Israel extradites Nomad bridge exploiter to US

Israel transferred Alexander Block, formerly known as Alexander Gurevich, to U.S. authorities early Thursday. The extradition followed the rejection of his appeals by the Israeli Supreme Court. Prosecutors allege that Block exploited a flaw in Nomad's smart contracts to steal about $2.8 million in August 2022. A federal grand jury in the Northern District of California indicted him in August 2023 on four counts of computer fraud, one count of transporting stolen property, and three counts of money laundering.

The Supreme Court ruled that exploiting a programming flaw constitutes unlawful computer intrusion, even if the software permitted the action. President Isaac Amit later denied a request for a further hearing. Block was arrested at Ben Gurion Airport in May 2025 while preparing to fly to Russia. He had recently changed his surname and obtained a passport in his new name.

The exploit exposed a vulnerability that other users used to drain more than $186 million from a Nomad-controlled wallet. Nomad recovered about $22 million in the days following the hack. In December 2025, the Federal Trade Commission proposed a settlement with Illusory Systems, Nomad's operator, requiring the return of recovered funds to unreimbursed users.