From Belarus to Blockchain: A quiet kingpin in the murky world of online gambling and crypto payments
Summary Table
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Ivan Montik |
| Website | www.ivanmontik.net |
| Social Media | |
| Key Roles | Co-Founder of SoftSwiss, CoinsPaid, and Merkeleon |
| Known Affiliations | Merkeleon, SoftSwiss, CoinsPaid, CryptoProcessing.com |
| Legal Exposure | No formal charges, but linked to illicit gambling and laundering via whistleblower reports |
| Jurisdictions | Belarus, Estonia, Germany, Cyprus, Austria |
| Risk Level | High – due to systemic exposure to crypto-gambling operations tied to Russian money |
Introduction
Ivan Montik is not your typical crypto mogul — no Twitter hype, no tech conferences, no loud opinions on regulation. Well, he has his own website (www.ivanmontik.net) and celebrates himself and his achievements a bit. And yet, he’s behind some of the most powerful infrastructure in the high-risk intersection of crypto payments and online gambling. As the co-founder of both SoftSwiss and CoinsPaid, Montik is deeply embedded in the opaque world of crypto casinos — an industry ripe for money laundering, regulatory arbitrage, and illicit finance. His quiet but strategic presence has attracted attention from whistleblowers, journalists, and regulators alike.
Career Path & Affiliations
Montik began his career in IT and software development in Belarus, a known breeding ground for offshore-oriented crypto startups. He rose to prominence as the founder of SoftSwiss, which evolved from a basic software company into one of the most influential white-label providers for crypto casinos.
He later co-founded CoinsPaid, a crypto payment processor that claims to service over 800 merchants, many of them reportedly unlicensed or offshore online casinos. Both companies are under the umbrella of Merkeleon, an Austrian-Estonian structure designed for e-commerce and auction systems — but widely repurposed for crypto and gambling.
Read our SoftSwiss & Rabidi Forensic Report here.
Role in SoftSwiss, CoinsPaid & Merkeleon
- SoftSwiss is Montik’s flagship – a tech provider for crypto-enabled online casinos. It offers a turnkey solution, including licensing support, player management, and game integration. The platform is especially attractive to operators wanting to skirt regulatory scrutiny.
- CoinsPaid, meanwhile, acts as the payment arm. According to whistleblower accounts and FinTelegram reporting, CoinsPaid processes high-risk payments for gambling platforms operating outside EU or US licensing frameworks. It markets itself with strict AML compliance — yet continues to work with operators known for regulatory dodging.
- Merkeleon serves as the legal and infrastructural shell, giving the whole ecosystem a veneer of legitimacy while enabling cross-jurisdictional obfuscation.
Legal and Financial Risk Exposure
Confirmed:
- CoinsPaid and SoftSwiss serve hundreds of gambling operators, many based in Curacao, Cyprus, and the Baltics — regulatory havens.
- The founders of SoftSwiss and CoinsPaid are publicly known to overlap; Montik is connected to both projects.
Suspected:
- Whistleblower reports (including those received by FinTelegram) suggest that CoinsPaid is used as a laundering rail for unlicensed casinos, with some transactions allegedly linked to Russian oligarch capital.
- Montik is associated with Roland Isaev and Paata Gamgoneishvili, two known Russian entrepreneurs deeply involved in the gambling sector.
- The lack of transparency in CoinsPaid’s equity structure and financial flows has raised red flags among compliance professionals.
Network & Power Links
| Name | Role/Entity | Link to Ivan Montik |
|---|---|---|
| Roland Isaev | Alleged Russian investor | Reportedly co-investor in SoftSwiss |
| Paata Gamgoneishvili | Gambling and media entrepreneur | Tied to SoftSwiss operations |
| Max Krupyshev | CEO of CoinsPaid | Operational partner, public defender of firm |
| Merkeleon GmbH | Parent company structure | Legal entity tied to SoftSwiss and CoinsPaid |
| CryptoProcessing.com | CoinsPaid brand | Payment service promoted within the group |
| Dream Finance Group | Parent company behind CoinsPaid and CryptoProcessing.com | alleged beneficial owner |
FinTelegram Verdict
Ivan Montik is a key architect of the crypto-casino industry, quietly enabling a global shadow economy of digital gambling and untraceable payments. While he avoids the spotlight, the scale of financial activity under his umbrella demands regulatory scrutiny. His network, deeply tied to Russian capital and questionable licensing practices, poses substantial AML and compliance risks. Montik may not be on a sanctions list — but in the world of cyberfinance, he’s a person of interest.
