Russian crypto exchange Beribit freezes withdrawals, offers chocolate instead

Investors stormed the office of Russian crypto exchange Beribit last weekend demanding the return of over $4 million in frozen funds.

Beribit staff reportedly fled the Moscow Federation Tower office as it was occupied by around 50 people demanding the return of over 400 million rubles ($4.2 million) from the exchange.

According to the Russian news outlet Gazeta, employees tried to escape through the back exit but were chased by the occupiers. Beribit staff reportedly tried to placate the intruders by handing out chocolate and promising 50% of their frozen crypto would be returned.

In Moscow, depositors of the crypto exchange Beribit were given chocolates instead of money

Approximately $4.3 million of investors' funds are frozen in the accounts of the crypto exchange. Customers have been storming the office for the second day, demanding their money back.… pic.twitter.com/udvlommsOI
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) April 27, 2024

Nexta shared footage of the chocolate being offered.

Beribit announced on April 26 that it had recently discovered discrepancies in its balance sheets and launched an audit, leading “to a temporary backlog of requests for deposits and withdrawals.”

The next day Beribit claimed, “The exchange has begun fulfilling its obligations regarding the payment of funds. The first group of clients have already received payments to the specified details!”

However, the Telegram news outlet SHOT claimed, “A new requirement for a refund from the Beribit exchange is a written statement to the police,” and revealed that as of April 27, four users had been refunded and 20 police reports were submitted.

Beribit’s offices were previously raided on March 29 in connection with the Crocus Hall terrorist attack after the Investigative Committee of Russia claimed the terrorists were funded with crypto. Multiple exchanges were raided that day and eight people were arrested.

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