Alex Mashinsky, the founder and former CEO of the cryptocurrency lending platform Celsius Network, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for orchestrating a multi-billion-dollar fraud scheme that misled investors and manipulated the market.
š¦ What Happened?
Mashinsky launched Celsius in 2017, promoting it as a safe, high-yield alternative to traditional banking. The platform attracted over $25 billion in customer assets by offering interest rates as high as 18.6% on crypto deposits. However, in July 2022, Celsius collapsed, freezing $4.7 billion in customer funds and revealing a $1.2 billion financial gap.
In December 2024, former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky pleaded guilty to securities fraud and commodities fraud. He admitted to:
1 Misleading customers about the financial health of Celsius and the safety of their investments.
2 Using customer funds for high-risk investments without proper disclosure.
3 Manipulating the price of Celsiusās native token (CEL) by orchestrating large-scale purchases to inflate its value, while secretly selling his own holdings for personal gain.
On May 8, 2025, U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl sentenced Mashinsky to 12 years in federal prison. Prosecutors had sought a 20-year sentence, emphasizing the deliberate and deceptive nature of his actions and his lack of remorse. The judge noted that the fraud was the result of deliberate decisions rather than market conditions or negligence.
š The Fallout
The collapse of Celsius left many investors, including retail customers, with significant losses. At its peak, Celsius managed over $25 billion in assets, but its bankruptcy in 2022 left a substantial financial gap, with only about 60% of customer funds partially recovered.
Do you think 12 years is enough for crypto fraud on this scale?