Richard Heart’s Arrest: Why Could Crypto’s “Get-Rich Myth” Lose to Real-World Law? What Remains of “Decentralization”?

In October 2026, a development sent shockwaves through the crypto market, prompting HEX, PulseChain, and PulseX holders to reassess their investment theses.　　On October 14, Richard Heart, founder of HEX and PulseChain, was detained in Istanbul, Türkiye. On October 17, Türkiyes justice minister publicly confirmed the news, disclosing that the enforcement operation had uncovered approximately $7.15 million in cash and six cryptocurrency cold wallets. The case is linked to a Red Notice previously issued by Interpol, and the relevant investigations remain ongoing.　　Following the news, HEX suffered a sharp price decline. According to Cointelegraphs October 15 report, the token fell nearly 30% at one point within 24 hours, with its market capitalization shrinking accordingly.　　But beyond the price volatility lies a more fundamental question: Why do some projects that claim to be decentralized still behave like companies heavily dependent on a single boss when their founders run into trouble？　　If a project supposedly built on decentralized technology suffers a severe confidence shock because its founder has been detained, to what extent has it actually achieved decentralization？1. First, Let‘s Be Clear: Detention Does Not Mean Conviction　　Richard Heart’s legal situation needs to be understood in the context of separate judicial proceedings.　　Finnish authorities had previously sought international