tl;dr
Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blazek resigned amid controversy over a Bitcoin donation from convicted drug trafficker Tomas Jirikovsky, which was reportedly worth millions and sold for over $45 million at auction. The opposition party ANO called for a no-confidence vote in the government following th...
Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blazek resigned amid controversy over a Bitcoin donation from convicted drug trafficker Tomas Jirikovsky. The donation, reportedly worth millions in Bitcoin, was linked to Jirikovsky’s defunct dark web Sheep Marketplace and was sold for over $45 million at a public auction.
Following Blazek’s resignation, the opposition party ANO called for a no-confidence vote in the government, citing concerns over the acceptance of illicit funds. Blazek denied any legal wrongdoing but admitted he had no means to investigate the donation’s origins, referring to Jirikovsky’s conviction in 2017.
Investigations traced the Bitcoin’s dark web trail, revealing connections to multiple illicit marketplaces, including ties to a dormant Nucleus Marketplace wallet that transferred $77 million in Bitcoin after nearly a decade of inactivity. This wallet still holds approximately $406 million in Bitcoin.
The political fallout has intensified as the governing Together (SPOLU) coalition, including the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) of Prime Minister Petr Fiala, faces declining poll numbers ahead of the October elections. Opposition ANO leads with 32% support compared to 19% for the coalition.
Public suspicion has grown around Prime Minister Fiala’s awareness of the scandal, given his close association with Blazek. Experts suggest many view Fiala as at least a suspect in the affair, questioning whether he was informed about the Bitcoin donation controversy.