The body of abducted Canadian crypto influencer Kevin Mirshahi has been discovered in Montreal’s Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough. The body was found at the park on October 30, after the influencer’s abduction in June. After a subsequent autopsy, authorities declared that it was the missing Mirshahi.
The 21-year-old crypto influencer was last seen in June before he was abducted from a condo building in Old Montreal. Reports said he was kidnapped alongside three others, a man and two women. Moments after the abduction, the others were found by the authorities.
Canadian crypto influencer’s death causes stir
The Montreal Gazette reported on November 12 that the body that was recently found was identified as the missing crypto influencer Kevin Mirshahi. After investigations, authorities have arrested 32-year-old Joanie Lepage for the abduction of Mirshahi and three others and his subsequent death.
Mirshahi was quite popular in the Montreal crypto community, owning and operating a private firm Crypto Paradise Island. The platform conducted its services on Telegram, offering investment advice and other activities.
Before his abduction, the Canadian AMF had banned the influencer and his firm from carrying out any crypto-related activities. It also banned any publication across all social media, and electronic transactions. Mirshahi was also ordered to stop posting activities related to the company on his private social media platforms.
According to reports, Mirshahi, despite the ban, continued his activities on Telegram, operating under the name ‘Amir’. The increase in pump-and-dump schemes has lost traders millions in investments. This has pushed many to anger, causing some to take laws into their own hands.
There is a consensus that Mirshahi’s business had cost the wrong people a lot of money, pushing them to take drastic measures for payback. However, authorities are yet to confirm if there is any link between his business and the abduction. There have also been talks about Mirshahi being a bad actor, with a Twitter user claiming he had been scammed by the deceased.
Crypto Paradise issues and the surge in crimes against crypto executives
During its early stages, Crypto Paradise was tied to a project called Marsan ($MRS). The firm imprinted upon its users, which were majorly 16-22 years old, causing them to lose thousands of dollars. The token was created in April 2021 by Marsian Exchange, founded by Antoine Marsian and Bastien Francoeur.
For his part in the promotion, the firm paid Mirshahi with a portion of the tokens. Marsian enjoyed a slight bullish run three days after its launch, peaking at $3.67. However, the token’s value dropped drastically to $0.39 after two major holders cashed out their tokens. Mirshahi has since been under investigation by the AMF for his promotion of the token.
Similarly, investors who have lost money to cryptocurrencies seem fed up. A week before Mirshahi was kidnapped, there was an abduction. CEO of WonderFi Dean Skurka was forced into a car, with the assailants demanding a ransom of about $720, 000. He was released after the conditions were perfected.
There has also been an increase in physical crimes in the crypto industry outside Canada. Chief Security Officer of Casa Jameson Lopp has listed 18 attacks tied to activities in the decentralized finance sector in 2024. Some of these attacks include home invasions, murders, and investors tricked to unknown locations to carry out P2P trades.
A Ukrainian in Kyiv stole $170,000 worth of Bitcoin, while six Malaysian nationals were apprehended after abducting a Chinese national and demanding $1 million in USD as ransom. The gap in security in the decentralized finance sector is huge, but it can be filled in time. Crypto remains a volatile asset that investors should be wary about.