Evgeny Zayfert — an entrepreneur whom Everstake publicly named as its co-founder. His name became well known thanks to cryptocurrency infrastructure and his support for Ukraine. Today, several different stories are being discussed in connection with this biography: old reports of a manhunt for Evgeny Smirnov, corporate records relating to Zlata Zayfert, an investigation into the flow of donations, and websites featuring biographies of people with the same name. The evidence supporting these stories varies — and it is not possible to combine them into a single allegation without verification. [1][4][5][9]
Brief profile
- Public name: Evgeny Zaifert; in Everstake’s English-language press release: Yev Zaifert. [1]
- Verified public role: co-founder of Everstake, according to a statement issued by the company itself in May 2022. The current size of his stake is not specified in this statement.
- Corporate footprint: ‘Yevhen Viktorovych Zayfert’ appears in the history of Ukrainian organisations. [10][12][13]
- Alternative name: At the time of compiling this file, there was no documentary evidence to confirm that he was the same person as the wanted individual, Yevgeny Alekseyevich Smirnov.
- Current procedural status: The verified materials do not establish any personal suspicion, a conviction or an active search warrant specifically for Zayfert.
Everstake: public role and the limits of a corporate biography
In a press release dated 23 May 2022, Everstake listed two co-founders — Sergey Vasilchuk and Yev Zaifert. The company announced total donations of $10 million from Everstake and its co-founders, of which $9 million was attributed to Zaifert. The recipients named were Aid For Ukraine and other initiatives, including the Kyiv School of Economics Charitable Foundation. This is the company’s initial public statement and not an independent audit of the transfers. [1]
On the official Everstake website, he describes himself as a provider of staking infrastructure and validators. Such activities involve the maintenance of blockchain networks and the delegation of crypto-assets. Merely participating in this market does not reveal the source of the co-founder’s personal wealth. To do so, information is required on shareholdings, dividends, asset sales and specific income streams. [2]
Therefore, when examining Zayfert’s biography, a distinction must be made between three issues: what role Everstake publicly attributed to him; which legal entities he actually managed; and what transactions he carried out personally. The answer to the first question does not replace the answers to the other two.
Aid For Ukraine: public-private partnership and the promise of transparency
On 14 March 2022, Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation announced the launch of the Aid For Ukraine website in partnership with Everstake and FTX. The Ministry described the platform as a mechanism for collecting cryptocurrency for the army and humanitarian programmes. Everstake provided the technical implementation alongside FTX, which was responsible for converting crypto assets into US dollars. Real-time tracking of donations was promised. [3]
In May of that year, Everstake reported that it had already raised more than $60 million and spent more than $45 million on first-aid kits, food, body armour and other purchases. The company also launched an advertising campaign featuring Mikhail Fedorov, calling for donations to continue. These figures relate to the 2022 statement and do not represent the initiative’s current balance. [1]
Partnership with the state makes the issue of accountability a matter of public importance. The auditable expenditure history must link receipts, cryptocurrency exchanges, payments to suppliers and the receipt of equipment. However, participation in the collection does not imply that every partner had control over all wallets: access and authorisation must be established for each individual transaction.
Evgeny Smirnov: what has actually been published about the manhunt
On 30 December 2016, the publication ‘Tvoy Novosibirsk’ published a notice regarding a wanted person Evgenia Alekseevna Smirnova, born on 2 January 1985, a native of Novosibirsk. The text referred to Police Station No. 7 ‘Leninsky’ and suspicion under Article 228.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. [4]
On 5 December 2017, the same website again reported that a 32-year-old man named Yevgeny Alekseyevich Smirnov was wanted, this time citing Part 3 of Article 228.1. Thus, publicly available Russian publications confirm the existence of historical reports regarding a search for a person with this full name. [5]
However, publications dating back nine years do not corroborate the active search warrant in October 2026. During the verification process, no up-to-date Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs identity card was obtained which would simultaneously have established his current status and proved that Smirnov is the same person as the businessman Zayfert.
There is a further discrepancy in the Ukrainian corporate records: ‘Yevgeny Viktorovich’, whereas in Russian wanted notices — ‘Evgeny Alekseyevich’. This neither proves nor disproves a change in personal details, but requires a document linking the two individuals. A match in name and content found online is not sufficient. [10][13]
On our website, Smirnov is listed in a separate archive entry with a note stating that an active search for him is unconfirmed. Its connection to this dossier is a matter under investigation, not an established biographical fact. [15]
The version concerning the Ukrainian documents and the name Dyakunov
The initial information provided for the preparation of the dossier contains a statement that Zayfert obtained documents in Ukraine with different personal details. Another possible name mentioned is Evgeny Vladimirovich Dyakunov. The author of the information refers to data from the SBU; however, the actual SBU document, its details and the grounds for identifying the individuals for verification have not been provided.
