Former Celsius CEO pleads guilty to Federal Fraud Charges, faces decades in Prison

Alexander Mashinsky, the founder and former CEO of the now-defunct cryptocurrency lending platform Celsius Network, admitted to federal fraud charges on Tuesday, acknowledging he deceived customers and manipulated the market for personal gain.

Mashinsky, 58, pleaded guilty in a New York federal court to commodities and securities fraud, confessing to orchestrating a scheme that defrauded investors and left his company in ruins. His actions, spanning from 2018 to 2022, could result in a prison sentence of up to 30 years under a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Mashinsky admitted to manipulating the price of Celsius’s proprietary cryptocurrency token, CEL, while secretly selling his own holdings at inflated prices, raking in approximately $48 million before Celsius collapsed into bankruptcy in 2022.

In court, he also acknowledged misleading the public on multiple occasions. In 2019, he sold CEL tokens despite publicly claiming he was not doing so, and in 2021, he falsely implied regulatory approval for Celsius’s operations to instill trust among customers.

“I accept full responsibility for my actions,” Mashinsky stated in court, describing his company’s pitch as a “modern-day bank” where customers could safely deposit cryptocurrency and earn interest.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams described Mashinsky’s scheme as “one of the biggest frauds in the crypto industry.” At its peak, Celsius claimed assets worth $25 billion, making it one of the largest platforms in the burgeoning cryptocurrency market.

Mashinsky promoted Celsius with slogans like “Unbank Yourself,” promising customers that their funds would be as secure as traditional bank deposits. However, prosecutors revealed that customer deposits were used to prop up CEL token prices, artificially inflating its value.

Mashinsky personally profited tens of millions of dollars by selling his tokens at these inflated prices, leaving customers to bear the brunt of losses when Celsius filed for bankruptcy.

The indictment detailed how Celsius employees across multiple departments raised concerns about Mashinsky’s misleading statements in promotional sessions, including his weekly “Ask Mashinsky Anything” broadcasts. Despite these warnings, Mashinsky continued with his fraudulent activities.

As part of his plea agreement, Mashinsky will forfeit over $48 million—the amount he gained through his illicit token sales. His sentencing is scheduled for April 8, 2024, where he could face up to three decades in prison.

This case underscores the risks in the rapidly evolving cryptocurrency sector, where regulatory oversight remains a pressing issue amid significant investor losses.