Court orders seizure of the cryptocurrency wallet of the alleged Hydra administrator, but cannot access it

A Moscow court ordered the seizure of Dmitry Pavlov’s cryptocurrency wallet, accused of administering the darknet marketplace Hydra.

According to «Ъ», all of Pavlov’s phones and computers were seized, and he himself is cooperating with investigators. However, the suspect refused to disclose the password to the cryptocurrency wallet.

According to the Telegram channel Mash, investigators believe the wallet may hold hundreds of millions of dollars in bitcoin.

Hydra is one of the world’s largest darknet marketplaces. According to U.S. authorities, from January 2016 through March 2022 cryptocurrencies worth more than $5 billion were sent to wallets controlled by the platform. Last year it accounted for about 80% of all cryptocurrency transactions tied to the darknet.

In April, German police confiscated the platform’s servers and seized 543 BTC, and the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on Hydra.

The American court charged Dmitry Pavlov with administering the darknet marketplace, providing hosting services for it, conspiring to launder money, and distributing drugs.

On April 11, the Meshchansky District Court in Moscow arrested Pavlov. In Russia, he was detained on another charge — drug trafficking in a particularly large quantity.

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