Israel Extradites Dual Citizen to US on Crypto Theft Charges
Translated & summarized from Vesty by baba
Israel extradited Alexander Block, an Israeli-Russian citizen, to the United States on October 29 to face charges of stealing $2.8 million in cryptocurrency from the Nomad platform in August 2022. Block allegedly exploited a cybersecurity flaw and later attempted to negotiate a reward for its discovery. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. His extradition was approved by Israeli courts despite appeals.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israel extradited Alexander Block to the U.S. on October 29 for alleged crypto theft.
- Block is accused of stealing $2.8 million in cryptocurrency from the Nomad platform.
- The total value of stolen assets from the Nomad platform is estimated at $190 million.
- Block, an Israeli-Russian citizen, changed his name and obtained an Israeli passport before his arrest.
- He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted in the U.S.
- Israeli courts approved his extradition after appeals were rejected.
Israel extradited Alexander Block (Gurevich), an Israeli-Russian dual citizen, to the United States on Thursday, October 29. Block is accused of stealing cryptocurrency valued at $2.8 million. According to the indictment filed in a U.S. court, Block was among hundreds of users of the Nomad platform who exploited a cybersecurity vulnerability in August 2022 to steal digital assets, with total thefts estimated at $190 million.
Block, who immigrated to Israel in 2017 under the surname Gurevich, reportedly spent most of his time abroad, including in Africa, since his immigration. On April 29, 2025, he officially changed his surname to Block and the next day obtained an Israeli passport under the new name. On May 1, 2025, he was detained at Ben Gurion Airport while attempting to board a flight to Russia.
U.S. authorities allege that in 2022, Block-Gurevich identified a weakness in the U.S.-based Nomad platform's cybersecurity and stole $2.8 million in tokens from a corporate digital wallet. He then allegedly converted the tokens to other cryptocurrencies and distributed them across multiple wallets to conceal their origin. The extradition request states that Block-Gurevich contacted Nomad's deputy CEO under a false name, apologized for the theft, and demanded a $500,000 reward for discovering the security flaw. Nomad reportedly offered to return the stolen assets with a 10% reward, after which Block-Gurevich ceased communication.
In 2023, U.S. prosecutors indicted Block-Gurevich in absentia on eight charges. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. After an Israeli district court ruled for his extradition, Block-Gurevich's defense appealed to the Supreme Court, but the appeal was denied, as was a request for a new hearing. The extradition case for Israel was handled by lawyer Avi Kronenberg from the State Prosecutor's Office's international department.
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