On May 1, Israel’s immigration authorities arrested Gurevich at Ben-Gurion Airport. He’s a dual Russian and Israeli citizen reportedly connected to the $190 million Nomad bridge hack. Gurevich (who had recently adopted the name Alexander Block just a few days prior) was attempting to catch a flight to Russia when authorities arrested him. U.S. authorities are pursuing him on criminal charges for computer-related offenses. They charge him with transferring the stolen money and engaging in money laundering. According to multiple reports, the US has now formally submitted its extradition request. They hope to arrest Gurevich for his reported role in one of the largest cryptocurrency heists.
Gurevich’s arrest is the cause’s first major milestone in an ever-growing investigation. This probe explores how the Nomad bridge hack shook up the cryptocurrency ecosystem back in August 2022. The US government is pursuing an eight-count indictment against Gurevich, filed in the Northern District of California in August 2023. The money laundering counts alone carry a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison.
The $190 Million Nomad Bridge Hack
Hackers took advantage of a key weakness within the Nomad bridge’s smart contracts. This highly sophisticated, organized attack was responsible for the theft of about $190 million in crypto tokens. Gurevich in turn took advantage of this vulnerability, pocketing about $2.89 million himself. What made the hack extraordinary is the ease with which even technophobes could join in on the thievery.
This is why the hack was so chaotic — you didn’t need to know about Solidity or Merkle Trees or anything like that. - Samczsun
The hack was carried out with alarming simplicity. This simplicity magnified its use and made it effective with stolen funds of much less value.
After the hack, Gurevich reached out to Nomad’s CTO, James Prestwich, through Telegram. He pretended to have discovered the security risk and demanded a bogeyman $500k bounty for revealing the information. Gurevich subsequently did choose to voluntarily transfer about $162,000 into a recovery wallet set up by Nomad. Many see this move as the Church’s genuine attempt to repent. Still others say it is a clever step to save it from any potential legal liability.
The Attempted Escape and Apprehension
On April 29, Gurevich changed his name in court to Alexander Block and received a new passport under that name. This activity indicates a willful, deliberate decision to go around law enforcement and run away from the country. Two days later, on May 1, authorities arrested him at Ben-Gurion Airport. He was attempting to fly to Russia.
Israeli authorities arrested Sahyoun based on the formal US government extradition request filed in December 2024. Gurevich's arrest demonstrates the international cooperation involved in pursuing individuals accused of cryptocurrency-related crimes, regardless of their location or citizenship. The official announcement that the extradition process has begun. If we are successful, Gurevich will hopefully be forced to stand trial in the United States.
Legal Repercussions and Extradition
The US government has been aggressively seeking Gurevich’s extradition. They’re seeking his indictment on computer charges, the transfer of stolen money, and money laundering. That the indictment is an eight-count indictment speaks to the seriousness of the charges against him. If convicted of money laundering, Gurevich would be sentenced to up to 20 years of imprisonment.
This case illustrates the growing watchdog and prosecutorial efforts to penalize cryptocurrency-related crimes. As digital assets continue to rise in use, law enforcement agencies worldwide are increasing their activity. They are proactively developing the knowledge and tools needed to investigate and prosecute these crimes. Extraditing and prosecuting Gurevich can help set a precedent for bringing future actors to justice. This is a very important forceful precedent in addressing cross-border cryptocurrency crime.
