Foreign National Admits Guilt in $15M Bitcoin Ryuk Ransomware Attacks

A foreign national pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court on July 13 for his role in Ryuk ransomware attacks that targeted American firms and a school between 2019 and 2020. The latest article builds on the July 11 report of the guilty plea by Karen Serobovich Vardanyan, confirming details of the extortion scheme that netted roughly 1,610 BTC valued at over $15 million. Prosecutors highlighted one Michigan victim paying 200 BTC worth $1.1 million, with Vardanyan facing sentencing on Sept. 22, 2026 and restitution orders exceeding $1.1 million. The developments reinforce law-enforcement scrutiny of bitcoin's use in cybercrime without immediate market price impact.