Share this article
The Man Who Stabbed CEO of South Korean Crypto Firm Haru Invest Could Face Decade in Prison
The CEO of South Korea’s Haru Invest was stabbed in court during his fraud trial in August 2024.
Updated Mar 19, 2025, 4:05 p.m. Published Mar 19, 2025, 8:48 a.m.
Make us preferred on Google
What to know:
- A South Korean man, identified as Kang, faces a potential 10-year prison sentence for stabbing Haru Invest CEO Lee Hyung-soo during a court hearing. Kang lost millions when Haru Invest collapsed after allegedly stealing $828 million in customer funds.
- Kang's defense argues for a reduced charge of aggravated assault, citing that he acted in extreme emotional distress after losing his investment and did not intend to kill.
- The Haru Invest Victims’ Association has demanded Kang’s release, arguing that fraud victims are being treated unfairly while the accused executives are free on bail. Kang's sentencing is due on April 4.
A South Korean man who attacked the CEO of collapsed crypto firm, Haru Invest, is now facing a potential decade behind bars, according to local media reports.
Prosecutors in Seoul have requested a 10-year prison sentence for someone local media is only identifying by his last name Kang, a man in his 50s who stabbed Haru Invest CEO Lee Hyung-soo during a court hearing last year.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Haru Invest paused withdrawals in 2023, citing partner issues, without giving a specific reason, before its executives were arrested in 2024 for allegedly stealing $828 million in customer funds.
Kang’s defense argued that he had no intent to kill, noting that he did not target a fatal area and acted in a moment of extreme emotional distress after losing 100 BTC (worth $8.3 million) due to Haru Invest’s collapse.
His lawyers pushed for a reduced charge of aggravated assault rather than attempted murder, citing his severe financial and psychological hardship.
Ahead of the hearing, the local media reported that Haru Invest Victims’ Association held a press conference demanding Kang’s release, arguing that fraud victims like him were being treated unfairly while executives accused of embezzling hundreds of millions of dollars walked free on bail.
Kang is due back in court on April 4 for sentencing.
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
DeFi, ethics disputes remain in Senate crypto bill ahead of Jan. 15 vote
The Senate is approaching a potential markup that may advance crypto legislation to a vote, and industry insiders are amassing for a lobbying push this week.
What to know:
- The U.S. Senate is potentially as close as it's ever been to a crypto market structure law, as the Senate Banking Committee's chairman said the panel will be ready to mark up the latest draft next week.
- It's still unclear how much Democrats might push back against this timeline, considering most of the big-ticket disputes remain to be resolved between the parties.
- A negotiation document that emerged after a meeting among senators on Tuesday demonstrates that many of the Democrats' requests have potentially been satisfied, but key concerns over the ethics of senior government officials, the treatment of DeFi and the question of stablecoins offering yield still await answers.
- Crypto insiders will visit Senate offices this week to cheer on the negotiations.
Top Stories
