Early Ethereum Advisor Allegedly Being Targeted By FBI

Steven Nerayoff, who served as an early adviser to the Ethereum (ETH) network, has recently made some serious accusations against U.S. law enforcement and regulatory bodies. Nerayoff alleges systemic corruption within these agencies, citing his own three and a half year legal battle with the DOJ, SEC, and FBI, accusing them of fabricating charges against him.

Conspiracy theories

In a direct response to Senator Warren, Nerayoff advocates for robust crypto regulations but highlights his prosecution as a victim of government pressure due to his knowledge of high level SEC corruption. He claims to have been coerced into revealing information about other crypto players, resisting the demand.

The legal battle, initially involving extortion charges related to a 2017 ICO, ended with the dismissal of criminal charges in May 2023. His defense portrayed him as a target for insider knowledge, accusing the FBI, DOJ, and SEC of collaborating to exploit industry connections. Nerayoff firmly believes his case being dismissed is indicative of the apparent fact that the aforementioned agencies are indeed guilty and have colluded to fabricate charges against him.

More than meets the eye

Despite the seriousness of the citation, in an astonishing turn of events, a New York judge dismissed the criminal extortion charges against Steven back in May of this year, bringing his multi year long legal battle to a close. This dismissal came shortly after federal prosecutors admitted to acquiring exculpatory evidence and admitting they were unable to prove the charges beyond any reasonable doubt.

As of this moment, the claims made by Steven are rapidly gaining momentum with Nerayoff recently revealing an SEC letter admitting the discovery of over 14 gigabytes of relevant data, contradicting earlier denials. This, coupled with delayed responses, fuels allegations of misconduct. Notably, Nerayoff is also preparing fraud charges against Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin and Joseph Lubin after a 2015 revelation.