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Russia Releases Bitzlato Co-Founder Anton Shkurenko After Questioning
12.2.2023
Russian authorities have released the recently arrested co-founder of crypto exchange Bitzlato, said to have processed illicit funds worth millions of U.S. dollars. Anton Shkurenko, who was questioned in Moscow, denies the French charges against him that became the reason for his brief detention....
Government Agencies Need Crypto Wallets and Access to Exchanges, Russian Prosecutors Say
19.12.2022
Russian authorities are finding it hard to cash out digital assets they have gotten hold of, prosecutors have warned. They have also urged the government to recognize cryptocurrency as property, allow departments to have digital wallets and use crypto exchanges. Prosecutor’s Office Insists Russian...
The Crypto 6 Case Heads to Trial With Only 1 Defendant Left, Prosecutor’s So-Called ‘Expert’ Excluded
4.12.2022
On Dec. 6, 2022, the “Crypto Six” case will be heading to trial, and out of all six defendants, only Ian Freeman, co-host of the radio broadcast Free Talk Live, has not accepted a plea bargain. According to the most recent hearing, Freeman’s legal counsel filed a Daubert motion, which aims...
Onecoin Cryptoqueen Associates Appear in German Court
21.10.2022
Three people are facing trial in Germany for their roles in one of the crypto world’s most infamous scams, Onecoin. The defendants are accused of fraud, among other crimes, allegedly committed as they assisted the pyramid scheme’s mastermind, ‘Cryptoqueen’ Ruja Ignatova, who is still on the run....
Crypto Exchange Okx Blocked by Russia’s Telecom Watchdog
7.10.2022
Russian media and communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, has restricted access to the website of a major cryptocurrency exchange, Okx. The trading platform was one of those that did not restrict access for Russians amid sanctions that affected the industry’s business in Russia....
ETH Merge Forks, Quantum Computing, Biden Draining Oil Reserves, DOJ Targets Criminal Crypto Use — Week in Review
25.9.2022
With the Ethereum Merge event now successfully completed, new proof-of-work (PoW) forks have emerged to vie for miner acceptance. This, as the United States government, has warned that the post-quantum world is getting closer, and vulnerable cryptography will need to be protected. Amidst red...
Crypto Miners in Russia’s Irkutsk Region Fined Almost $1.7 Million This Year
25.8.2022
Authorities in the energy-rich Russian region of Irkutsk have imposed hefty fines on crypto miners this year for illegal use of electricity to produce digital currencies. Power utilities have also filed hundreds of lawsuits, a report reveals, quoting prosecutors. Irkutsk Crypto Miners Pay...
Russian Media Censor Roskomnadzor Blocks Major Crypto News Website
4.7.2022
Bits.media, a leading news outlet in Russia’s crypto space, has been blocked by Russia’s telecom and mass media watchdog, Roskomnadzor. The site is now inaccessible through most Russian internet providers, the online edition announced, stating it intends to contest the measure....
Germany Shuts Down Hydra Market, Seizes Servers and Bitcoin
5.4.2022
Law enforcement agencies in Germany have targeted Hydra, a leading darknet market (DNM). As part of an operation conducted with U.S. support, the German police were able to establish control over the servers of the Russian-language platform in the country and take down its website. Investigators...
Russia, Ukraine Shut Down Several Cryptocurrency Farms
5.12.2021
Authorities in Russia and Ukraine have closed down a number of illegal crypto mining facilities allegedly powered by stolen electricity. The underground farms have been discovered around the capital cities, Kyiv and Moscow, as well as in the Russian republic of Dagestan. Russia Busts Illegal Mining...
Russia’s Prosecutor General Wants Cryptocurrency Recognized as Property Under Criminal Law
18.11.2021
The Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia has proposed to define cryptocurrency as property in the country’s Criminal Code. Decentralized digital money has already been qualified as such in the provisions of several other laws although various aspects of cryptocurrencies remain...
Former Ethereum Dev Virgil Griffith Pleads Guilty to North Korea Charge, Enters Plea Deal for 6.5 Years: Report
27.9.2021
On September 27, 2021, at the Southern District of New York courthouse, the trial against former Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith started at 9:30 a.m. (EST). Griffith was facing 20 years behind bars for discussing blockchain technology in North Korea. Around 10:30 a.m., Griffith pleaded guilty...
Poland Confirms Arrest of Former Wex Exchange Executive in Warsaw
21.9.2021
Reports of the detention of Dmitry Vasiliev, ex-head of the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange Wex, have been confirmed by authorities in Poland. The former executive of the platform, allegedly involved in the theft of funds worth millions of dollars, faces possible extradition to Kazakhstan....
Mining Hardware Thief Gets 3-Year Sentence in Russia
30.8.2021
Russian authorities have investigated a number of cases involving the theft of crypto mining equipment in the past months. A resident of Yaroslavl has just been found guilty of stealing mining hardware worth over $20,000 and sentenced to three years in prison. Russian Convicted of Stealing Mining...
IT Specialist Caught Mining Cryptocurrency at Police Headquarters in Poland
1.8.2021
Polish police have uncovered a secret crypto mining operation at their headquarters in Warsaw, local media reported. An IT specialist accused of minting digital coins on police computers has been dismissed and the case has been handed over to the Prosecutor’s Office. Polish Police Force Fires...
Former Ethereum Developer Virgil Griffith Arrested for Signing Into His Coinbase Account: Report
21.7.2021
According to reports stemming from investigative journalist Matthew Russell Lee, from Inner City Press, former Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith has violated the terms of his bail and has been taken into custody. According to the reports, the U.S. Attorney’s Office revoked Griffith’s...
Shanghai Law Enforcement Officials, Scholars Talk Cryptocurrency
14.7.2021
Representatives of law enforcement agencies and academia in Shanghai held a seminar devoted to cryptocurrencies, regulations, and the combating of crypto-related crime. Determining “the legal attributes of virtual currency” was among the main topics at the forum which also focused...
Russian Court Bans Websites Explaining How to Trade Bitcoin
11.6.2021
A court in Russia’s Perm region has decided to block a number of websites describing how to exchange cryptocurrency for fiat cash. Local prosecutors claim the dissemination of this type of information is against the law in Russia as it may facilitate the laundering of illicit funds. Kungur...
Dutch Police Seize $33 Million in Bitcoin from Couple Accused of Money Laundering
30.10.2020
Prosecutors from the Netherlands have seized 2,532 bitcoins worth $33 million after a couple was convicted of money laundering by the Rotterdam District Court. The man and his wife were sentenced to two years for illegal money transmission and the court claims the couple’s bitcoin stash...
IT Exec at Kyiv Prosecutor’s Office Illegally Mined Crypto on Office Systems
27.2.2020
An IT expert at a Ukrainian prosecutor’s office used the office’s systems to illegally mine cryptocurrency and provide placement to third parties