In Crypto and Telegram Gaming Worlds, Vladimir Smerkis, co-founder of the popular telegram mini app BLUM, was arrested on Friday in Moscow on large-scale fraud fees, according to several local media.
Smerkis, a well -known Russian crypto industry figure, was previously Binance’s director of operations in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Moscow Zamoskvoretsky District Court confirmed the arrest, Reports that as part of a criminal case for “fraud on a particularly large scale.” However, the full fees are still not publicly announced.
Background about Smerkis and previous projects
Before the founded Blum, Smerkis was some of several high-profile Cryptocurrency investments. Such as the Token Foundation and the Tokenbox, both of which attracted significant capital but have since become silent. Rumors that the projects may have been outpatient fraud. Resuscitation of the old projects in the light of the new fees has been further pushed by suspicion.
In response to the arrest news, BLUM immediately issued a statement through its official X handle by saying that Vladimir Smerkis had “Departed its position as CMO and no longer contributes to the development of the project or in any co -founder role.”
We appreciate Vladimir’s contribution to the project and wish him all the best for the future. Our team is completely dedicated and dedicated to our mission, and businesses that usually prevail in our daily operations, ” The state is specified.
Blum also assured its 5.3 million users that the arrest will not affect the imminent airdropen. Which has been one of the biggest sources of excitement for players on the platform.
Uncertainty
While several seasons of Drop Game have now come and gone, the token generation (TGE) has continuously been pushed back. The latest word puts AirDrop during Q2 2025.
Tap-to-earn, popularized by Telegram Mini apps such as Hamster Kombat and Blum, has become a rising trend in the 2024 and 2025 assumption. These apps play crypto on board by rewarding basic behaviors in the app with token rewards.
What is the next one?
Despite the controversy, Blum still remains operation and is moving forward with its development and future roadmaps. The project, first supported by Binance Lab’s most valuable construction program. Which has not formally postponed or changed its timeline for the air drop. At the moment, users are hard for information about both the legal process and project future deliveries.
And as the crypto industry develops, examples such as Smerki’s gripping reminders are about the need for liability and confidence in leadership. Whether BLUM can restore complete user confidence remains to be determined.
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