Podcast
The Missing Cryptoqueen
Hosted by BBC Sounds · EN
Dr Ruja Ignatova persuaded millions to join her financial revolution. Then she disappeared. Why? Jamie Bartlett presents a story of greed, deceit and herd madness.
12episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Jamie’s New Series: Everything Is Fake
Apr 2300:10:49Tap to summarizeWe’re excited to share a taster of Jamie’s new podcast series, Everything Is Fake (And Nobody Cares).Have you noticed that more and more of the world feels, well, fake? Online there's a daily avalanche of dubious advice and information - about health, money, success, happiness - much of it delivered with total confidence and little regard for evidence. There's the fabricated reviews, inflated metrics and synthetic content. Influencers present themselves as authorities. Everything is now content. Performed for likes, not tested for truth.Meanwhile, institutions once trusted to tell us what is true now compete for attention like everyone else - just as new technologies emerge that can generate convincing false information at scale. How did we get here? What can we do about it? And, well, do we really care?In the new six-part series Jamie sets out to understand how, in so many parts of modern life, fakery is no longer punished - it's rewarded. And if that’s the case, why do we seem so unbothered by it? This taster comes from episode one of the series - if you like what you hear, you can listen to every episode of Everything Is Fake right now on BBC Sounds.
Transcribe →
What to listen to next: The Interface
Mar 200:36:45Tap to summarizeThe Interface is your weekly guide to the tech rewiring your week and our world. Hosted by journalists Thomas Germain, Karen Hao, and Nicky Woolf, each episode unpacks week-by-week the unfolding story of how technology is shaping all of our futures. No guests. No jargon. Just three sharp voices debating the tech stories that matter - whether they shook a government, broke the internet, or quietly tipped the balance of power.In this episode: have the Norwegians proved there is a weapon that causes Havana Syndrome? Our hosts also take you inside the landmark social media trial in LA and the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. New episodes drop every Thursday on BBC Sounds in the UK. Outside the UK, find us on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the video version on YouTube (search “The Interface podcast”).If you're in the UK, find The Interface on BBC Sounds - or elsewhere in the world, listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.
Transcribe →16. Off the Record
Jan 2200:31:43Tap to summarizeOneCoin victims’ advocate Jen McAdam has helped convince hundreds of Dr Ruja’s scam victims to join her lawsuit. With Dr Ruja missing - possibly dead - it feels like this compensation lawsuit is their best shot at justice. But things take an unexpected turn.Featuring footage from: Good Morning Britain/ITV, The Islam brothers, Daniel Leinhardt/Youtube, TikTok/maseratimassage.
Transcribe →15. Pac-Man
Jan 2200:31:50Tap to summarizeOneCoin victim Jen McAdam lost thousands in the OneCoin scam, and nearly a decade on, it still dominates her life. Jen blames Dr Ruja, but with her still missing - possibly dead - justice looks unlikely. But Jen has a plan, and hundreds of other OneCoin victims join the fightback.
Transcribe →14. The Cablecar
Jan 2200:32:00Tap to summarizeWith the FBI offering a $5m reward for Dr Ruja, her fame reaches new heights. And so does our search for her, with new clues pointing us to Cape Town, South Africa.Featuring footage from: Aron Hyman/The Cape of Cocaine podcast, Heart FM, TikTok/Coolstorybru, The Hunt, documentary series: Die Kryptoqueen - ARD/arte/WDR, Novinite Nova.
Transcribe →13. The South Africa Connection
Jan 2200:26:56Tap to summarizeNew clues about Dr Ruja emerge in an unlikely - and dangerous - place. We pick up the trail with Scottish OneCoin investor Jen McAdam. Since we released the podcast, Jen’s become consumed by the search for Dr Ruja. Despite the evidence pointing to her murder, Jen’s not convinced - should we be?Featuring footage from: Aron Hyman/The Cape of Cocaine podcast by TimesLive, BTV, Novinite Nova, News24, Newzroom Afrika, Heart FM, TikTok/Coolstorybru, The Hunt, documentary series: Die Kryptoqueen - ARD/arte/WDR.
Transcribe →
Coming Soon: Four New Episodes of The Missing Cryptoqueen
Jan 1500:04:14Tap to summarizeIt’s been eight years since Dr Ruja Ignatova persuaded millions to join her financial revolution, before disappearing. Jamie Bartlett picks up the story of the now FBI-wanted fugitive; following a trail of greed, deceit, and herd madness.
Transcribe →
12. Wanted: Dead or Alive?
Jun 3, 202400:33:25Tap to summarizeThe search for Dr Ruja Ignatova takes an unexpected turn when a story emerges alleging she's been murdered. But with with sightings of Dr Ruja still coming in long after her apparent demise, can it be true? We speak to the Bulgarian journalists behind the story and team up with BBC colleagues to investigate the murder theory. It takes us on a trail to a Bulgarian man widely suspected of heading an organised crime organisation. Meanwhile, a trusted former adviser to Dr Ruja disappears, just like his old boss.Presenter: Jamie Bartlett Producer: Rob Byrne Executive Producer: Georgia Catt Commissioner: Dylan Haskins Series Editor: Philip Sellars Original music and sound design: Phil Channell Original music and vocals: Dessislava Stefanova and the London Bulgarian Choir Featuring material from: LiveNow from Fox, Radio 100,7. The Missing Cryptoqueen is a BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Sounds and BBC 5Live
Transcribe →11. Operation Satellite
Oct 19, 202200:47:34Tap to summarizeHow mysterious friends in influential places may have helped Ruja stay one step ahead. A massive revelation we only now know, but which Ruja knew years earlier. Who are they? And could they be helping her now?CREDITS Presenter: Jamie Bartlett Producers: Rob Byrne and Georgia Catt Original music and sound design: Phil Channell Original music and vocals: Dessislava Stefanova and the London Bulgarian Choir Studio Engineer: Giles Aspen Series Editor: Philip Sellars Commissioner: Dylan Haskins The Missing Cryptoqueen is a BBC Documentaries production for BBC Sounds and BBC 5Live
Transcribe →10. The Dubai Files
Sep 28, 202200:45:27Tap to summarizeThe search for Dr Ruja Ignatova gathers pace, five years after she disappeared. Files leaked from Dubai reveal how Dr Ruja stashed millions in the emirate and struck up a relationship with a mysterious sheikh. Then, a careless selfie leads the podcast to a mansion in an exclusive gated community. As the FBI steps up its search, new information surfaces about Dr Ruja’s disappearance from an unlikely source.Presenter: Jamie Bartlett Producers: Rob Byrne and Georgia Catt Series Producer: Georgia Catt Commissioner: Dylan Haskins Series Editor: Philip Sellars Original music and sound design: Phil Channell Original music and vocals: Dessislava Stefanova and the London Bulgarian Choir Featuring footage from: LiveNow from Fox, 5en News, Prag News, Welt Netzreporter The Missing Cryptoqueen is a BBC Documentaries production for BBC Sounds and BBC 5Live
Transcribe →