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U.S. Government to Auction $117 Million in Confiscated Bitcoin from Silk Road Case
26.1.2024
The U.S. government has filed a notice revealing its plans to auction approximately $117 million worth of Bitcoin (BTC) that was seized during a dark web drug bust. In a notice dated January 8, the government said it aims to auction nearly 2,875 BTC seized from Ryan Farace and Sean Bridges in 2021...
Crypto Backers B. Riley and Nomura Entangled in SEC Probe: Bloomberg
22.1.2024
Investment bank B. Riley is under an undisclosed investigation from U.S. authorities for its deals with Brian Kahn, an alleged co-conspirator in a U.S. Department of Justice criminal case
Crypto Firm USI Tech Founder Horst Jicha Arrested for Alleged $150 Million Fraud
22.1.2024
Horst Jicha, the founder of crypto firm USI Tech, has been arrested and charged by U.S. authorities for his involvement in an alleged $150 million international fraud scheme. According to a recent release published by the U.S. Depoartment of Justice (DOJ), Jicha, a 64-year-old German national,...
The DOJ “Led the Way” in Defining Boundaries for the Crypto Industry in 2023: Former US Prosecutor
1.1.2024
Image source: Reuters In 2023, the Department of Justice (DOJ) emerged as a leading force in defining the boundaries of the cryptocurrency industry through high-profile criminal prosecutions. While the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed civil lawsuits against major players in...
DOJ’s Decision on SBF Case Outrages Crypto Industry — Coinbase Calls It ‘Miscarriage of Justice’
31.12.2023
The decision by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) not to pursue a second trial against disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) has outraged the crypto industry. Crypto exchange Coinbase calls the decision a “miscarriage of justice.” One lawyer opined, “Ask yourself why is this case...
DOJ Halts Second Trial Against FTX’s Bankman Fried, Citing Sufficiency of Initial Evidence and ‘Public Interest’
30.12.2023
On Dec. 29, 2023, past 6 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), the Department of Justice (DOJ) conveyed in a letter to Judge Lewis Kaplan its decision to not move forward with a subsequent trial against Sam Bankman-Fried, the ex-CEO of FTX. FTX’s Bankman Fried Avoids Second Trial According to several...
FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried Won't Face Second Criminal Trial, U.S. Prosecutors Say
30.12.2023
Elections, SEC Cases, DOJ Cases: What Crypto Regulation May Bring in 2024
27.12.2023
The CoinDesk policy team is scattered throughout the world; in the final edition of this newsletter, each member explains what they're watching in 2024 in the world of crypto regulations. Happy holidays, and we'll see you next year!
US Court Finalizes Forfeiture of 69,370 Bitcoin from Silk Road
21.12.2023
Source: DALL·E A U.S. appeals court has completed a legal process finalizing the seizure of 69,370 Bitcoin from the Silk Road, the now defunct dark web marketplace. According to a court filing, the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit confirmed the transfer of the Bitcoin to federal...
Tether’s USDT Stablecoin Depegs from US Dollar on Exchanges After Company Froze $435M
18.12.2023
Tether’s cooperation with law enforcement has led to the USDT depeg crisis. Image by akif, Adobe Stock. Tether’s USDT, the largest stablecoin by market capitalization, depegged from its intended $1 price amid growing scrutiny over the company’s December 15 announcement of a wallet-freezing...
Binance Crackdown Unleashes Unprecedented Scrutiny on Crypto Transactions
18.12.2023
Source: Adobe / natali_mis The recent crackdown on Binance by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has triggered a seismic shift in how the crypto industry operates, with Binance now set to undergo what experts call an “unprecedented” level of scrutiny. The government scrutiny, which...
Tether Confirms Extensive Collaboration With DOJ, FBI and Secret Service
18.12.2023
Tether, the stablecoin company, has confirmed it has collaborated extensively with a series of U.S government agencies, including the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Secret Service. These team-ups are focused on making the stablecoin ecosystem safer...
DOJ Charges Four Individuals for Laundering Millions in Pig Butchering Scheme
14.12.2023
Four individuals have been charged by the Department of Justice for their alleged roles in a scheme designed to launder millions in proceeds of a cryptocurrency investment scam, according to a recently unsealed indictment. Over $80 million stolen According to a Thursday press release from...
Binance, CZ Claim Settlement With DoJ and FinCEN Irrelevant to SEC Lawsuit
13.12.2023
source: GeekWire/ Taylor Soper Binance Holdings and its former CEO, Changpeng Zhao, have filed a response to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) recent notice of supplemental authority concerning Binance’s settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). In...
DOJ Charges Two Men For $25 Million Crypto “Trading Bot” Ponzi Scheme
13.12.2023
Source: Department of Justice In another crackdown against crypto criminals, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged two middle-aged men with stealing over $25 million from victims in a so-called “cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme.” Citing court documents, the DOJ accused David Gilbert Saffron...
Former SEC Official Warns of the End of Binance — ‘It’s Only a Matter of Time Before Entire Binance Plea Deal Collapses’
12.12.2023
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s former head of internet enforcement has warned that the newly unsealed Department of Justice (DOJ) filing should “signal the end of Binance.” Additionally, he noted that the SEC has heightened its legal action against the crypto exchange....
Miami Crew Leader Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Crypto and Bank Fraud
11.12.2023
Source: Department of Justice The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced a sixty-three-month prison sentence against a Miami crew leader for using stolen identities to steal $4 million from a crypto exchange. Per a press release from the department late last month, Esteban Cabrera Da Corte...
Binance Founder Changpeng 'CZ' Zhao Stuck in U.S. Until Sentencing
8.12.2023
Binance founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao must remain in the U.S. until he is sentenced next February, a federal judge ruled Thursday
Crypto Exchange Bitzlato Co-Founder Pleads Guilty to U.S. Money Transmitter Charge
6.12.2023
Anatoly Legkodymov, a co-founder of Hong Kong-based crypto exchange Bitzlato, pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmitter. Bitzlato was sanctioned by the U.S government in January
Binance and CZ Settle With the DOJ and Other Federal Agencies
6.12.2023
On November 21, 2023, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Department of Treasury’s Finance Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and the Department of Justice (DOJ) all settled charges against Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency...