Kraken, one of the elder statesmen in the crypto exchange sphere, has offered $100,000 for information leading to the recovery of the funds missing as part of the QuadrigaCX case. The offer follows a two-part podcast where Kraken CEO Jesse Powell and Chief Brand Officer Christina Yee examine the QuadrigaCX case and all the evidence surrounding it, before suggesting their own explanation of events and putting up the reward.
Kraken Not Buying It
In a post on the Kraken blog that announces the offer, the team cites their involvement in chasing reparations for those affected by the Mt. Gox hack, stating, “Events like this impact the entire industry, which is why we want to get involved if there’s a way we can help.” The post then announces the reward, which suggests that the team don’t believe the whole story put forward by the QuadrigaCX team (no spoilers – you’ll have to watch/listen to the podcasts yourself!):
Kraken is offering this reward for information leading to significant progress or discovery of all or some of the missing client funds. It is up to our sole discretion which tips warrant a reward, if any. The total of all rewards will not exceed $100,000 USD. Kraken may end this reward program at any point in time. All leads collected by Kraken will be provided to the FBI, RCMP or other law enforcement authorities, who have an active interest in this case.
The Theories Mount
Powell and Yee aren’t the first to offer a theory about what really happened with QuadrigaCX. In fact, they aren’t the first exchange owners – Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has already linked Cotten’s death to QuadrigaCX’s financial woes, stating his belief that the exchange used Cotten’s untimely death to write off their mounting debts. Powell and Yee form their theories over the two podcasts, the series of which is titled ‘How to Grow a Decacorn’, and are available on the exchange’s YouTube channel, as well as through most podcast outlets.
Powell and Yee make it abundantly clear that they are not professional detectives (which would, let’s face it, be an amazing coincidence), but they do a decent job of taking a deep dive into the details and the evidence. It’s safe to say that having such extensive knowledge of the inner workings of a crypto exchange adds another dimension to the discussion.
If you have a few hours to spare and the QuadrigaCX mystery grabs you like it has many already, the podcasts are certainly worth listening to. Plus, you could grab yourself a $100,000 payday if you can help find some answers.
