Reports have emerged indicating that Richard Heart, a prominent figure in the cryptocurrency industry and founder of Hex, has been detained by authorities in Istanbul, Turkey. The reports suggest that his detention is the result of an Interpol Red Notice, which is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.

While details regarding the specific charges or the legal entity behind the Red Notice remain unconfirmed by official government sources, the news has circulated widely within crypto-focused media outlets. Heart has previously been the subject of legal scrutiny in the United States, most notably facing a lawsuit from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed in 2023. The SEC alleges that Heart raised over $1 billion through the unregistered sale of crypto asset securities, specifically Hex, PulseChain, and PulseX, and misappropriated millions of dollars of investor funds for personal luxury purchases.

As of now, there has been no official statement from Heart’s legal representatives or Turkish authorities confirming the status of his detention. The situation remains developing, and the lack of official documentation from Interpol or the Turkish government means that the exact legal standing of the detention is currently based on reports rather than verified government filings.