[U.S. Prosecutors Appeal Sentence for HashFlare Founders, Seeking 10 Years in Prison] U.S. prosecutors have appealed the sentence of Sergei Potapenko and Ivan Turõgin, co-founders of the cryptocurrency mining service company HashFlare, arguing that they should be sentenced to 10 years in prison. Previously, the two were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud for operating a Ponzi scheme involving $577 million. On August 12, Judge Robert Lasnik of the federal court in Seattle sentenced the two to time served, a $25,000 fine, and 360 hours of community service, with the sentence expected to be completed in Estonia. The two were arrested in Estonia in October 2022, detained for 16 months, extradited to the U.S. in May 2024, and pleaded guilty. Prosecutors believe the current sentence is too lenient and have filed an appeal.