Canadian Math Prodigy Accused of $65M Crypto Heist Evades Custody
Andean Medjedovic, a 22-year-old Canadian with a master's degree in pure mathematics, has disappeared from Serbian custody after being arrested for allegedly stealing $65 million from two decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols. The FBI unsealed an indictment this week detailing Medjedovic's four-year evasion of authorities, which ended briefly with his August 2024 arrest in Belgrade before he vanished again.
Medjedovic's alleged crimes began in October 2021 when he exploited Indexed Finance's index pools, siphoning off $16.5 million. His most audacious attack came in November 2023, when he manipulated KyberSwap's liquidity pools through precise mathematical calculations. "He didn't just break the system—he bent the rules of DeFi itself," remarked a blockchain forensic analyst.
The case highlights growing vulnerabilities in DeFi protocols as sophisticated attackers exploit mathematical loopholes. While no specific cryptocurrencies were named in the indictment, the heist involved laundering through mixers and exchange accounts—a common challenge for tracing stolen digital assets.