The trial of the alleged cryptocurrency scam involving Arbistar began on Monday at the Audiencia Nacional in Spain. The case involves a pyramid scheme that reportedly defrauded 32,000 investors of 1.902 billion euros. The trial, which is set to last for 14 sessions, is the first cryptocurrency fraud case to be heard by the tribunal. Santiago Fuentes Jover, the alleged mastermind behind Arbistar, faces charges of aggravated fraud, criminal organization, and falsification of commercial documents. The prosecution is seeking a sentence of 29 years and 9 months in prison for Jover, who has been in provisional detention since June 2023. The scheme promised investors returns of between 8% and 15% monthly through the use of a tool called Community Bot, but was found to be a fraudulent operation that used new investors' money to pay returns to earlier investors via a system known as Plan Amigo. The trial was suspended on its first day due to procedural issues related to the notification of legal documents to corporate entities involved in the case. It is scheduled to resume on March 24. Over 7,000 of the affected investors are acting as accusers in the trial. The case has drawn attention due to its scale and the international reach of the fraud, affecting investors in multiple countries.