See More

Prosecutors Raid Home of Terraform Labs Co-Founder

2 mins
Updated by Ryan James
Join our Trading Community on Telegram

In Brief

  • Investigators raid Terraform Labs' co-founder Daniel Shin's home as investigations into Terra collapse intensify.
  • Authorities are probing whether founder Do Kwon manipulated the price of TerraUSD and whether he is guilty of tax evasion.
  • Shin and Do Kwon founded Terraform Labs in 2018, but Shin has since distanced himself from Kwon and the company.
  • promo

South Korea’s Southern District Prosecutors raided Terraform Labs co-founder Daniel Shin’s home to investigate possible illegal activities.

The raid occurred on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, and included Shin’s Chai Corporation payment firm. Chai Corp. processes over $6 billion for over 2200 Asian merchants. Police also raided two other firms with connections to Terraform Labs, according to a spokesperson from the prosecutor’s office.

Kwon under intense investigation

The raid of Shin’s home was preceded by the raid of seven exchanges in South Korea, namely Bithumb, Upbit, Coinone, and four others, after 81 investors filed complaints in May 2022.

Five disgruntled investors baying for Kwon and Shin’s blood filed criminal complaints against the duo on May 19, 2022, followed by an additional 76 on May 27, citing cumulative damages of over $6 million. The investors accused Kwon and Shin of fraud and related financial crimes. These charges came 2-3 weeks after the collapse of the TerraUSD stablecoin due to the failure of an arbitrage mechanism designed to keep the coin at its $1 peg.

Investigators hope to scrutinize material from the raids before interrogating witnesses to determine whether Kwon orchestrated the collapse of TerraUSD. In June 2022, Korean prosecutors imposed a flight ban on employees of Terraform Labs until investigations were completed.

Shin told the Financial Times on June 9, 2022, that he and Kwon had no fraudulent intentions, nor were they aware of any flaws in the algorithm that helped TerraUSD maintain its peg through a sister coin, Luna.

Prosecutors are investigating whether they can assert that the Anchor Protocol, a kind of crypto bank at the heart of the TerraUSD business model that offered yields of almost 20%, was a Ponzi scheme.

Last month, prosecutors also looked into whether Shin’s co-founder Do Kwon evaded taxes by moving Terraform’s profits to an offshore account.

Where does Shin fit in?

Shin and Kwon founded Terraform labs in 2018 to introduce new innovations in payment settlement using blockchain technology. But the duo soon parted ways when it became clear that South Korean regulations were far behind the technology.

Shin stepped down from senior management and focused on Chai, handing the reins of Terraform Labs over to Kwon, who oversaw the launch of the Terra blockchain. Under Kwon’s watch, Terraform developed the TerraUSD/Luna ecosystem and the lending platform Anchor protocol, which lost investors over $40 billion in May 2022.

Since the implosion of the ecosystem, Shin has distanced himself from Kwon and Terraform Labs.

Top crypto platforms in the US | March 2024
Coinbase Coinbase Explore →
AlgosOne AlgosOne Explore →
Chain GPT Chain GPT Explore →
iTrustCapital iTrustCapital Explore →

Trusted

Disclaimer

In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. Please note that our Terms and ConditionsPrivacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.

David-Thomas.jpg
David Thomas
David Thomas graduated from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal in Durban, South Africa, with an Honors degree in electronic engineering. He worked as an engineer for eight years, developing software for industrial processes at South African automation specialist Autotronix (Pty) Ltd., mining control systems for AngloGold Ashanti, and consumer products at Inhep Digital Security, a domestic security company wholly owned by Swedish conglomerate Assa Abloy. He has experience writing software in C,...
READ FULL BIO
Sponsored
Sponsored