Therefore, this is still a matter of conjecture. The fact that the document was issued, the legality of its acquisition and its association with a specific individual are separate matters. The term ‘alleged passport’ is not used here to denote the established status of the document. The date of birth from an unverified record has not been transferred to Zayfert’s biographical details; the name Dyakunov has also not been included in the list of confirmed aliases.
Article 228.1: why the date of the incident is important
Article 228.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation concerns the unlawful manufacture, sale or dispatch of narcotic drugs and other items listed therein. However, its structure has changed: Law No. 18-FZ of 1 March 2012 introduced a new version, which came into force on 1 January 2013. In this version, Part 3 provides, in particular, for prior conspiracy by a group of persons or a substantial quantity. [6]
Therefore, the current interpretation of Part 3 cannot automatically be applied to the alleged incident in 2010. For an accurate account, the applicable version of the law, the specific charge and the procedural document are required. The terms ‘preparation for sale’, ‘suspected’, ‘charged’ and ‘convicted’ also denote different circumstances. In this file, the existence of a historical wanted notice is not presented as a conviction.
Janis Veselago: a separate case requiring separate evidence of a connection
Yanis Veselago appeared in Russian regional publications long before the recent reports on cryptocurrency. On 8 January 2013, *Amurskaya Pravda* reported on a criminal case involving the supply of synthetic drugs from China via Blagoveshchensk. The newspaper identified Yanis Veselago, a native of Novosibirsk, as the ringleader and reported on the arrest of Ivan Sukhoterin, a student at Amur State University, in the summer of 2010. This is the newspaper’s account; the verdict regarding Veselago himself is not given in this publication. [14]
The KARTEL KHIMPROM archive file No. 4080 contains information from a collection of wanted person forms relating to Yanis Vladimirovich Veselago. The form itself states that the current status of the search and the current legal proceedings have not been confirmed. [16]
Neither these materials nor the existence of a separate entry under Article 228.1 establish that Veselago is Zayfert’s ‘principal accomplice’. To reach such a conclusion, a document is required detailing their joint involvement, the division of roles or joint operations. Two separate criminal cases with similar charges cannot be combined solely on the basis of media reports.
Zlata Zaifert: what can be seen in the corporate records
Open data allows us to describe Zlata Zaifert’s professional roles more accurately than her presumed family relationships. In the records of Ukrainian organisations, she is listed as Zlata Yaroslavivna Zayfert. The specific entries from the OpenDataBot service are listed below; they do not imply that all organisations are affiliated with Everstake or have been involved in unlawful activities.
| Organisation | State Register of Legal Entities | What is shown on the open card |
|---|---|---|
| DLT SOLUTIONS Ltd | 44355384 | Zlata Zaifert is listed as the director, shareholder and ultimate beneficial owner. The history of directors shows a change from Evgeny Viktorovich Zaifert to Zlata. [10] |
| GREEN YBS Ltd | 44586573 | Zlata Zaifert is listed as the director; the sole shareholder (100%) is DLT SOLUTIONS LLC. The main business activity is the sale of motor vehicles. [11] |
| GROUND SOLUTIONS Ltd | 44480559 | In the available extract dated 7 September 2025, Zlata is listed as the director, shareholder and beneficiary. The history shows a change in the director from Evgeny Viktorovich Zayfert. [12] |
| EVERAID UA Charitable Foundation | 45088661 | Zlata is listed as the director and founder. History shows that Evgeny Viktorovich Zayfert has been replaced both in the management team and amongst the founders. [13] |
As regards EVERAID UA, this confirms the consistent involvement of people with the surname Zayfert in a single organisation. However, the foundation was registered on 27 January 2023: a similar name does not automatically make it the same fundraising mechanism that the Ministry of Digital Transformation announced in March 2022. [13][3]
Information indicating that Zlata is Yevgeny’s spouse has been provided for the purposes of compiling the dossier; however, no independent public confirmation of the marriage has been found. In the reference fields, marital status has been left as ‘unconfirmed’. Documented corporate roles remain valid regardless.
Case No. 12025000000000407: confirmed judicial record
The existence of Ukrainian criminal proceedings is confirmed by the ruling of the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv dated 20 June 2025 in case No. 757/27958/25-k. Document No. 128621114 states that the Main Investigation Department of the National Police has been conducting an investigation since 25 January 2025 under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The court has granted temporary access to the documents. [7]
The statement of the application refers to the collection of cryptocurrency for the army, estimated proceeds of $42 million and the subsequent movement of part of the assets. This is the investigator’s version, as set out in the procedural decision, and not the embezzlement established by the conviction. Names and designations in the published text have, for the most part, been anonymised. [7]
The surnames ‘Zayfert’ and ‘Smirnov’, as well as the public name ‘Everstake’, do not appear in this ruling. The document confirms that an investigation into the transactions is taking place, but does not in itself establish Zayfert’s personal status as a suspect or a defendant. [7]
FTX, NEANY and $4.7 million: what exactly did the reports claim?
