23-year-old Canadian "cryptocurrency professional" involved in international hacking case faces legal difficulties

A Canadian man claiming to earn millions annually in the cryptocurrency industry has now become a wanted person on the global most-wanted list. Behind this seemingly contradictory identity lies a shocking history of cybercrime. 23-year-old Andean Medjedovic claims to be an outstanding crypto professional, but according to investigations by multiple countries’ judicial authorities, he is suspected of stealing over $65 million in digital assets through carefully orchestrated hacking attacks.

From Genius Programming Teen to Hacking Fugitive

Medjedovic has demonstrated extraordinary talent in mathematics and programming. At just 18 years old, he successfully infiltrated the system of the DeFi project Indexed Finance, executing a sophisticated cyberattack that netted $16.5 million in crypto assets. Years later, this young “professional” struck again in 2023, targeting the decentralized exchange KyberSwap, with even more lucrative results—$48 million was transferred into accounts under his control.

These two attacks showcased high-level technical skills and meticulous planning. Security experts noted that Medjedovic appears to possess system analysis and code vulnerability discovery abilities typically found in top security researchers—only he applied these skills for illegal purposes.

International Escape and Multi-National Pursuit

In August 2024, Medjedovic was arrested in Belgrade, Serbia, but was released after the local court refused to extradite him to the Netherlands. Subsequently, the fugitive suspect used a forged Slovak passport to travel between multiple countries—Brazil, Dubai in the UAE, and Spain—leaving his footprints behind. According to investigations, he attempted to hide his whereabouts while continuing activities on the dark web.

The U.S. Department of Justice accused Medjedovic of using mixing tools like Tornado Cash to obscure the true origins of these illegal proceeds, converting dirty money into “clean” funds. This action involved money laundering charges, significantly increasing the case’s complexity. Currently, multiple countries have issued extradition requests to Serbia, but this crypto hacker remains at large, believed to be hiding in the Bosnia region.

Self-Proclaimed $100,000 Monthly “Crypto Professional”

Ironically, in the face of multiple countries’ warrants and money laundering charges, Medjedovic claims to earn $100,000 per month through legitimate work in the cryptocurrency industry. In previous court statements, he vehemently denied all hacking and theft allegations, insisting he is a legitimate crypto professional.

The stark contrast between his self-defense and the objective evidence behind him has become the most eye-catching focus of the case. Regardless of how he claims his professional identity, law enforcement agencies in the U.S., the Netherlands, Serbia, and others have obtained sufficient technical evidence and transaction trail tracking that point to his central role in these two major hacking incidents. This case once again reminds the industry that advanced technical skills can create value within the legal framework, but when used for illegal activities, they are ultimately not beyond the reach of international law enforcement networks.