Blockchain Startup CEO Kidnapped In Kiev

By Boris Dzhingarov

Gregory Kucherkov, Cornerstone CEO, was recently kidnapped in Kiev. Cornerstone is a startup that tries to fund real estate investments with blockchain tokens. An ICO is currently in planning stage. Some capital was already raised during a private sale attempt. Local police thinks this is the reason why the kidnapping happened.

A video of the kidnapping was posted on Youtube:

According to Cornerstone, kidnappers did not reach out to the company in regards to a possible ransom. The surveillance video presented above was offered by Cornerstone COO, Martynov. It showed two men forcing Kucherkov into a van while at gunpoint. Nothing else is known about the event.

Based on information offered by Cornerstone COO, Gregory Kucherkov split his time between Kiev and NYC. The belief is that he was kidnapped simply because of the startup value that is associated with Cornerstone.

The problem is that Cornerstone is now during a nascent stage. However, the company is really serious about what it does, so it is possible that the kidnappers thought more money would be available than what is actually in the company.

Cornerstone tries to offer regular people the possibility to invest in real estate development, all thanks to a low entry barrier. This project tries to raise funds through an initial 500 million tokens sale. The model is really straightforward, with the use of blockchain technology to tokenize properties. Cornerstone is actively buying investment properties and the token holders will get profits based on the investment proportion.

Right now, the hope is that the current media attention around the kidnapping can help bring back Kucherkov safely. Cornerstone is waiting for new information and the police does not have any leads.