Recently, I noticed a rather dark topic—the crypto world has seen many bizarre death incidents over the past few years. Since the beginning of this year alone, France has experienced three criminal cases targeting crypto industry figures. Last week, Paris also saw an attempted kidnapping of a well-known crypto millionaire’s family. What is really going on behind these events?

First, let’s talk about the case of Николай Мушегян. He was a genius developer, one of the core founders of MakerDAO (now called Sky), and also co-founded Balancer Labs. On October 28, 2022, this 29-year-old developer was found dead at Condado Beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The official statement was drowning.

But there’s a strange detail. A few weeks before the incident, Николай Мушегян posted a series of unsettling messages on social media. He hinted that his life was under threat and even listed three possible outcomes: the CIA faking his suicide, being controlled as a “zombie,” or becoming a nightmare for his pursuers. These posts sparked huge controversy and conspiracy theories within the crypto community.

Many suspect that Николай Мушегян’s death was not accidental. Someone on Reddit commented that maybe everything he tweeted was true, and then he was silenced. However, the police found no evidence of violence. Condado Beach is known for dangerous currents, and drowning accidents happen frequently. The final investigation concluded it was an accident, and the case was closed.

Next, let’s look at the case of Argentine billionaire Fernando Pérez Algaaba. This guy loved flaunting wealth—posting luxury cars and lavish lifestyles on Instagram every day. On July 23, 2023, children found a red suitcase by a creek outside Buenos Aires. Inside was Algaaba’s body—dismembered. Police later recovered his legs, forearms, hands, and skull. An autopsy report showed he was shot three times before being dismembered.

Algaaba had been missing since July 18. His landlord said he didn’t return the keys and didn’t answer calls. The New York Post later uncovered that the billionaire had received anonymous threats a week before his murder. He owed money to the Argentine tax authorities and had conflicts with local gangs—those guys wanted him to pay $40k. A suicide note was found on his phone: “If anything happens to me, you’ve all been warned.” Police arrested a suspect, but details of the case haven’t been made public, and the investigation is ongoing. Mainstream theories about his death include debt disputes and revenge for financial scams.

There’s also Romanian entrepreneur Мирча Попеску, known as the “Father of Bitcoin Toxicity.” He was an early Bitcoin enthusiast, notorious in the community for his radical views and aggressive attitude. He often clashed with newcomers and altcoins on the Bitcointalk forum. In 2012, he founded the MPEX exchange, which later drew the attention of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

In June 2021, Попеску drowned off the coast of Costa Rica at age 41. The exact circumstances of his death remain unclear. Rumors say he held over 1 million Bitcoins at the time, but this has not been confirmed. Many people have mixed feelings about him—he was hated and loved at the same time. He was definitely disliked, but he also taught many people lessons. One trader wrote on X that Попеску’s biggest insistence was that beginners should stay silent and observe for six months before speaking; it would be great if that became a tradition.

These cases reflect a phenomenon: as the crypto market develops, crimes targeting wealthy figures in this circle are increasing. From kidnappings to murders, from mysterious drownings to bizarre dismemberments. Some cases have clear motives, while others remain shrouded in mystery. Николай Мушегян, Альгаба, Попеску—their stories all warn us about the dark side of this industry. And these are not just history—just a few months into 2025, France has already seen three crimes against crypto professionals. It seems that security issues in the crypto space are far from over.