Gotbit, Vortex, Antier, Contrarian — DOJ Crypto Market Maker Manipulation Ring
Summary
Four cryptocurrency market-making firms — Gotbit Consulting, Vortex, Antier Solutions, and Contrarian — were the subjects of coordinated DOJ criminal indictments filed between October 2024 and September 2025 and publicly announced on March 30, 2026. Ten foreign nationals were charged across three separate federal indictments in the Northern District of California and the District of Massachusetts for conducting wash trading and pump-and-dump schemes affecting over 60 cryptocurrency tokens, resulting in the seizure of more than $25 million in digital assets. Gotbit founder Aleksei Andriunin pleaded guilty and was sentenced to eight months in federal prison in June 2025, and Gotbit was ordered to forfeit approximately $23 million in cryptocurrency and cease operations.
Connected Entities
1 entities- + 7 more
Timeline(17 events)
2018-01-01
Gotbit Consulting begins providing wash trading and market manipulation services to cryptocurrency token projects; scheme continues through 2024 per DOJ plea admission.
DOJ — Gotbit and Founder Sentenced2019-01-01
Gotbit founder Aleksei Andriunin gives CoinDesk interview acknowledging that his market-making business is 'not entirely ethical' and describing bot-trading operations.
CoinDesk — Gotbit Founder Pleads Guilty2024-01-01
FBI and DOJ launch Operation Token Mirrors undercover investigation; FBI creates NexFundAI token on Ethereum and Uniswap to lure market makers into documented wash trading engagements.
CoinTelegraph — NexFundAI: The FBI's Trap Token Explained2024-10-08
Gotbit founder Aleksei Andriunin arrested in Portugal at U.S. request.
Yahoo Finance — Gotbit Founder Aleksei Andriunin Pleads Guilty2024-10-09
DOJ announces first wave of Operation Token Mirrors charges in District of Massachusetts: 18 individuals and entities charged, including Gotbit, ZM Quant, CLS Global, and MyTrade. SEC files parallel civil charges. More than $25 million in cryptocurrency seized.
DOJ — Eighteen Individuals and Entities Charged (D. Mass.)2025-02-25
Aleksei Andriunin extradited from Portugal to the United States to face federal charges.
Yahoo Finance — Cryptocurrency Firm Founder Extradited from Portugal2025-03-01
Federal grand jury returns indictment against Antoine Tsao, Ian Sofronov, and Nemanja Popov (Gotbit employees) in the Northern District of California.
TRM Labs — Ten Fraudsters from Four Financial Services Firms Charged2025-03-20
Aleksei Andriunin pleads guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit market manipulation and wire fraud. Gotbit Consulting LLC enters parallel guilty plea. Combined forfeiture of approximately $23 million agreed.
CoinDesk — Gotbit Founder Aleksei Andriunin Pleads Guilty2025-03-30
Antoine Tsao (Gotbit) arrested at JFK Airport.
TRM Labs — Ten Fraudsters from Four Financial Services Firms Charged2025-08-28
Federal grand jury in Oakland, California, indicts Gleb Gora (CEO), Sergei Ryzhkov (CFO), and Michael Vogel (BDM) of Vortex on wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud charges.
TRM Labs — Ten Fraudsters from Four Financial Services Firms Charged2025-09-04
Federal grand jury in Oakland, California, indicts Manu Singh (CEO), Kushagra Srivastava (CFO), Vasu Sharma (BDA), and Sabby Singh (BDM, Antier Solutions) of Contrarian/Antier on wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud charges.
AML Network — Ten Foreign Nationals Indicted2025-10-02
Three defendants arrested in Singapore at U.S. request: Gleb Gora (Vortex CEO), Manu Singh (Contrarian CEO), and Vasu Sharma (Contrarian). Extradition proceedings initiated.
The Defiant — Crypto Market Maker CEOs Extradited From Singapore2025-06-02
Antoine Tsao (Gotbit) pleads guilty.
TRM Labs — Ten Fraudsters from Four Financial Services Firms Charged2025-06-01
Aleksei Andriunin sentenced to eight months in federal prison and one year of supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley. Gotbit ordered to cease operations, sentenced to five years' probation, and subject to $23 million forfeiture.
DOJ — Gotbit and Founder Sentenced2026-02-10
Nemanja Popov (Gotbit) pleads guilty after arrest at SFO.
TRM Labs — Ten Fraudsters from Four Financial Services Firms Charged2026-03-30
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California publicly announces three separate indictments charging ten foreign nationals across Gotbit, Vortex, Antier, and Contrarian; three extradited defendants make initial court appearances in Oakland.
DOJ Press Release — Ten Foreign Nationals Charged (N.D. Cal.)2026-04-02
CoinDesk publishes analysis concluding that DOJ sting reveals crypto wash trading 'continues to be far more common than expected.'
CoinDesk — DOJ Sting Exposes Crypto Wash TradingDecision Log
- #1publish⛓ pending8/12/2026, 11:14:50 PMhash: 5SGs45ABgj8KYxtXzjo5Nty5fYhaEwYDywrXSEuc2CV2
23 of 25 cited source URLs have an Internet Archive snapshot.
model: claude-sonnet-4-6
generated: 8/12/2026, 11:14:39 PM
last updated: 8/13/2026, 2:28:43 PM
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