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Moscow court orders BitRiver founder Igor Runets held in pretrial detention

Moscow court orders BitRiver founder Igor Runets held in pretrial detention

Russian investigators added a large-scale fraud charge tied to a disputed mining equipment contract involving an En+ group company, while Runets also faces separate tax-related allegations.

Fact Check
The core claim is confirmed by multiple sources. ForkLog states the Zamoskvoretsky District Court in Moscow changed Runets' measure from house arrest to two months' detention on July 22, 2026, over fraud charges involving mining equipment supplied to En+ structures with damages near 1 billion rubles. CryptoBriefing independently confirms the detention date, the ~1 billion ruble figure, En+ Group-linked entities, and the prior house arrest. Gibson Dunn corroborates the En+ subsidiary's insolvency claim and Runets' earlier legal status. All details in the claim align with these sources.
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Summary

A Moscow court ordered BitRiver founder Igor Runets moved from house arrest to pretrial detention for two months on July 22 after investigators added a large-scale fraud accusation tied to a disputed mining equipment contract involving Infrastructure of Siberia, part of the En+ group. Reports based on court records and media accounts surfaced publicly on July 29 and July 30. Investigators allege Fox Group, controlled by Runets, received more than $7.9 million in advance under a 2023 contract for crypto-mining machines and failed to deliver the equipment or return the money; some reporting described the case as involving $12.5 million. Runets disputes the allegation, saying the equipment was delivered, while he also remains under separate tax-related investigation.

Terms & Concepts
  • pretrial detention: Court-ordered custody while a criminal investigation or trial process continues.
  • large-scale fraud: A serious fraud offense under Russia's Criminal Code involving especially large alleged losses.
  • bankruptcy monitoring: A court-supervised stage in Russian insolvency proceedings used to assess a company's finances and creditor claims.