Alleged $190M Nomad Hacker Faces US Extradition After Arrest

Hack Hackers Regulation

Crypto Journalist

Amin Ayan

Crypto Journalist

Amin Ayan

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Amin Ayan is a crypto journalist with over four years of experience in the industry. He has contributed to leading publications such as Cryptonews, Investing.com, 99Bitcoins, and 24/7 Wall St. He has...

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Last updated: 

May 5, 2025

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A Russian-Israeli citizen accused of participating in the $190 million Nomad Bridge hack is facing extradition to the United States following his arrest at an Israeli airport.

Alexander Gurevich, who is suspected of exploiting a major vulnerability in the Nomad crypto bridge in 2022, was detained on May 1 at Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv while attempting to board a flight to Russia.

The arrest comes after U.S. authorities filed an eight-count indictment against him in August 2023 and submitted a formal extradition request in December.

Gurevich Summoned to Israeli Court After Return

According to a report from The Jerusalem Post, Gurevich had returned to Israel from abroad on April 19. Soon after, he was summoned to appear before the Jerusalem District Court for an extradition hearing.

In a curious move, Gurevich legally changed his name to “Alexander Block” on April 29 and was issued a new passport under that identity the following day.

Authorities allege that Gurevich stole approximately $2.89 million in digital tokens during the August 2022 Nomad Bridge hack.

The breach quickly spiraled into a wider incident as other attackers copied the exploit, pushing total losses to $190 million.

Prosecutors say Gurevich reached out to Nomad’s CTO, James Prestwich, on Telegram shortly after the hack using a fake identity.

He reportedly admitted to targeting vulnerable crypto protocols and apologized for the disruption.

Gurevich transferred roughly $162,000 worth of assets back to a recovery wallet set up by Nomad, though communications broke down after he requested a $500,000 reward for discovering the flaw.

The U.S. indictment, filed in California where the Nomad team is based, charges Gurevich with several computer-related crimes, including money laundering and transferring stolen digital property.

If convicted in the U.S., he could face up to 20 years in prison—significantly more than the penalties he would face under Israeli law.

Investigators believe Gurevich was physically in Israel at the time of the attack, adding another layer of complexity to the case.

As extradition proceedings move forward, U.S. prosecutors will seek to hold him accountable for one of the most high-profile crypto heists of 2022.

Crypto Hacks Surge in 2025 as Losses Top $1.74 Billion in Four Months

Hackers stole over $92.4 million from crypto projects in April 2025 alone, according to blockchain security firm Immunefi.

The figure represents a 27.3% year-over-year increase and more than double the losses reported in March.

April’s attacks occurred across 15 incidents, with two major exploits accounting for the bulk of the damage.

UPCX, an open-source platform, lost $70 million in a single attack, while decentralized exchange KiloEx was hit for $7.5 million.

Other affected projects included Loopscale, ZKsync, Term Labs, and Bitcoin Mission, each experiencing losses exceeding $1 million.

Cumulatively, the first four months of 2025 have already seen $1.74 billion in crypto losses—more than all of 2024, which totaled $1.49 billion.

Immunefi previously noted that Q1 2025 was the worst quarter for hacks in crypto history, driven largely by massive breaches of centralized exchanges Phemex and Bybit.