Three of the most prominent figures in the cryptocurrency industry have all inexplicably died in recent weeks.
News of the unbelievable and surprising demise has caused a frenzy on social media in the form of conspiracy theories and calls for explanations.
Nikolai Mushegian, age 29, Tiantian Kullander, 30, and Vyacheslav Taran, age 53, were three outstanding crypto luminaries who passed away within a matter of weeks of each other, as reported by KCEN TV.
I find it strange these crypto currency leaders all being found dead back to back
— Lando Hossa (@YG_Lando) December 5, 2022
Death In Crypto: Vyacheslav Taran
Vyacheslav Taran, a Russian entrepreneur, recently died in a strange helicopter crash near Monaco, making his death the most recent of a string of disasters that have remained unexplained.
There have been three sudden deaths of cryptocurrency entrepreneurs recently, and Taran is the third.
Vyacheslav Taran pictured with his wife Olga Taran in 2020. Image: Image: Daily Mail.
After taking off from Lausanne in Switzerland, the helicopter crashed in the tourist town of Villefranche-sur-Mer, killing Taran, 53.
Taran, is the co-founder of trading and investment platform Libertex and Forex Club, which experienced both success and turmoil. Investor fraud allegations surfaced against Forex Club in 2018.
Three global crypto leaders dead in 30days.
1. Mushegian, 29, drowns after tweeting the CIA & Mossad was trying kill him. Family says he was mentally ill.
2. Kullander, 30, in his sleep.
3. Taran, 53, chopper crash.
Getting weird. #FreshResists
https://t.co/azfIHIebYw— Feisty & Fierce (@LMerritt1) November 29, 2022
Social media users speculated that the death of Taran was not just a coincidence, despite the fact that his career success was tainted by a financial controversy.
The Ukrainian news agency UNIAN reportedly stated, without providing any evidence, that Taran was a “billionaire crypto businessman with potential ties to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service,” as reported by The Daily Mail.
Tiantian Kullander
Tiantian Kullander, 30 years old, co-founded Amber Group, a digital currency trading platform recently valued at $3 billion. The company said that Kullander had died “unexpectedly in his sleep” on November 23.
After starting Amber in 2017 with a group of finance insiders, including former Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Morgan Stanley employees, he played a crucial part in the company’s rapid rise, which included the funding of additional $100 million.
Tiantian Kullander. Image: Hiptoro
Kullander “co-founded Amber and built it into a multi-billion fintech unicorn,” as it was described. And he also served on the board of directors for the e-sports company Fnatic.
Only that Kullander died in his sleep could be confirmed; no other information was supplied.
How 3-4 Crypto leaders/founders “suddenly”die within a month of each other. We don’t need NCIS to see what’s going on here
— Ev (@EvGawd) December 5, 2022
Nikolai Mushegian
Nikolai Mushegian, co-ounder of MakerDAO, a cryptocurrency lending platform, was reportedly found dead in a Puerto Rican lake just hours after tweeting that he suspected U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies of plotting to “kill” him.
His family does not suspect foul play, as the young millionaire had a history of mental health issues.
Nikolai Mushegian. Image: The Chainsaw.
However, some of his friends and colleagues have bought into the unsubstantiated rumors that his death was suspicious.
The news of Mushegian’s death, combined with his final tweet and other gloomy posts about fighting “evil people” has fomented conspiracy theories on the internet and in the small but closely knit Puerto Rican cryptocurrency community.
CIA and Mossad and pedo elite are running some kind of sex trafficking entrapment blackmail ring out of Puerto Rico and caribbean islands. They are going to frame me with a laptop planted by my ex gf who was a spy. They will torture me to death.
— ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️ (@delete_shitcoin) October 28, 2022
Many people are still puzzled and questioning what all of this implies for the crypto industry, which is notoriously unstable, even though some people have moved on with the rush and flutter of the Yuletide season.
Crypto total market cap at $794 billion on the daily chart | Featured image: VSU Spectator, Chart: TradingView.com