Arkham Intel Exchange approves $5K bounty for info on Do Kwon and Terra wallets

A platform aimed at ‘deanonymizing the blockchain’ has accepted its first submission for information concerning information on wallet addresses connected to Terraform Labs and its co-founder Do Kwon.

In a July 24 announcement, Arkham Intel Exchange said it had accepted a submission from two “on-chain sleuths” resulting in a bounty payment of 9519.2625 ARKM — roughly $5,000 at the time of publication. An anonymous user and Ergo, a self-described “glorified accountant” working with OXT Research, sent the platform “evidence of wallets” owned by Kwon and Terra. Ergo said this information could contradict public statements from Terra on holding only one Luna Foundation Guard wallet, in which a reported 313 Bitcoin (BTC) remains in reserve. 

Launched on July 10, Arkham has incurred negative reactions from many in the crypto space, describing the platform as little more than a glorified snitching service. The firm allows users to post bounties requesting information on blockchain transactions, which will be released to the public 90 days following approval at Arkham. This suggests all information on the Kwon and Terra wallet addresses may become available in late October.

Related: Terraform Labs seeks access to FTX wallets in fraud defense

Terra was at the forefront of controversy in the 2022 crypto market crash when the platform’s algorithmic stablecoin, USTC, depegged from the U.S. dollar. Kwon’s whereabouts were largely unknown from May 2022 until March 2023, when authorities in Montenegro arrested and later sentenced him to four months in prison for using forged travel documents.

Individuals connected to Terra in South Korea are also currently under scrutiny from local authorities investigating the exchange. In July, co-founder Shin Hyun-Seong — also known as Daniel Shin — reportedly had his first hearing for charges related to allegedly illicit profits from the sale of LUNA tokens.

Magazine: ‘Terra hit us incredibly hard’: Sunny Aggarwal of Osmosis Labs