Canada's 'Crypto King' Aiden Pleterski to Represent Himself at Fraud Trial

In brief

• An Ontario judge denied Pleterski's request to delay the trial so he could hire a lawyer.
• The four-week jury trial starts Monday on charges of fraud over $5,000 and laundering proceeds of crime.
• Investors handed Pleterski about $40 million, with bankruptcy proceedings recovering roughly $3 million.

Aiden Pleterski, the 27-year-old who styled himself Canada's "Crypto King," will defend himself against fraud and money laundering charges at a Toronto jury trial starting Monday, after a judge refused to postpone it.

Ontario Superior Court Justice Shaun Nakatsuru denied an adjournment application on Monday, CBC News reported, leaving Pleterski without counsel for a four-week trial whose dates were fixed in June 2025.

"I want to assure you that even though this isn't your first choice, obviously, you will receive a fair trial," Nakatsuru told him. "I want you to be very free in asking questions," the judge said, adding, "Don't hesitate, just get up on your feet and ask me."

The judge set out the "enhanced role" he will take as a result, saying he will raise objections on Pleterski's behalf so that only admissible evidence reaches the jury.

The self-styled “Crypto King”

Pleterski did retain a lawyer for the adjournment application itself. Marco Sciarra argued his client had been trying to raise money for trial counsel, and that extended family were prepared to liquidate assets to pay for one if the case were delayed.