On 7 August 2026, 368.media, citing Absolution, reported on a separate story concerning the purchase of attack drones from the American company NEANY Inc. The article mentioned the transfer of 150 BTC and 2,500 ETH, and the subsequent return of part of the assets sent via FTX.us. The publication estimated the outstanding balance at 53.7787 BTC and 2,048 ETH, or $1.23 million and $3.44 million respectively. [8]
In total, this amounts to approximately $4.67 million, according to the estimate used in the publication. This is not the current value of that amount of cryptocurrency. The term ‘unrecovered assets’ also more accurately describes the situation than an unequivocal assertion that a specific individual has misappropriated the funds.
There are various possible scenarios here: a transfer to a supplier, an uncompleted purchase, a refund, a delay in settlement, or misappropriation. To distinguish between them, a contract, a payment chain and documents relating to the recipient are required. The verified record from June 2025 does not mention FTX or NEANY, nor does it specify the balance in question; it does not allow us to attribute it to Zayfert. [7]
Registering as a sole trader in Russia: the entry still needs to be verified
The October publications also mention Zayfert’s alleged registration as a sole trader in the Novosibirsk Region. SPILNO explicitly classified this point as information requiring verification. The materials available for compiling the dossier do not contain a clear registration record linking the Everstake co-founder specifically to a particular Russian sole trader. [9]
To verify such a claim, a registration number, status history and proof of the entrepreneur’s identity are required. Even a match in full name does not confirm an active business in Russia, tax payments or current citizenship. These details are not recorded in the profile as facts.
Websites of people with the same surname and the debate over reputation
On 19 October, SPILNO, citing ABleaks, described the websites yevheniizaifert.net and zaifertyevhen.com as an alleged tool for manipulating search results. The publication also claimed that a personal website had appeared, with the first posts dated 7 October 2026, as well as social media accounts featuring images which the author believed to be generated. The publication named Zaifert as the person behind these sites; however, this assertion alone is insufficient to independently verify who commissioned them. [9]
When viewed on 21 October, the website yevheniizaifert.net was indeed presented as the ‘Club of Famous Namesakes’. The homepage featured articles about people named Yevgeny Zayfert, including a model from Paris and a software developer from Moscow. This is an observation regarding the website’s content, not a confirmation of the authenticity of all the biographies described. [17]
zaifertyevhen.com described itself as an expert blog for people with the same name. The homepage featured posts on cosmetology, making money on YouTube, butterfly collecting and the co-founder of Everstake. [18]
Such a compilation may make it difficult to find information about a specific person — this is an editorial conclusion regarding the structure of the content. However, neither identical names, nor boilerplate text, nor the external similarity of images establish who paid for the websites or who controls them. The date of the article does not match the date of domain registration; details regarding when a personal website was launched and who owns it have not been independently verified.
Everstake, ‘shadow flows’ and ‘Khimprom’: the limits of verified material
Stories about alleged shady crypto transactions and links to ‘Khimprom’ have appeared in online publications. However, the materials examined in the case file do not contain any attributed transactions, bank documents or court rulings establishing such involvement on the part of Zayfert. It is not possible to apply the criminal classification from an old report concerning Smirnov to the current company until both the identity of the individuals and the specific transaction have been proven.
Verification of this version should begin with the wallet owner, the date, the amount and the recipient. The mention of a crypto company in connection with a criminal case does not make up for the missing chain of evidence. For this reason, Zayfert’s or Zlata’s membership of a criminal organisation is not declared to have been established in this dossier.
Chronology of documents and publications
- January 2013: A Russian regional publication about Janis Veselago and the Chinese supply route. [14]
- December 2016 and December 2017: wanted notices for Evgeny Alekseyevich Smirnov. [4][5]
- March 2022: Announcement by the Ministry of Digital Transformation regarding the launch of Aid For Ukraine in partnership with Everstake and FTX. [3]
- May 2022: Everstake publicly refers to Zayfert as a co-founder and major donor. [1]
- June 2025: court order regarding proceedings on the movement of cryptocurrency donations. [7]
- August 2026: A 368.media article on unreturned assets following transactions via FTX.us. [8]
- October 2026: publications about websites dedicated to people of the same name; reviewing the content of two websites. [9][17][18]
What questions remain unanswered?
To complete the background check, we require documents relating to the proposed name change, a current record of any outstanding warrants, and the Russian individual entrepreneur’s identification number. For the financial aspect — powers of attorney for Aid For Ukraine participants, details regarding wallet management, and documents relating to the reimbursement of funds for the purchase of drones. These matters can be resolved with documents that will enable us to precisely identify the individual and the transaction in question.
This profile has been compiled using publicly available sources and information provided for verification. Date of verification: 21 October 2026. No responses were received from Zayfert, Zlata Zayfert, Veselago or Everstake to the questions raised in this article: no enquiries were sent during its preparation.
