Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon will plead guilty on Aug. 12 at 10:30 am ET in federal court.
As Inner City Press reported, Judge Paul Engelmayer filed a docket order on August 11. The guilty plea represents a shift from Kwon’s previous trial defense strategy in the high-profile crypto fraud case.
The change comes months ahead of the Jan. 26, 2026, trial date initially set for the case. Judge Engelmayer had previously encouraged plea discussions between prosecutors and defense attorneys while both parties anticipated proceeding to trial.
Federal charges
Kwon faces federal charges related to orchestrating a cryptocurrency fraud scheme that prosecutors allege caused over $40 billion in losses when LUNA and TerraUSD tokens collapsed in May 2022.
The collapse of the Terra ecosystem marked one of the largest cryptocurrency failures in history, triggering widespread market contagion across crypto markets.
Federal prosecutors have characterized the Terraform ecosystem as fundamentally deceptive, with Assistant US Attorney Jared Lenow describing the company’s operations as a “Potemkin village.”
Prosecutors allege Terraform’s products were inherently unstable and required ongoing manipulation to maintain their market value and stability.
Capture and extradition to the US
The guilty plea follows Kwon’s lengthy attempt to evade prosecution after the Terra collapse. Kwon remained on the run for nearly a year before Montenegrin authorities apprehended him in March 2023 while he attempted to travel using fraudulent passport documentation.
Following his capture, Kwon fought extradition proceedings in Montenegro before ultimately being transferred to US custody.
His extradition to the US cleared the way for federal prosecutors to pursue the fraud charges that will be resolved through the upcoming guilty plea.
The case represents one of the most significant cryptocurrency fraud prosecutions pursued by federal authorities, with the $40 billion in alleged losses ranking among the largest financial fraud cases in recent years.
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