nearly 1,300 more political prisoners who are in jail across Belarus.

The announcement came after Radio Liberty confirmed that its journalist Andrey Kuznechyk had been freed after more than three years of imprisonment in Belarus.

Stephen Capus, the president of the U.S.-funded, editorially independent Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, said Kuznechyk, a Belarusian citizen, was reunited with his family in Lithuania "thanks to President Trump."