The FBI searched the home of one of the co-founders of the digital currency exchange Kraken

In connection with a federal investigation unrelated to cryptocurrencies, a US government agency confiscated Jesse Powell's computer and other electronic devices.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently searched the home of the co-founder of one of the most popular digital currency exchanges. All of these activities were carried out directly in connection with an investigation into alleged hacking and cyberstalking.

The FBI searched the home of Kraken's co-founder

A number of checks that the US authority recently carried out on Jesse Powell had nothing to do with the cryptocurrency sector. According to a report recently published by The New York Times, a group of people familiar with the matter revealed that the co-founder of Kraken is suspected of hacking as well as harassment of a certain non-profit organization.

According to witness statements that have come to light, the FBI and the District Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California have been investigating this scandalous case since "at least" September 2022. It is worth noting that although the investigation included the confiscation of, among other things, a computer and electronic devices from the suspect's home in Brentwood, Los Angeles, so far prosecutors have not charged this popular digital currency entrepreneur with any crime.

It should not be lost sight of the fact that Jesse Powell's lawyer, Brandon Fox, has already commented on the matter, confirming that the federal investigation at this stage is mainly focused on the allegations made by the Verge Center for the Arts. It should be additionally emphasized that the aforementioned organization was founded by a client of the Kraken cryptocurrency exchange! Moreover, the defender added that the case has absolutely nothing to do with the digital currency space. A spokesman for the Kraken cryptocurrency exchange has also managed to present an almost identical position.

Jesse Powell founded his digital currency platform in 2011. Previously, he worked as a security consultant for the first ever cryptocurrency exchange, Mt.Gox. This platform collapsed in 2014. Currently, Kraken is the second largest American platform for trading assets based on digital currencies in terms of trading volume.

It should be added here that at the stage of February 2023, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) accused this popular cryptocurrency platform of selling unregistered securities to US customers in the form of the Ethereum (ETH) staking service. Representatives of the platform settled with the SEC, thus agreeing to pay a high financial penalty of USD 30 million and withdraw their Ethereum-related product.

Finally, it is worth adding that Kraken is not the only company related to digital currencies that has been targeted by the US financial regulator during this year. Some time ago, the SEC accused Coinbase and Binance of offering unregistered digital currencies in the form of a number of altcoins.