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OFAC Update Claims Ronin Hack Is Tethered to North Korea’s Hacker Syndicate Lazarus Group
15.4.2022
According to the U.S. Treasury and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the recent Ronin bridge hack may have been tied to the North Korean hacker syndicate called Lazarus Group. Federal law enforcement officials have tied the flagged ethereum address connected with the Ronin bridge exploit...
Ghana Central Bank Reiterates Warning Against Practice of Pricing Goods in Forex
12.4.2022
The Bank of Ghana has warned businesses and the public against the practice of demanding or making payments in foreign currency without its authorization. The central bank’s warning comes just over a month after Ghana’s currency was rated the worst performing among Africa’s...
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...
Feds Seize $34 Million in Crypto From Unidentified Florida Man
5.4.2022
On April 4, 2022, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of South Florida revealed that law enforcement seized $34 million in crypto assets from an unidentified man living in Florida. According to the DOJ, the man allegedly conducted more than 100,000 sales on darknet...
China Jails Kidnappers That Demanded ‘Hundreds of Bitcoins’ as Ransom Payment
1.4.2022
Chinese authorities have jailed four individuals that were accused of kidnapping one person and demanding “hundreds of bitcoins” as a ransom payment. While the alleged kidnapping is reported to have occurred in the Philippines, the cooperation between the two countries eventually...
Malaysia Detains Over 600 People for Stealing Electricity to Mine Cryptocurrency
30.3.2022
In the past two years, law enforcement authorities in Malaysia have arrested hundreds of individuals for theft of electricity allegedly used to mint digital currencies. The country’s police force has also confiscated equipment worth millions of dollars. Malaysia Police Announce Results From...
Crypto Pyramid Busted in Russia, Losses Exceed $10 Million
24.3.2022
Russian law enforcement agencies have gone after the organizers of a large crypto pyramid which has been promising extraordinarily high returns. The Ponzi scheme is being unraveled after a similar project defrauded thousands of investors in Russia, the region, and far beyond. Police Find Crypto...
Wex Exchange Co-Owner Reportedly Detained in Russia
23.3.2022
Authorities in Russia have arrested a crypto entrepreneur associated with an unidentified cryptocurrency exchange who is suspected of embezzling funds and property. According to a media report, the detained person is one of the owners of Wex, successor of the infamous BTC-e exchange. Owner of...
UK Regulator Issues Crypto Ads Notice to 50 Firms — Says ‘This Is a Red Alert Priority’
23.3.2022
The U.K.’s advertising authority has sent an enforcement notice to more than 50 companies that advertise cryptocurrencies. “We will monitor for compliance and implement sanctions if we do not see improvements,” said the regulator. British Advertising Regulator’s...
Kazakhstan Police Shut Down Another Crypto Farm Amid Ongoing Crackdown on Mining
22.3.2022
Law enforcement officers in Kazakhstan have busted another mining facility as they continue to crack down on illegal activities in the sector. The crypto farm, located at a railway station, is the latest targeted mining operation in the country which has been struggling with its power deficit....
UK Ad Regulator Sends 'Enforcement Notice' to Crypto Promoters
22.3.2022
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the self-regulatory organization of the advertising industry in the United Kingdom, has sent an "Enforcement Notice" to over 50 companies that promote digital assets, asking them to review their ads.
The notice mandates crypto companies to comply with...
8 US Lawmakers Urge SEC to Stop Crippling Crypto, Stifling Innovation
17.3.2022
Eight U.S. lawmakers have sent a letter to the chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding how the agency collects information from crypto companies. According to the crypto community, the SEC’s “requests” for information “are overburdensome...
Chinese Authorities Arrest Alleged Masterminds Behind an Online Virtual Currency Pyramid Scheme
16.3.2022
Authorities in China recently announced the arrest of ten suspects they say are behind an online pyramid platform that is thought to have stolen millions of dollars from unsuspecting users. The suspects are accused of using the promise of high returns and a regular income to lure more victims....
Over 100 illegal mining farms were shut down in enforcement raids in Kazakhstan
15.3.2022
Financial Monitoring Agency, Kazakhstan's financial watchdog, emphasizes the need to regulate the sector
UK's Law Enforcement Agency Calls for Regulation of Crypto Mixing Tech: Report
15.3.2022
The NCA called for regulation of crypto mixing tech as it may be used by criminals to legitimize illegal transactions
‘Ecstasy Kingpin’ From Brockton Forfeits $2.3M in Bitcoin to Massachusetts Law Enforcement
14.3.2022
A man from Brockton, Massachusetts was sentenced to eight years in prison and forced to forfeit 59 bitcoin worth $2.3 million, after he was caught selling Xanax, ecstasy, and ketamine on the deep web. Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins stressed during the announcement that the government...
UK Watchdog Asks Crypto ATM Providers to Stop Operating or ‘Face Enforcement Action’
13.3.2022
U.K. watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has told firms running crypto ATMs in the country that they are operating illegally and must therefore shut down their machines. Operators that fail to heed the warning will face enforcement action, the FCA said. Crypto ATM Providers Operating...
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...
South African Regulator Explains Why It Has Been Targeting Global Crypto Exchanges
8.3.2022
Brandon Topham, the head of enforcement at South Africa’s financial sector regulator, has insisted that his organization has not issued warnings to some global exchanges because they deal in crypto. Rather, the warnings have been made because the exchanges are not registered to offer...