Igor Runets, the founder and CEO of BitRiver, was arrested on 30/1 on charges of concealing assets to evade taxes. The Zamoskvoretsky Court ordered house arrest from 31/1, with a deadline for appeal before the order takes effect on 4/2.
BitRiver was established in 2017 and was previously the operator of large-scale Bitcoin mining centers in Siberia. However, the company has faced many difficulties:
Sanctioned by the US since 2022
Major customers withdraw (including SBI in 2023)
Cost reduction, delayed salary until the end of 2024
Electricity supplier Infrastructure of Siberia sued in early 2025
According to Bloomberg, Runets' net worth is estimated at around 230 million USD by the end of 2024.
The case continues to show the increasing legal and operational risks facing the crypto mining industry, especially in areas under sanction pressure
