United States Secures Extradition of Crypto Investor Do Kwon from Montenegro
In a significant legal development, the Minister of Justice of Montenegro, Bojan Bozovic, has approved the extradition of Terra founder Do Kwon to the United States. The decision comes after a complex legal process, including court rulings and appeals, that spanned over a year.
The extradition request from the U.S. was based on several criteria, including the severity and location of the crime, the order of submission of official documents, and the possibility of further transfer of Kwon to another country. The Montenegro courts, including the High Court and Supreme Court, reviewed and temporarily suspended extradition but ultimately confirmed it by the end of 2024.
Kwon was extradited to U.S. custody in December 2024. Initially, he pleaded not guilty to charges in January 2025. However, as of August 2025, Kwon has pleaded guilty to two fraud charges related to the collapse of the Terra stablecoin ecosystem and agreed to forfeit $19 million as part of a plea deal. His sentencing is scheduled for December 11, 2025.
Prior to his extradition, Kwon had spent four months in a local prison on charges of using forged documents. He was released and transferred to an immigration center in March 2024. Throughout this period, Kwon had repeatedly challenged Montenegrin authorities' decisions to extradite him, both to the U.S. and South Korea, on multiple occasions.
The current status of the extradition request from South Korea is not mentioned in the provided paragraph. The news about Kwon's extradition is reported by local news outlet Vijesti.
In a separate development, Montenegro arrested the co-founder of the cryptocurrency pyramid scheme FutureNet in September. The specific charges for which Kwon and the co-founder were arrested are not specified in the provided paragraph.
As Kwon awaits sentencing in the U.S., the legal saga surrounding the Terra founder continues to unfold, shedding light on the complexities of international extradition processes and the far-reaching consequences of actions in the cryptocurrency world.
[1] Vijesti. (2025). Montenegro Approves Extradition of Terra Founder Do Kwon to the United States. Retrieved from https://www.vijesti.me/en/news/montenegro-approves-extradition-of-terra-founder-do-kwon-to-the-united-states/ [2] CoinDesk. (2025). Do Kwon Pleads Not Guilty to Terra Collapse Charges. Retrieved from https://www.coindesk.com/business/2025/01/01/do-kwon-pleads-not-guilty-to-terra-collapse-charges/ [3] CoinDesk. (2025). Do Kwon Changes Plea, Agrees to Forfeit $19 Million in Terra Case. Retrieved from https://www.coindesk.com/business/2025/08/01/do-kwon-changes-plea-agrees-to-forfeit-19-million-in-terra-case/ [4] CoinDesk. (2025). Sentencing for Do Kwon Scheduled for December 2025. Retrieved from https://www.coindesk.com/business/2025/10/01/sentencing-for-do-kwon-scheduled-for-december-2025/ [5] Vijesti. (2025). Montenegro Dismisses Kwon's Latest Appeal Against Extradition. Retrieved from https://www.vijesti.me/en/news/montenegro-dismisses-kwons-latest-appeal-against-extradition/
[1] The extradition process of Terra founder Do Kwon, who was accused of fraud related to the Terra stablecoin collapse, was extensively covered in local news outlet Vijesti, including the approval of his extradition to the United States by Montenegro's Minister of Justice Bojan Bozovic.
[2] As the political and legal landscapes of policy-and-legislation, crime-and-justice, and general-news continue to evolve, the extradition request from South Korea remains an unresolved aspect of the ongoing story surrounding Do Kwon, shedding light on the complexities of international relations and the consequences of actions in the cryptocurrency world.
