The Steinkeller brothers' attorney delayed Italian criminal proceedings against them in Tyrol on October 5th, challenging wiretapping evidence in a case linked to the multi-billion dollar OneCoin pyramid scheme. The objection came during a hearing meant to separate the case of fugitive OneCoin founder Ruja Ignatova from the other defendants.

Judge Schönsberg had approved the wiretapping during the investigation phase. The defense attorney argued this created a clear incompatibility for the same judge to decide on admitting the indictment. This procedural challenge has now halted the trial for approximately six months.

Ruja Ignatova disappeared in October 2017. She has not appeared in court and is represented by a public defender. The court had sought to separate her case to avoid holding up proceedings for Aron, Christian, and Stefan Steinkeller, along with ten other OneCoin promoters facing charges.

Italian prosecutors allege the Steinkellers and their network defrauded Italian investors of more than $10 million. The actual figure is likely higher, given OneCoin's overall $4 billion Ponzi scheme and the Steinkellers' prior claims of generating $2.5 million monthly through their OneCoin activities.

Concerns exist that some charges against the Steinkellers are nearing their statute of limitations. Fraud charges against the brothers and other promoters date back to 2017. While the statute of limitations for running a pyramid scheme had already expired when Italian prosecutors took action, general fraud charges carry a six-year limitation period.

The Steinkellers' attorney told the court the brothers had withdrawn from the cryptocurrency business and now operated in other financial sectors abroad. This refers to the brothers' current base in Dubai. The emirate does not regulate securities fraud and has become a haven for individuals accused of financial crimes.

From Dubai, the Steinkeller brothers continue to promote new schemes. Their most recent venture is MetFi. This alleged crypto Ponzi scheme promises a 1000% return on investment through worthless NFTs.

MetFi relies on the MFI token, which the Steinkellers artificially inflate through wash trading. While MFI shows a public trading value of $7463, the associated Ponzi scheme is in decline. A significant withdrawal would likely cause the MFI price to collapse.

Overall MetFi recruitment has dropped. The scheme initially targeted Martinique, a small Caribbean island with 376,000 residents, but that operation appears to have stalled. Efforts in Thailand also seem to have collapsed. As of September 2022, MetFi is now focused on recruiting investors in France, Poland, and Singapore. It remains unclear whether US authorities consider the Steinkellers persons of interest.