Unmasking Andean Medjedovic: The Fugitive Math Prodigy Behind DeFi's Biggest Heists

Andean Medjedovic sits at the center of one of the cryptocurrency world's most gripping sagas as a 22-year-old Canadian prodigy turned fugitive accused of siphoning $65 million from decentralized finance platforms. Federal charges unsealed in February 2025 paint him as the mastermind behind sophisticated exploits on Indexed Finance and KyberSwap leaving investors reeling and regulators scrambling.

As of late October 2025 Medjedovic remains a fugitive of justice, on the run, reportedly bouncing around between Europe, South America, and remote islands while the U.S. Department of Justice pursues him on counts of wire fraud, computer fraud, money laundering, and attempted extortion.

His story gained a fresh spotlight with the release of the documentary Code is Law which dives into the exploits that defined his brief but explosive foray into crypto. Filmmakers portray Medjedovic not just as a thief but as a brilliant mind who treated smart contract flaws like puzzles begging to be solved. Viewers catch glimpses of his audacious defenses where he frames his actions as clever trades rather than outright crimes underscoring the chaotic ethos of early DeFi.

From Montreal Classroom to Global Manhunt

Medjedovic's roots trace back to Montreal where he emerged as a mathematical wunderkind graduating high school at 14 and racing through advanced degrees at the University of Waterloo. That institution famed for nurturing talents like Ethereum's Vitalik Buterin became his proving ground as he wrapped an undergraduate and master's in pure mathematics by 17 or 18. Faculty there still speak of his uncanny grasp of abstract theories a skill set that professors say set him worlds apart from peers.

Those same abilities drew him toward cryptocurrency during his student days fueling a fascination with automated market makers and liquidity pools. He started on solid footing scooping up bug bounty rewards on platforms like Code4rena where he dissected code for vulnerabilities. Yet that ethical edge sharpened into something sharper as he shifted from exposing flaws to capitalizing on them viewing DeFi's open architecture as an invitation to outmaneuver the system.

The turning point came with the October 2021 breach at Indexed Finance then a rising star in crypto index funds. At 18 or 19 Medjedovic allegedly engineered a transaction bundle so intricate it crammed over 1,000 events into one blockchain block warping price feeds to siphon $16.5 million. Developers spent eight grueling hours unraveling his handiwork which bore his provocative signatures like racial slurs in the code and a wallet tag nodding to extremist symbols.

Traces of his online trail Discord handles such as UmbralUpsilon and GitHub profiles under m theorylord1 led Indexed's team straight to him prompting a swift class-action suit in Ontario courts. When he skipped a December 2021 hearing authorities froze his assets and issued a warrant but the funds stayed vanished. Medjedovic fired back on social media dismissing the fallout as sour grapes from a protocol he had simply out-traded.

That brazen streak carried into November 2023 with the KyberSwap incursion a $48.8 million haul that showcased his refined tactics. Borrowing vast sums to pump artificial prices he triggered cascading glitches in the automated market maker draining pools with surgical precision. What followed twisted the knife as he dangled an extortion play demanding sway over Kyber's governance and community treasury for partial restitution.

Kyber's responders looped in the DOJ and FBI turning the episode into a multinational probe that solidified Medjedovic's federal indictment. His post-exploit maneuvers included wiring $80,000 to an undercover operative to unlock frozen holdings, a misstep that prosecutors now cite as damning evidence. Stolen assets from both hits linger unrecovered fueling calls for tighter DeFi safeguards amid the sector's massive growth.

Medjedovic's worldview hinges on code is law, a mantra he wields to recast exploitation as legitimate execution of onchain rules. He has taunted investigators in leaked chats boasting of his intellectual edge over what he calls flawed designs. Yet for victims from retail traders to protocol builders the toll runs deeper eroding trust in a space built on transparency.

The Code Is Law movie captures this tension weaving interviews with scarred developers and blockchain sleuths who pieced together his saga. It highlights how Medjedovic's early slips in anonymity like lax KYC on exchanges handed authorities their foothold. His evasion tactics now lean on crypto's veil crisscrossing continents from hidden enclaves but experts doubt it will last forever.

As DeFi matures toward $100 billion in total value locked Medjedovic's case stands as a stark reminder of unchecked brilliance's risks. Prosecutors eye a 90-year maximum if they collar him a prospect that could reshape how nations chase digital outlaws. For now the prodigy roams free as his shadow casts over an industry still grappling with its own code.