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FinanceTerraForm

Terraform Labs facing embezzlement probe following TerraUSD collapse

By
Oliver Knight
Oliver Knight
and
CoinDesk
CoinDesk
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Oliver Knight
Oliver Knight
and
CoinDesk
CoinDesk
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 9, 2022, 5:52 AM ET

South Korean law enforcement agencies are investigating Terraform Labs following last month’s collapse of its controversial algorithmic stablecoin, TerraUSD (UST), according to a report by the Financial Times.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has launched a probe into allegations of embezzlement of an undisclosed amount of Terra’s Bitcoin holdings, the report said.

Terra held $3.5 billion worth of Bitcoin (BTC) in its reserves, in a failed attempt to stabilize the price of UST.

Terraform cofounder Daniel Shin denied allegations of fraud, telling the FT that there was “no intention of deception” and that the company wanted to innovate the payment settlement system using blockchain technology.

Last month South Korean authorities estimated that around 280,000 of its citizens had been impacted by the collapse of UST and Luna (LUNC).

Since the implosion of Terra’s stablecoin, the company has launched a new token (LUNA) that was airdropped to previous holders. LUNA is currently trading at $3.12 with a market cap of $642 million and has lost 80% of its value since last week’s peak.

Terraform Labs did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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