I noticed an interesting case in crypto history that’s worth analyzing. Alexey Andryunin’s story is not just a legal case; it’s a whole question about how the system deals with crypto entrepreneurs.

In short: a young Russian guy started the company Gotbit, which was involved in market making and helped projects create liquidity. Sounds normal, right? But then he was extradited to the U.S., and now he has pleaded guilty. He’s in court, facing up to two years in prison. And that’s where the interesting part begins.

The thing is, market makers are a normal part of any financial market. When you see a token soaring 500% in ten minutes and then crashing into a abyss, that’s the work of market makers. They generate volume, liquidity, and attractive charts. Alexey Andryunin was doing exactly that with Gotbit. Officially. With over 2,000 clients. Around $450 million passed through their hands. Not exactly small numbers.

But what confuses me is this. JP Morgan laundered money for Mexican cartels — no one touched the bosses. Deutsche Bank helped Epstein hide millions — judges weren’t in a hurry. And a 26-year-old guy involved in crypto marketing? Arrested, extradited, pleaded guilty. $23 million confiscated.

Andryunin essentially did the same thing that all major financial players do in traditional markets. The only difference — he wasn’t part of the system. He was an outsider. And that seems to be his main mistake.

Why are the U.S. so aggressively hunting crypto entrepreneurs but turning a blind eye to bank fraud? That’s the question. Maybe it’s not that Alexey Andryunin did something particularly bad. Maybe it’s that the financial elite simply fears those who can move markets outside their control.