Ex-Bithumb Chairman Acquitted in South Korea $100M Crypto Exchange Fraud Trial: Report

The former chairman of Bithumb Holdings, the parent company of crypto exchange Bithumb Korea, was acquitted of 130 billion-won ($100 million) fraud charges on the grounds that the crime could not be proven, CoinDesk Korea reported Tuesday.

Lee Jung-hoon was indicted in July 2021. Last October, South Korean prosecutors asked a court to sentence him to eight years in prison. Lee was accused of stealing the money from cosmetic surgeon Kim Byeong-gun during negotiations for an acquisition deal.

In 2018, Lee proposed that Kim, who was chairman of BK Medical Group, take over Bithumb under a joint management arrangement. Lee was accused of embezzling the acquisition deposit in the name of listing "BXA token," according to the report.

The court judged that Kim's claims against Lee were not credible.

If prosecutors are dissatisfied with the judgment of the court, they can appeal the judgement within a week, the report said.

Read more: South Korean Prosecutors Seeking 8-Year Sentence for Ex-Bithumb Chairman