In a dramatic late-night raid, Czech police have reportedly arrested darknet marketplace founder Tomas Jirikovsky over a $45 million Bitcoin $BTC bribery case that triggered the resignation of former Justice Minister Pavel Blazek earlier this year.
According to local media, Jirikovsky — a convicted criminal — allegedly paid 468 $BTC (worth about $45M at the time) to the minister in a bid to avoid a fresh prison sentence. The case, recently separated from broader proceedings, has been confirmed by Chief State Prosecutor Radim Dragoun as an active criminal investigation.
Witnesses say the arrest wasn’t without drama — Jirikovsky allegedly tried to escape by climbing onto the roof of his home before police took him into custody. His ex-wife confirmed the intervention, saying a neighbor had alerted her to the rooftop incident.
This comes amid broader political and financial ripples in the Czech Republic, while in the US, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has seemingly backtracked on earlier comments that spooked markets over Bitcoin reserve funding — remarks that had previously caused BTC to drop by over $2,000.
Bitcoin $BTC is currently trading around $118,028, recovering slightly from the week’s volatility.
