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Cryptoqueen - The OneCoin Scam

"Cryptoqueen" tells the story of OneCoin - a digital currency that Ruja Ignatova invented to become filthy rich. With her pseudo-cryptocurrency, she defrauded over 3 million investors worldwide and captured several billion euros. The film uncovers her fraud scheme and analyses the success story of the charismatic German-Bulgarian who hoodwinked so many and then disappeared. A unique financial thriller from the digital economy in which Bulgarian mafiosi, Arab sheiks, ex-spies and dubious bankers actively participated.

  • Johan von Mirbach
    Director
  • Johan von Mirbach
    Writer
  • Robert Tasso Pütz
    Producer
  • Nico Schlegel
    Editor
  • Till Vielrose
    Directors of Photography
  • Martin Gasch
    Directors of Photography
  • Beate Scheerer
    Directors of Photography
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Die Kryptoqueen - Der große OneCoin Betrug
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Television
  • Genres:
    True Crime, Investigative
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 30 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    October 1, 2022
  • Country of Origin:
    Germany
  • Country of Filming:
    Bulgaria, Germany
  • Language:
    English, German
  • Shooting Format:
    HD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Distribution Information
  • Java Films Paris
    Distributor
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights, Internet, Free TV
Director Biography - Johan von Mirbach

Johan von Mirbach is a journalist and filmmaker with ten years of experience. He started working as a journalist for WDR’s Funkhaus Europa while studying Latin American Regional Sciences in Cologne and Buenos Aires. After finishing his diploma, he switched to television and worked as a TV producer at an independent film production company in Cologne from 2006 to 2012. In 2010 he got funding from the Heinz Kühn Foundation and worked on a research project on trade issues in Ghana. From 2012 to 2015, he worked at the head editorial office of Deutsche Welle as a freelance tutor for video journalism and as a multimedia adviser.

Since 2012 he has been working as a freelance director for commercial and public service broadcasters including 3SAT, VOX, WDR, ARTE and ZDF. He now works as a project coordinator for the African section at Deutsche Welle. He also appears in front of the camera as a TV host.

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Director Statement

The story of the crypto queen is not just a story about a robber and a swindler. It is a story about greed - the greed of the perpetrators and that of the victims. The greed to get quick money with little effort and build a fortune with one click. The OneCoin scam is a parable of the digital financial system, which thrives on the belief in fictitious values. How can people hope that an invested amount will multiply within a short time? Why do private investors believe this is possible by legal means?

The scam around OneCoin, it still exists. The fake cryptocurrency continues to be sold. At the end of the film, active members of the network offer exclusive insights into how OneCoin works today. They explain why they remain convinced that OneCoin is not a hoax. The film shows how easily people are dazzled when supposedly big profits entice them. - According to one of the most important stock market sayings: 'Greed eats brains'. It is a fairy tale as only the digital economy can write it with its promises of salvation and bottomless crashes.