Founder of crypto trading platform Bitzlato pleads guilty, gives up ownership of $23 million in forfeited assets

Anatoly Legkodymov, the Russian founder and major shareholder of Bitzlato Ltd., pleaded guilty today in the New York District Court to operating a money transfer business that transports and transfers illegal funds. The charges stem from Legkodymov’s majority ownership of cryptocurrency exchange Bitzlato Ltd., which serves darknet market traders and ransomware criminals. As part of the plea agreement, Legkodymov agreed to dissolve Bitzlato and relinquish ownership of approximately $23 million in forfeited Bitzlato assets.