The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Karpeles, who said he is working as an IT engineer, is active on social media and has commented on issues concerning Bitcoin but not on details of his criminal case.
In 2010, a Paris court sentenced Karpeles in absentia to a year in prison for hacking. He had come to Japan to work for a web development company around 2009 and later got involved with the Bitcoin exchange.
In the wake of the MtGox scandal, Japan passed a bill stipulating that all virtual currency exchanges must be regulated by its Financial Services Agency.
Virtual currencies are generated by complex chains of interactions among a huge network of computers around the world, and are not backed by any government or central bank, unlike traditional currencies.
Despite the demise of MtGox and concerns about security, Bitcoin and hundreds of rival digital currencies are becoming increasingly popular and accepted by merchants worldwide.
Bitcoin has seen wild volatility during its short life, soaring from just a few US cents to more than $2,300 now, more than double its value just a few months ago.
Backers say virtual currencies offer an efficient and anonymous way to store and transfer funds online.
Critics argue the lack of a legal framework governing the currency, the opaque way it is traded and its volatility make it dangerous.
There are also security concerns.
Bitcoin has suffered hacking incidents including one last year in which a major Hong Kong-based exchange Bitfinex suspended trading after $65 million in the virtual unit was stolen.
