BitRiver Founder Faces Bankruptcy Petition From Bank, With Claim of About $9.27M

Nov. 12: According to a report by Russian newspaper Kommersant, Igor Runets, founder of Russian bitcoin mining company BitRiver, faces a bankruptcy petition from Russia's PSB Bank over overdue loan guarantees. PSB Bank has submitted the petition to the Sverdlovsk Oblast Arbitration Court, seeking 773 million rubles (about $9.27 million). PSB Vice Chairman Mikhail Dorofeev said Igor Runets is a guarantor of a loan to the company "Bitriver-B" and bears joint liability for the unfulfilled obligations. The borrowing company has defaulted, and the claim amount of more than 770 million rubles covers all outstanding overdue debt.

Igor Runets was sentenced to house arrest by a court in early February 2026, charged with concealing large amounts of money or property owed in taxes, fees and insurance premiums. In recent months, multiple BitRiver entities have frequently appeared in courts as both plaintiffs and defendants, and some of the companies have entered observation proceedings.