The Argentine government cannot identify Julian Peh of KIP Protocol, who is linked to the Libra token promoted by President Milei earlier.
Argentina's investigation into the Libra memecoin has hit a deadlock as authorities are unable to verify the identity of Julian Peh, introduced as the CEO of KIP Protocol and one of the key figures behind the controversial token project that President Javier Milei had previously promoted on social media.
According to official records, Interpol Singapore responded to a request for assistance from Argentina with the conclusion that there are no records of any individual named Julian Peh in Singapore. Argentina's immigration agency also confirmed that it found no information about any entry related to the provided passport number of Peh.
KIP Protocol is described as a project building 'critical infrastructure and pipelines for AI developers to deploy,' however, the actual existence of this company and CEO Julian Peh is currently under significant doubt. Peh's personal page previously introduced him as a 'visionary entrepreneur and technology leader pioneering the AI and Web3 revolution' with 'connections in the Latin American cryptocurrency space.'
Suspicion about true identity
Investigators suspect Peh may have used the Chinese name Bai Qihao to avoid detection, creating a complex layer of concealment in the identity verification process. Nevertheless, government records still indicate that an individual named Julian Peh had an official meeting with President Milei on October 19, 2024, to discuss the potential of KIP's decentralized AI technology supporting Argentina.
The case becomes more complicated as Peh is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice since February regarding President Milei's role in launching Libra. He, along with Hayden Adams of Kelsier Ventures, Mauricio Novelli, and Manuel Terrones Godoy, are all on the list of individuals to be clarified in this case.
The situation worsened when Peh was mentioned in a Temporary Restraining Order that froze nearly $58 million USDC related to Libra in May. In a lawsuit filed by Omar Hurlock represented by the Burwick Law firm, the promoters of Libra are accused of 'engaging in deceptive marketing practices and violating consumer protection regulations, causing harm to investors.'
