A cross-border judicial tug-of-war has come to an end. Russian basketball player Daniil Kasatkin, who was accused by the US of participating in a cryptocurrency ransom network attack, was ultimately released after being detained in Paris.

Here's what happened: the US accused Kasatkin of involvement in cyberattacks and demanded ransom in cryptocurrency. The French court initially approved the US extradition request, and he was about to be sent to the US for trial. But at the last moment, the French authorities suddenly changed their stance and ultimately did not sign the extradition order.
The turning point came. The Russian Federal Security Service later announced that Kasatkin returned to Russia through a prisoner exchange agreement between France and Russia. The other party in the exchange was Laurent, a French citizen serving time in Russia. Such high-level personnel exchanges often involve complex diplomatic negotiations and judicial reciprocity agreements. This case once again highlights the international nature of cryptocurrency crime — not only crossing borders technologically, but also making law enforcement increasingly complex.