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US Senator Calls on SEC Chairman to Provide Regulatory Clarity on Cryptocurrencies
25.9.2021
A U.S. senator has asked the chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Gary Gensler, to provide clear guidance on cryptocurrency regulation. The senator stated that in many enforcement actions, “the SEC did not identify the securities involved or the rationale for their...
Court Extends Detention of Finiko Pyramid Founder Doronin and His Right-Hand Man
25.9.2021
A court in Tatarstan has extended the detention of Kirill Doronin, founder of Russia’s largest Ponzi scheme in recent times, Finiko. Doronin will spend at least two more months in custody as authorities fear he could hide from law enforcement. Ilgiz Shakirov, vice-president of the crypto...
Former Monero Developer Spagni Released From US Prison, Pledges to Address Fraud Allegations
23.9.2021
Former Monero developer Riccardo Spagni has been released from a U.S. prison where he reportedly spent “sixty-one days in solitary confinement.” The developer’s release was prompted by the failure of South African authorities “to make a timely submission in support of...
CFTC commissioner: agency doesn’t have enforcement resources without Congress
21.9.2021
"We’re not necessarily looking for more authority without more resources," said Dan Berkovitz in regards to crypto markets
Coinbase signs new $1.36M contract with US Customs enforcement agency
20.9.2021
Coinbase has inked its second deal to develop software for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency since August
Russian Police Arrest 2 Women, High-Ranking Members of Finiko Crypto Pyramid
11.9.2021
Law enforcement in the Russian republic of Tatarstan have made new arrests in connection with the crypto Ponzi scheme Finiko. Two women detained this week are believed to have attracted millions of dollars to the pyramid. The now collapsed Finiko lured investors from a number of countries in...
Payments Giant Mastercard Acquires Blockchain Intelligence Firm Ciphertrace
9.9.2021
Mastercard, the American multinational financial services corporation, announced the company is dipping further into the digital asset ecosystem by acquiring the blockchain intelligence firm Ciphertrace. The partnership announcement says the firm will help bolster Ciphertrace’s...
‘SEC Will Stop at Nothing to Control Entire Crypto Space,’ Says Former Federal Prosecutor
9.9.2021
A former federal prosecutor says that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) “will stop at nothing to control the entire crypto space.” The SEC has now threatened to sue the Nasdaq-listed crypto exchange Coinbase. The regulator is already in an ongoing lawsuit with Ripple...
Mastermind of Zimbabwean Bitcoin Pyramid Scheme Vanishes With $6 Million
3.9.2021
Reports from Zimbabwe suggest that an individual by the name of Martin Mhlanga, who is the mastermind behind the Cryptoshares bitcoin pyramid scheme, has disappeared along with over $6 million in investor funds. In addition to Mhlanga’s disappearance, the individuals thought to be managing...
SEC Allegedly Probes Operators Behind World’s Largest Decentralized Exchange, Uniswap: Report
3.9.2021
According to a recent report, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has allegedly started probing the startup that operates the decentralized exchange (dex) Uniswap. The dex platform Uniswap is the largest dex in terms of trade volume with over $10 billion in crypto tokens swapped...
$2 Billion Crypto Fraud Bitconnect and Founder Charged — Director Pleads Guilty to Criminal Charges
3.9.2021
The $2 billion crypto fraud scheme Bitconnect and its founder have been charged in the U.S. In a parallel enforcement action, a Bitconnect director and top promoter has pleaded guilty to criminal charges in the U.S. “The Bitconnect scheme is believed to be the largest cryptocurrency fraud...
Legalized Theft: Police Seize $87,000 From Former Marine but Don’t Charge Him With a Crime
2.9.2021
A recently published report that went viral across social media details how a former U.S. Marine, Stephen Lara, was pulled over by police and was suspected of being a drug trafficker. Police then searched Lara’s vehicle and subsequently took $87,000 in cash from a bag kept in Lara’s...
IRS Agent Poses as Bitcoin Trader Called ‘Mr. Coins,’ Biden’s IRS Wants ‘Outflow and Inflow’ Data From Banks
2.9.2021
Over the last few weeks, Americans have read about the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) upping its tax enforcement to catch cryptocurrency users who have not paid taxes. According to one report, the IRS may get access to bank inflows and outflows via Joe Biden’s American Families Plan....
Seychelles Law Enforcement Receives Request to Probe Transfer of 230K Onecoin Bitcoins
1.9.2021
The Seychelles Police Financial Crime Investigation Unit (FCIU) recently confirmed receiving a request for an investigation into several transactions linked to the transfer of 230,000 bitcoins. The cryptocurrency is said to be associated with pyramid scam Onecoin. Onecoin Loot in Dubai Besides...
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...
CFTC commissioner says agency has broad enforcement authority on crypto derivatives
23.8.2021
"A trading platform that offers derivatives on digital assets to U.S. persons without registering, or in violation of CFTC trading rules, is subject to the CFTC’s enforcement authority," said Dawn Stump
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...
Kenyans Cautioned Against Investing in BTC Company Promising Returns of 400% in Six Hours
18.8.2021
A Kenyan regulator, the Capital Markets Authority (CMA), has cautioned investors and Kenyan citizens against investing with Fxbitinvest, a bitcoin trading company. The warning was issued after the regulator noted Fxbitinvest’s use of exaggerated return-on-investment promises to lure...
US Government Now Offers Informants Crypto Rewards in Addition to Bank Wires, Suitcases Full of Cash
16.8.2021
Attendees of the Black Hat hacker conference in Las Vegas were introduced to a new advertisement crafted by the U.S. State Department. According to individuals who accessed the government advertisement via an open Wi-Fi network called “#Rewardsnotransoms” they discovered the U.S....
Darknet Users Leverage a New Blockchain Analytics Tool That Scans for Ties to Criminal Activity
16.8.2021
According to the blockchain intelligence firm Elliptic, cybercriminals are leveraging cryptocurrency analytics to get ahead of law enforcement. Elliptic says a “blockchain analytics tool has been launched on the dark web” and the tool is called “Antinalysis.” Meet...