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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...
Ukraine Shuts Down Illegal Mining Farm With 150 Rigs
3.7.2021
Law enforcement officials in Ukraine have closed down a cryptocurrency mining farm that was minting digital coins using stolen electricity. The facility had more than 150 mining rigs that have been confiscated during a raid in Chernihiv region. Authorities in Ukraine Seize Over 150 ASICs From...
SEC appoints New Jersey Attorney General as director of enforcement
1.7.2021
The SEC has appointed New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal as the Director of the Division of Enforcement
Europol Cracks Down on Vitae Belgian Ponzi Scheme, Recovers €1.5 Million in Crypto
28.6.2021
Europol, the EU law agency, cracked down on Vitae, a Belgian Ponzi scheme. Europol raided 17 locations related to the website, promoted as a social media site with its own cryptocurrency. The company operated in Switzerland under the name VITAE AG. Law enforcement officials recovered €1.1...
Africrypt Directors Deny Allegations They Fleeced Clients as Doubts Over Actual Value Missing Bitcoins Grows
27.6.2021
According to new reports, Raees and Ameer Cajee, the two young directors of the recently collapsed crypto investment firm, Africrypt, have “categorically denied” allegations they fleeced clients. Instead, the brothers insist their company is the victim of a hack while also claiming that...
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...
US Regulators Have Imposed $2.5 Billion Penalties on Crypto Firms and Individuals
25.6.2021
A new report shows that U.S. regulators have imposed fines and penalties totaling $2.5 billion on crypto firms and individuals so far. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has imposed the most fines, followed by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Meanwhile, the U.S....
DOJ Seeks Trial Attorney With Extensive Blockchain and Crypto Knowledge
24.6.2021
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking a trial attorney to help with the federal executive agency’s Digital Currency Initiative. The DOJ posted a job listing on the justice.gov web portal and the hired individual is expected to serve as an “expert on digital currency...
FCA Warns 111 Crypto Firms Are Operating Illegally in UK — Says ‘This Is a Very Real Risk’
24.6.2021
U.K.’s financial regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has warned that 111 companies are offering crypto services in the country without proper registration. “This is a very real risk so we are worried about that,” said the regulator’s head of enforcement...
Abkhazia Shuts Down 8 Crypto Farms Amid Ongoing Crackdown on Mining
16.6.2021
Authorities in Abkhazia, the partially recognized South Caucasus republic, have discovered and closed down eight crypto mining farms in just two weeks. Since the beginning of June, law enforcement agents have disconnected more than 300 mining devices from the grid and fined an operator. Over...
Tunisian Minister Says He Plans to ‘Decriminalize’ the Buying of Bitcoin
16.6.2021
After reports that Tanzanian President Samia Hassan had asked her finance chief to look into cryptocurrencies, Tunisia has become the latest African country to signal a willingness to embrace digital assets. According to remarks attributed to Ali Kooli, Tunisia’s economy minister, the North...
US Senator Urges Treasury Secretary to ‘Make Significant Revisions’ to FinCEN’s Crypto Proposal
13.6.2021
U.S. Senator Pat Toomey has urged Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to “make significant revisions” to the proposed crypto regulation by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and the planned adoption of the guidance issued by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Senator...
FBI Seizes 800 Beverly Hills Safety Deposit Boxes With $86M, Attorneys Claim Fed’s Raid ‘Unconstitutional’
12.6.2021
The Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI) is under fire for an alleged unconstitutional seizure of 800 safety deposit boxes in Beverly Hills. According to reports, the FBI confiscated $86 million in cash, jewelry, and thousands of gold and silver bars. Box holders and their lawyers are calling out...
India Probes Cryptocurrency Exchange Wazirx in Chinese Money Laundering Case
12.6.2021
India’s Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has reportedly sent a notice to Wazirx, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in India, under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, (FEMA). The investigation was initiated “on the basis of the ongoing money-laundering investigation into...
Iran Seizes 3,000 Crypto Mining Devices in a Week
10.6.2021
Authorities in Iran have confiscated 3,000 units of mining hardware in just one week as part of a push to curb illegal crypto mining amid power shortages and blackouts. In a single year, Iranian law enforcement has shut down over 180 crypto farms in Tehran Province alone. Over 500 Crypto Mining...
FBI Agent Recovers Private Key to $2.3M in Bitcoin Paid to Colonial Pipeline Hackers
8.6.2021
U.S. law enforcement officials from the Justice Department on Monday announced the seizure of $2.3 million dollars worth of crypto assets that were paid to the Colonial Pipeline hackers. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco explained during a news conference that federal agents “recaptured...
Kyrgyzstan Seizes 2,000 Cryptocurrency Mining Devices
28.5.2021
Law enforcement authorities in Kyrgyzstan have confiscated thousands of crypto mining machines as part of a new offensive against illegal cryptocurrency mining in the country. Investigators have also identified industrial enterprises that have been supplying the bitcoin farms with electricity....
Ontario Securities Commission Snuffs out Crypto Exchanges, Poloniex Targeted for Flouting Compliance
26.5.2021
The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) published documentation on Tuesday that claims the Seychelles-based crypto exchange, Poloniex has failed to contact the OSC in order to start compliance discussions. Poloniex meets the OSC’s jurisdiction because the trading platform operates trading...
SEC Chair Gensler Says Cryptocurrency Exchanges Need More Regulation, Asks Congress to Weigh in
21.5.2021
The new chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Gary Gensler, is pushing for more regulation around cryptocurrency exchanges, citing the need for investor protection in this area. He has asked Congress to weigh in. SEC Chairman Pushes for More Crypto Regulation SEC Chairman...
US SEC Has Brought 75 Enforcement Actions on Crypto Industry
13.5.2021
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has brought 75 enforcement actions against companies and individuals in the crypto industry so far, according to a new report by Cornerstone Research. The agency also brought 19 trading suspension orders against digital asset market participants...