Kim Dotcom to be Extradited to US After 12 Years

A New Zealand judge has ruled that Kim Dotcom, the creator of Megaupload and the failed Bitcache crypto platform, will be extradited to the United States, 12 years after his arrest.

Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith announced the decision, stating that Dotcom will be sent to the US to stand trial. Dotcom, however, has declared on X (formerly Twitter) that he has no plans to leave New Zealand.

Dotcom, whose legal name is Kim Schmitz, was arrested in 2012 for his role in the file-sharing site Megaupload. He later started Bitcache, which aimed to become a leading crypto payment method by 2022, but the project was liquidated in 2023 due to unpaid legal bills.

Following the shutdown of Bitcache, Schmitz announced a new project, Fileshop, which he claimed would be a “Bitcoin Cash killer app.” Besides his tech endeavors, Schmitz has dabbled in music and gaming, claiming a top spot in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

Dotcom faces charges including racketeering, money laundering, large-scale copyright infringement, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.