Share this article
Czech Police Arrest Donor in Billion-Dollar Bitcoin Scandal: Report
Authorities detain convicted trafficker Tomáš Jiřikovský in probe over bitcoin gifted to Ministry of Justice, with the case expanding to money laundering and drug charges.
Updated Aug 15, 2025, 7:17 p.m. Published Aug 15, 2025, 3:29 p.m.
Make us preferred on Google
What to know:
- Police detained Jiřikovský and secured evidence linked to a controversial bitcoin donation.
- The investigation is now focused on money laundering and drug trafficking.
- The Czch government survived a no-confidence vote in June over the $45 million donation.
Czech police have detained convicted drug trafficker Tomáš Jiřikovský, the man behind a multi-billion-dollar bitcoin donation to the country’s Ministry of Justice, escalating a scandal that has already claimed a cabinet minister.
The Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office said Thursday that the National Centre for the Fight Against Organised Crime (NCOZ) intervened in the case, securing individuals and evidence, according to a report by Czech news website Echo24. The probe now targets suspected money laundering and illegal drug handling, separated from a broader investigation that also examined abuse of power.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Jiřikovský was convicted and served a prison sentence for running a darknet drug marketplace called Sheep Marketplace. He was arrested in 2016 and subsequently convicted of embezzlement and drug trafficking, serving four years of a nine-year prison sentence.
The arrest was the result of a raid by police on a house in Břeclav where Jiřikovský was staying.
The bitcoin donation case rocked Prime Minister Petr Fiala's administration only months before the country's election laster this year.
The government survived a vote of no confidence filed by opposition party ANO, which leads the polls at present ahead of October's vote.
Former Justice Minister Pavel Blažek resigned in June over the affair, having accepted the donation of 468 BTC, which was sold for roughly 1 billion Czech koruna, worth around $45 million.
His successor, Eva Decroix, commissioning an independent audit from Grant Thornton. Released in late July, the audit concluded the ministry should not have accepted the bitcoin, warning it likely originated from criminal proceeds and could constitute a criminal offense.
AI Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy.
More For You
U.S. DOJ hits Paxful for $4 million in case tied to illegal sex work, money laundering
The crypto platform's penalty was sharply reduced due to its ability to pay, according to U.S. authorities.
What to know:
- The U.S. Department of Justice won a $4 million penalty from former crypto platform Paxful in a sentence tied to the dodging of money-laundering laws.
- The amount was reduced from an original amount of $112 million by prosecutors after determining the business couldn't pay that much, the DOJ said.
Top Stories
