[Back to the takedown index](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns) # Bitzlato / Operation Cryptostorm January 2023, Cryptocurrency laundering Led by [United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York](https://takedownindex.org/organizations/united-states-attorney-s-office-for-the-eastern-district-of-new-york), [Gendarmerie nationale](https://takedownindex.org/organizations/gendarmerie-nationale) Extended pass entry, last reviewed August 21, 2026 What was taken down? Digital infrastructure dismantled in France; assets seized. [See what happened](#what-happened) What happened to the people? Officials reported 1 charged and 1 apprehended. 1 charged, 1 apprehended, and 1 convicted named in the public record. Group accounted for: Likely complete [See people and accountability](#people) Did it stay down? Not established in the public record. No later activity is recorded against this entry. [See what happened afterward](#afterward) ## What happened French authorities dismantled Bitzlato's digital infrastructure while US and European partners seized cryptocurrency and other assets; founder Anatoly Legkodymov was charged with operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business and arrested in Miami. **Date:** January 2023 **Target:** Bitzlato, cryptocurrency exchange **Activity:** Cryptocurrency laundering **Operational lead:** USAO-EDNY and French Gendarmerie **Partners** Europol[[1]](#source-1) - [European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation](https://takedownindex.org/organizations/european-union-agency-for-law-enforcement-cooperation), coordinator **Jurisdiction:** Not established **Outcome:** Digital infrastructure dismantled in France; assets seized. **Status:** Completed **Legal mechanism:** French judicial process; US federal criminal complaint. **Group accounted for:** Likely complete ## People and accountability Named in the public record: 1 charged, 1 apprehended, and 1 convicted. Figures count individuals named in charging documents and official statements, each person once per outcome. People alleged to be involved but not publicly identified are not counted. Reported and named. Officials reported 1 charged and 1 apprehended. 1 charged, 1 apprehended, and 1 convicted named in the public record. The two figures come from different places and are never added together. Officials publish a headline total, and this index counts only the individuals it can name from the cited record. #### Anatoly Legkodymov Founder of Bitzlato. Current public status: Charged, Arrested, and Pleaded guilty. **Charging authority:** United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York **Main charges:** Conducting an unlicensed money-transmitting business **Case number:** Not established in the public record **Arresting authority:** Federal Bureau of Investigation **Arrest location:** Miami, FL, United States **Extradition status:** Not established in the public record **Conviction or plea:** Pleaded guilty **Sentence:** Not established in the public record **Segment:** Core operator **Sources:** [[1]](#source-1) **Full record:** [Everything indexed for Anatoly Legkodymov](https://takedownindex.org/people/anatoly-legkodymov) Group accounted for: Likely complete Sole named founder charged and arrested; later pleaded guilty. [See the organizations and roles behind this action](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/bitzlato-operation-cryptostorm/organizations) ## What happened afterward Not established in the public record. No later activity is recorded against this entry. ## Sources Numbered markers throughout this entry link to the source that supports the claim beside them. ### Official sources 1. [Bitzlato dismantled; founder Anatoly Legkodymov charged](https://takedownindex.org/sources/us-doj-usao-edny-fbi-bitzlato-dismantled-founder-anatoly-legkodymov-charged) US DOJ / USAO EDNY / FBI, January 18, 2023, Source grade P1 Establishes the French-led dismantlement of Bitzlato infrastructure and the charge/arrest of founder Anatoly Legkodymov. No address recorded for this source. Publisher, title, and date are given so it can be retrieved from the publisher. Coverage note. Added from deep-research aggregation pass. Not independently re-verified source-by-source to the same standard as the original 38-incident core; source\_quality capped at S2/P2 pending a dedicated verification pass. Research context ## How this entry was checked This entry came from a broader aggregation pass and has not been independently verified source by source. Its sources are graded no higher than P2 or S2, and most carry no address yet. Treat the figures as a research lead rather than a settled record. Source review: Extended pass, not yet verified Sources cited: 1 Research cutoff: August 20, 2026 Last reviewed August 21, 2026 See also [About the Internet Takedown Index](https://takedownindex.org/about) Related entries - [Z-Library domain seizure](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/z-library-domain-seizure) - [Operation MEDUSA](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/operation-medusa) - [Operation Duck Hunt](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/operation-duck-hunt) Report updates or corrections Help keep this record accurate. [Submit feedback](https://takedownindex.org/about#corrections-and-updates)