03.07.2025 16:24
UAE authorities apprehended Ildar Ilham, also known as @XBT_Prometheus and the founder of WhiteRock_Fi, on July 3rd. This arrest stems from his alleged involvement in the $30 million ZKasino exit scam, a development reported by internet sources. Investor accusations of fraud, citing the disappearance of their funds following ZKasino's sudden closure, triggered the investigation into what is suspected to be a significant cryptocurrency fraud.
Further details from internet sources reveal that the 21-year-old Norwegian man’s arrest was also communicated to the Netherlands. He is an internationally wanted individual implicated in this large-scale fraud associated with the ZKasino online gambling platform. The arrest underscores the international collaboration in pursuing perpetrators of cryptocurrency-related crimes.
The ZKasino scam, a textbook "rug pull," involved the fraudulent collection of over $30 million through a fake gambling platform. Following the presale, the perpetrators absconded with the funds, leaving investors severely impacted. In April 2024, Dutch authorities apprehended one suspect, Elham Nourzai, confiscating €11.4 million in assets, including cryptocurrency and real estate. Two other key suspects, Ildar Ilham and Lior Ben Zakan, reportedly escaped to the Middle East.
Complicating the investigation, post-Nourzai's temporary release, the stolen funds underwent intricate money laundering maneuvers, traversing numerous blockchains including ZkSync, Starknet, EVM, and Solana networks. The funds were ultimately cashed out through over-the-counter (OTC) brokers, often converted to Monero (XMR) or traded on Hyperliquid platforms. This elaborate strategy made tracking the illicit funds remarkably challenging.
However, diligent on-chain investigation uncovered compelling evidence linking the ZKasino scam to WhiteRock Finance (WHITE). Investigators discovered shared wallet addresses and transactions routed through instant exchanges, revealing significant financial connections between the two projects. Critically, an email address linked to WhiteRock's deployment was directly associated with Ildar Ilham, the alleged architect of the ZKasino fraud. This evidence has prompted calls for cryptocurrency exchanges to delist the WHITE token and implement rigorous due diligence procedures.
