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Nigerian Court Sentences Crypto Fraudster to One Year in Jail, Accused Given Option to Pay Fine
11.6.2022
A Nigerian court has convicted and sentenced a man to one year in prison who is accused of duping an unsuspecting cryptocurrency investor. On its charge sheet, the prosecution said that the man had contravened Nigeria’s anti-fraud laws and hence should be punished accordingly. Fake...
'Grim Reapers' financial crimes unit revived to investigate Terra collapse
19.5.2022
After over two years, the feared investigative and prosecutorial team has been reformed by the new President to look into the mess caused by Terraform Labs
Blockchain and crypto can be a boon for tracking financial crimes
28.4.2022
The notion of crypto being a tool for money laundering is often propagated by naysayers that include policymakers with a stake in the traditional financial system
Central Bank of Sudan Warns of Risks Associated With Cryptocurrency
30.3.2022
The central bank in crisis-stricken Sudan has warned residents dealing with cryptocurrencies that they face numerous risks including loss of value. The warning comes as Sudan is grappling with an economic crisis that worsened after the civilian government was deposed by the military. Sudan’s...
Report: Estonian Prime Minister Calls for Restriction of Cryptocurrencies
10.3.2022
The Prime Minister of Estonia has said cryptocurrencies must be restricted in order to address loopholes that may be used by sanctioned Russian entities to evade the punitive measures. In addition, the premier wants all Russian as well as Belarusian banks to be removed from the global payment...
FinCEN Issues ‘Red Flags’ on Potential Sanctions Evasion Using Cryptocurrency
9.3.2022
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has issued an advisory on Russian efforts to evade sanctions that includes a number of crypto-related red flags. However, the bureau admitted that it has not seen “widespread evasion” of its sanctions using cryptocurrency. FinCEN Warns...
Nigerian Blockchain Advocacy Group Says ‘Crypto Is Legit’ — Calls for Regulation of Industry
7.2.2022
The Nigerian blockchain advocacy group, the Stakeholders in Blockchain Technology Association of Nigeria (SIBAN), has said crypto is legit and must be regulated. The group adds that any such regulation should on one hand encourage innovation, but discourage bad actors on the other. Equal Access...
Turkish President Erdogan Says Cryptocurrency Law Is Ready as Crypto Regulator Fines Binance 8 Million Lira
26.12.2021
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reportedly announced that the country’s cryptocurrency law “is ready” and will be submitted to parliament “without delay.” Meanwhile, Turkey’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), which oversees...
Tether trials Notabene’s new travel rule technology to combat financial crimes
26.10.2021
The "Travel Rule" aims to bring reporting standards for virtual asset service providers in line with other traditional financial institutions
FinCEN Links More Than $5 Billion in Bitcoin Transactions to Ransomware
19.10.2021
FinCEN, the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, linked more than $5 billion in bitcoin transactions to the most common ransomware variants out there. The organization stated in a report issued last week that the mean average total monthly suspicious amount of ransomware transactions...
Brazil aims to tighten penalties for crypto-related financial crimes
4.10.2021
The penalties are part of a new piece of legislation that also regulates crypto trading and payments
South African Exchange Sets New Crypto Withdrawal Limits — Restrictions ‘a Deterrent for Illicit Actors’
9.9.2021
One of South Africa’s biggest cryptocurrency exchanges, Luno, has confirmed that it has started restricting withdrawals by clients. The exchange insists the limits are meant to “act as a deterrent for illicit actors moving large amounts of funds within the crypto ecosystem.”...
Chairman of Nigerian Economic Crimes Commission: Crypto Growth Is a ‘Far Greater Danger to the World Economy’
8.9.2021
The chairman of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, has singled out the growth of cryptocurrencies as something that now poses “a far greater danger to the world economy.” Therefore, in order to deal with such dangers or threats, Bawa...
After Warnings from South African Regulators Binance Rejects Accusations It Provides Financial Advice
5.9.2021
Beleaguered crypto exchange, Binance, has released a statement in which it denies accusations that provides financial advice or renders any intermediary services. In a statement released on Twitter less than 24 hours after the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA)’s warning, the crypto...
Founder of the Bitcoin Mixer Helix Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Charges
18.8.2021
Larry Dean Harmon, founder and operator of the bitcoin mixing service Helix has pleaded guilty on Wednesday to money laundering charges. Harmon’s guilty plea follows the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (Fincen) fining Harmon $60 million last year. Helix Operator...
Bitmex Agrees to Pay $100 Million to Resolve Charges With FinCEN and CFTC
11.8.2021
Global cryptocurrency derivatives exchange Bitmex has settled charges with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The exchange has agreed to pay as much as $100 million to end investigations by the two agencies. Bitmex Settles...
Financial Watchdog FinCEN Recruits First-Ever Chief Digital Currency Advisor
7.7.2021
Following the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) explaining the misuse of cryptocurrencies is a national priority last week, the bureau announced on Tuesday it hired its first-ever chief digital currency advisor. FinCEN’s acting director Michael Mosier detailed that Michele Korver...
FinCEN Names Misuse of Cryptocurrencies a National Priority
4.7.2021
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has named “cybercrime, including relevant cybersecurity and virtual currency considerations” a national priority. In particular, the Treasury is concerned about the “misuse of virtual assets that exploits and undermines their...
US Man Selling Bitcoin Without License Faces 5 Years in Prison
26.6.2021
A New Orleans resident has been charged for selling bitcoin without registering with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). If convicted, the seller may receive a maximum of five years in prison, a maximum $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory...
BIS: Cryptocurrencies Are Often Used in Financial Crimes, Money Laundering, Ransomware Attacks
24.6.2021
The Bank of International Settlements (BIS) says that it is now clear that cryptocurrencies are not money but speculative assets, emphasizing that in many cases they are used “to facilitate money laundering, ransomware attacks, and other financial crimes.” BIS Criticizes...