The fall of Gotbit marks a watershed moment in crypto’s fight for transparency, as U.S. authorities crack down on a years-long manipulation scheme that has exposed just how deeply fake trading volumes have distorted trust in token markets.
Aleksei Andriunin, the founder and CEO of Gotbit Consulting, was sentenced to eight months in prison on Friday following a federal investigation into a multi-million-dollar wash trading operation.
The 26-year-old, a dual citizen of Russia and Portugal, pleaded guilty earlier this year to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit market manipulation.
Gotbit Ordered to Cease Operations After Fraud Conviction
The sentencing took place in Boston, where U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley also ordered one year of supervised release for Andriunin. He was arrested in Portugal in October 2024 and extradited to the United States in February 2025.
Gotbit Consulting LLC, which was widely known in the crypto industry as a market maker, received five years of probation. The company was also ordered to forfeit approximately $23 million in seized cryptocurrency. As part of the sentence, the firm will cease operations.
Prosecutors said that between 2018 and 2024, Gotbit manipulated cryptocurrency trading volumes to give the appearance of active markets.
The firm marketed these services to crypto companies seeking listings on major platforms, including CoinMarketCap and centralized exchanges.
In a 2019 interview, Andriunin openly described how he developed algorithms to carry out wash trades, essentially buying and selling the same asset to inflate volume and influence token listings.
Court documents revealed that Gotbit’s team used multiple wallets to mask these trades on public blockchains, making detection more difficult.
“Gotbit’s activities were designed to deceive both investors and market platforms by fabricating the appearance of active trading,” said U.S. Attorney Leah Foley. “This sentencing holds them accountable and sends a message to others in the industry.”
Gotbit admitted to manipulating the token prices and volumes of several clients, including Robo Inu and Saitama, whose executives were charged in separate cases unsealed last year.
The scheme allowed the firm to collect tens of millions of dollars in fees from crypto projects seeking attention and legitimacy. Executives from those companies face separate criminal charges unsealed last year.
The Department of Justice named two other Gotbit executives, Fedor Kedrov and Qawi Jalili, in an October 2024 indictment. Both remain charged in the ongoing case.
Gotbit Case Tied to Broader Wash Trading Crackdown
The Gotbit case is the latest in a string of federal actions targeting wash trading in the crypto market.
Following the criminal sentencing of Gotbit’s CEO and the firm’s shutdown, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil suit against the company for violating securities laws.
It’s the third major enforcement case against a crypto market maker in recent months, preceded by similar actions against MyTrade in October 2024 and CLS Global in April 2025.
All three were uncovered through a sweeping undercover operation led by the FBI’s Boston Division.
Acting special agent Kimberly Milka said the agency remains committed to “pursuing those who manipulate markets for profit.”
Federal prosecutors charged 15 people and multiple firms, including Gotbit, ZM Quant, and CLS Global, with market manipulation in late 2024.
The crackdown resulted in four arrests, five plea deals, and over $25 million in crypto asset seizures.
In April, CLS Global was fined over $428,000 and barred from operating in the U.S. for three years.
Wash trading, where a trader buys and sells the same asset to inflate volume, remains a widespread issue.
Chainalysis estimates at least $2.6 billion in wash-traded volume across the crypto market, with some studies suggesting the actual figure could be far higher.
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