Share this article
US Justice Dept. Charges 2 in NFT 'Rug Pull' Scheme
"They pulled the rug out from under the victims," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said of the creators of the Frosties NFT collection.
By Danny Nelson
Updated May 11, 2023, 6:37 p.m. Published Mar 24, 2022, 6:15 p.m.
Two men allegedly behind the "Frosties" non-fungible token (NFT) project, an infamous scam whose Discord server reportedly evaporated hours after mint, were charged Thursday with money laundering and wire fraud by U.S. prosecutors in the Southern District of New York.
It's an early example of U.S. law enforcement prosecuting an alleged NFT "rug pull."
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Ethan Nguyen and Andre Llacuna, who prosecutors say are Frosties's pseudonymous backers, defrauded their NFT investors of over $1 million when theft. Facing criminal conspiracy and financial crime charges, they are among the first criminal NFT defendants in the rug-pull era.
"Mr. Nguyen and Mr. Llacuna promised investors the benefits of the Frosties NFTs, but when it sold out they pulled the rug out from under the victims, almost immediately shutting down the website and transferring the money,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a press release.
Added Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent Ricky J. Patel:
"The arrested thieves allegedly hid behind online identities where they promised investors rewards, giveaways, and exclusive opportunities before implementing their 'rug pull' scheme – leaving investors with empty pockets and no legitimate investment. HSI New York's Dark Web & Cryptocurrency Task Force worked closely with our IRS-CI partners to identify and shut down these fraudsters as they prepared to launch the sale of yet another NFT project that would have likely scammed countless others."
Protocol reported on the Frosties debacle in a February article.
More For You
KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
Iran accepts cryptocurrency as payment for advanced weapons
Prospective customers could purchase weapons such as missiles, tanks and drones using crypto, according to a government website.
What to know:
- Iran's Ministry of Defence Export Center is accepting cryptocurrency payments for advanced weapons systems as a means of bypassing international sanctions that the country faces.
- The offer is among the first known instances of a country accepting cryptocurrency as a means of payment for military equipment, according to the Financial Times.
- The facility for using cryptocurrency to pay for transactions involving sanctioned countries is already well established.
Top Stories
