Ministries Queried About Missing 200,000 Bitcoins as Bulgaria Explores Crypto Payments

The precocious elected authorities of Bulgaria has recovered itself successful the presumption of answering questions astir the destiny of billions of dollars’ worthy of cryptocurrency reportedly confiscated by the country’s instrumentality enforcement 5 years ago. Meanwhile, the caller concern curate has revealed that authorities successful Sofia are present exploring options to instrumentality a crypto outgo mechanism.

Finance Ministry of Bulgaria Has No Information About Alleged Bitcoin Stash

The mystery surrounding the 213,576 bitcoins believed to person been seized by Bulgaria has entertained the planetary crypto assemblage for years and raised questions successful the Southeast European nation. Club Z, a section quality and investigation outlet, and a subordinate of the parliament, person precocious asked 3 Bulgarian ministries to relationship for the country’s missing crypto fortune.

In May 2017, the Southeast European Law Enforcement Center (SELEC) announced that Bulgarian authorities had captured the staggering magnitude of cryptocurrency successful bitcoin wallets owned by suspects targeted successful a associated cybercrime probe successful respective countries connected the Balkans. The cognition codenamed “Pratka/Virus” dismantled a strategy to compromise the customs’ machine systems for taxation evasion purposes.

The accusation astir the confiscated crypto funds was aboriginal denied by the caput of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office, Ivan Geshev, present serving arsenic Bulgaria’s Prosecutor General, who attributed the mendacious assertion to SELEC. His connection was besides supported by Ivailo Spiridonov, past manager of the country’s organized transgression combating agency, GDBOP.

In mid-January this year, section media reported that U.S.-based crypto speech Kraken had listed Bulgaria arsenic the federation with the largest cryptocurrency holding successful its “2021’s Crypto-in-Review: Going Mainstream” report. However, the state is not featured successful the ranking published with the existent mentation of the papers connected Kraken’s website. While the property merchandise from SELEC mentions a terms of $2,354 per BTC, Bulgaria’s bitcoin, if it exists, should present beryllium worthy astir $7.7 cardinal successful today’s prices.

This week, Club Z reported it had asked the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Interior for details connected the case. The work has truthful acold received a effect lone from the concern ministry, which stated that it “has nary accusation connected bitcoins confiscated successful favour of the state.”

The section added that Finance Minister Asen Vasilev had ordered the National Revenue Agency and the National Customs Agency to behaviour checks. In correspondence received by the section past August, a lawman authoritative wide confirmed that the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office had not seized and did not support the said magnitude of cryptocurrency.

Bulgarian Government Mulls Crypto Payments successful Talks With Central Bank and Industry

Vasilev, who was a caretaker curate astatine the time, is present the curate of concern successful Bulgaria’s caller conjugation authorities led by the “We Continue the Change” enactment helium co-founded. In a caller interrogation with Bloomberg, wherever helium said the EU subordinate authorities intends to articulation the eurozone connected Jan. 1, 2024, Vasilev revealed the enforcement powerfulness successful Sofia is besides exploring options to facilitate cryptocurrency payments.

A crypto outgo mechanics whitethorn beryllium introduced “in the abbreviated to mean term,” the authorities authoritative added. Vasilev, who besides serves arsenic Deputy Prime Minister, noted that the furniture is present discussing the substance with the Bulgarian National Bank and crypto manufacture players. At the aforesaid time, helium ruled retired the anticipation of Bulgaria becoming a crypto mining hub.

Another petition to shed airy connected the destiny of the country’s alleged bitcoin stash has been made by Ivaylo Mirchev, a lawmaker from the “Democratic Bulgaria” conjugation which is besides portion of the ruling majority. Mirchev has asked the Interior Minister Boyko Rashkov a fig of questions including astir the nonstop magnitude of seized bitcoins and different cryptocurrencies. He wants to cognize however they are stored and whether Bulgarian authorities person entree to the wallets. The lawman besides seeks answers from the Ministry of Electronic Government.

Do you deliberation authorities successful Sofia volition beryllium capable to unravel the enigma of Bulgaria’s missing bitcoins? Tell america successful the comments conception below.

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