Israeli-Russian Suspect Extradited to US for Digital Currency Theft

Alexander Blok (Gurevich), a dual Israeli-Russian citizen suspected of stealing millions of dollars in digital currency, was extradited from Israel to the United States on Thursday. Blok was handed over to American authorities to face charges of fraud, computer offenses, receiving stolen property, and money laundering, following an extensive legal process and a joint operation by the State Attorney's Office and the Israel Police. He was arrested at Ben Gurion Airport in May 2025 while en route to Russia.

According to the U.S. extradition request, in late July 2022, Blok identified a security vulnerability in the "Nomad" system, used for converting cryptocurrency between blockchain networks. He allegedly altered the computer code that validated coin locks, causing the system to issue him digital representations without actual deposit of funds. On August 1, 2022, he allegedly withdrew tokens worth approximately $2.8 million from the company's wallet, subsequently converting and transferring the funds across various wallets to obscure their origin.

Blok's extradition was finalized after he exhausted all legal avenues in Israel. The District Court had already declared him eligible for extradition, and his appeal to the Supreme Court was denied. The Supreme Court ruling established precedents, stating that "computer material intrusion" would be broadly interpreted to include exploiting security flaws and programming errors. It also determined that the transparency of blockchain networks does not preclude money laundering charges, given the anonymity of wallet owners. A further petition for an additional hearing before the Supreme Court president was also rejected, paving the way for his extradition.