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OSCE Trains Uzbekistan Law Enforcement to Track and Seize Crypto, Search Dark Web
22.10.2022
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has set out to teach law enforcement officers in Uzbekistan how to conduct crypto and dark web investigations. The regional body recently organized a training course for employees of the country’s security agencies in Tashkent....
Turkey Seizes $40 Million in Crypto, Detains 46 Suspects in Criminal Investigation: Report
22.10.2022
Turkish authorities have reportedly seized $40 million in cryptocurrency and detained 46 people in an illegal betting investigation. “This operation came out of Turkish Cyprus and is linked to the murder of Halil Falyalı,” Turkish Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu said....
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...
US Crypto Regulation Bill Needs More Work to Define Boundaries, Former Prosecutor Says
8.8.2022
Former federal prosecutor Grant Fondo joined CoinDesk TV’s “First Mover” to discuss the latest effort by the U.S. Senate to divy up crypto regulation between the SEC and CFTC, and why that effort doesn’t settle the issue of who should regulate what
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....
Director of Listed Chinese Company Embezzles $8 Million, Uses Funds to Purchase Bitcoin Mining Rigs
7.6.2022
A Chinese prosecutor is reported to have given a thumbs up to the arrest of a listed big data company director accused of embezzling $8 million and using the funds to buy bitcoin mining rigs. Although Li Qunnan has denied the allegations, executives insist their evidence implicates him....
Bulgarian Chief Prosecutor Accused of Willfully Failing to Act Against Onecoin Fraudsters
3.6.2022
The legal representative of victims of the Onecoin bitcoin scam operation, Jonathan Levy, has accused the Bulgarian prosecutor of deliberately failing to take action against Onecoin. The lawyer said due to the prosecutor’s inaction, more victims are losing millions of dollars to...
Russian Court Recognizes Cryptocurrency as Means of Payment, Prosecutors See Precedent
24.5.2022
The City Court of St. Petersburg has recognized a large amount of cryptocurrency handed over by the victim in an extortion case as a means of payment, Russian media reported. The prosecutor’s office in Russia’s second-largest city describes the ruling as a precedent. Two Men Sentenced...
Russian Appellate Court Cancels Decision to Block Tor Project’s Website
23.5.2022
A court of appeals in Russia has overturned a ruling by a regional court which allowed the blocking of the Tor Project’s website in the country. Due to violations during the initial proceedings, the case has been returned to the court of the first instance for another review. Roskomsvoboda...
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...
Prosecutor Seeks Thousands of Years of Prison for Missing CEO of Turkish Crypto Exchange Thodex
3.4.2022
Members of the team of the now defunct Turkish crypto exchange Thodex may receive thousands of years in prison, if the court backs the prosecutor’s plea in the case. The trading platform’s CEO has been missing for the past year since Thodex suspended activities in a suspected exit...
German Prosecutors Hire Local Bank to ‘Clean’ Seized Crypto Worth $113 Million
24.12.2021
German prosecutors have hired a bank to “clean” cryptocurrency seized in criminal cases. “As the cryptocurrencies are related to crime, they are considered ‘contaminated coins’ and cannot be traded on mainstream exchanges,” the bank said. Bank Hired...
Prosecutor General’s Office Wants to See ‘Cryptocurrency’ in Russian Law
10.12.2021
The Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation has insisted that the term “cryptocurrency” should be added to the country’s legislation. The move would allow authorities in Moscow to confiscate digital assets that have been involved in criminal activities....
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 Federal Prosecutor: There’s Much More to Crypto Than Financial Use Cases, Regulation Cannot Be One Size Fits All
1.10.2021
Former federal prosecutor Katie Haun says that regulators really need to take stock of the fact that we’re beyond just financial use cases of cryptocurrency. “There’s much more to crypto than that,” she said, adding that “Regulation cannot be one size fits...
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...