Search
U.S. Treasury Department Highlights Increasing Use of Crypto by Criminals in 2024
7.2.2024
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has released its 2024 National Risk Assessments on Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing, and Proliferation Financing, outlining the most significant threats facing the United States in illicit finance. The reports detail updates to the anti-money laundering...
Belarus Sanctions ‘Antidote?’ Minsk Confirms ‘Blockchain-powered CBDC’ Launch
7.2.2024
Minsk is looking for ways to end Belarus’ sanctions woes, with its central bank confirming the planned launch of a blockchain-powered CBDC. Per Sputnik Belarus, the National Bank of Belarus (NBB) is keen to make use of smart contract technology. A spokesperson told reporters on February 3: “We plan...
ETHDenver Returns to Bridge the Gap Between Innovation and User-Centricity for Web3
5.2.2024
ETHDenver will drive discussions to set new standards for UX developments to onboard the next million users to web3 February 1, 2024, Denver, CO – ETHDenver, the world’s largest annual Web3 Community Innovation Festival returns for its 7th year from 29 February to 3 March 2024 at the National...
DOJ Charges Belarusian National With Money Laundering Conspiracy and Operating Unlicensed Crypto Exchange
4.2.2024
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged the Belarus national Aliaksandr Klimenka with money laundering conspiracy and the operation of an unlicensed money services business. Most of these criminal activities were perpetrated via BTC-e’s servers in the U.S. which were “leased...
Monei Starts Conducting Euro Stablecoin Tests
2.2.2024
European payment platform Monei has announced the start of the testing phase of EURM, a euro-pegged stablecoin, as part of the Bank of Spain’s national financial sandbox. The token will leverage Ethereum’s and Polygon’s blockchains, allowing each one of a reduced number of users...
Belarusian-Cypriot National Charged by US for Operating Unlicensed Crypto Exchange BTC-e
2.2.2024
Belarusian and Cypriot national has been charged in the US for operating an unlicensed cryptocurrency exchange BTC-e and money laundering conspiracy, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Aliaksandr Klimenka and Alexander Vinnik, allegedly controlled the digital currency exchange BTC-e...
Affected by the National Stock Market Downturn, Chinese Investors Have Flocked to Gold
1.2.2024
Chinese investors have been buying gold as an investment, motivated by the poor performance of traditional stock and property options. According to World Gold Council (WGC) reports, China had the largest demand for gold for jewelry and investment purposes in 2023. This, and the demand from central...
Russian Banking Association Launches ‘Digital Assets Council’
1.2.2024
Russia’s biggest securities and banking association has launched a “council” for the self-regulation of “digital assets.” Per RBC and an official National Association of Stock Market Participants (NAUFOR) announcement, the NAUFOR’s Board of Directors created the council on January 30. NAUFOR is...
Belarus Actively Developing CBDC Platform on Hyperledger Fabric Blockchain
31.1.2024
Belarus is at the forefront of financial innovation as it takes significant strides towards introducing its Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), the digital Belarusian ruble. In collaboration with the Center for Banking Technologies, the National Bank of Belarus is leveraging the open Hyperledger...
BRICS Meeting: Iran Pushes for Common Currency — China, Russia Prioritize Settlements in Local Currencies
31.1.2024
The first BRICS sherpa meeting with 10 member states has kicked off in Russia with representatives from Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Egypt, and Ethiopia. China, Russia, and Iran are all advocating for the use of national currencies...
Monero Tracing: Privacy Coin Proponents Dismiss Finnish Law Enforcement Agency’s Tracing Breakthrough Claims
31.1.2024
A Finnish law enforcement agency, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), recently claimed that it may have found a way to trace the privacy coin Monero. However, proponents of the privacy coin have dismissed the agency’s claims and insisted that the cryptocurrency is still untraceable....
Super Bowl 58 Wagers Heat up — 49ers Lead as Crypto Betting Markets Favor Their Victory
30.1.2024
In just under two weeks, the National Football League (NFL) champions of the American Football Conference (AFC), the Kansas City Chiefs, and their counterparts from the National Football Conference (NFC), the San Francisco 49ers, will clash in the much-anticipated Super Bowl 58. As of right...
Defendant Pleads Guilty to Drug Related Charges, Forfeits $150 Million Worth of Cryptocurrency
30.1.2024
An Indian national has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and narcotics-linked charges issued by a United States District Court. The guilty plea resulted in a forfeiture of $150 million worth of cryptocurrency. In a recent press release, the United States Attorney General’s Office in the Southern...
Indian National Pleads Guilty in Case Involving ‘Largest Single Cryptocurrency and Cash Seizure in DEA History’
30.1.2024
An Indian national has pleaded guilty in a case involving “the largest single cryptocurrency and cash seizure” in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) history. The defendant “is designated as a Consolidated Priority Target, which makes him one of the most significant...
Belarus Set to Launch Hyperledger Fabric-powered Digital Ruble Platform
30.1.2024
Belarus is edging closer to the launch of its CBDC, the digital Belarusian ruble, with a new “platform” built on the open Hyperledger Fabric blockchain network. Per Ekononmicheskaya Gazeta, the National Bank of Belarus and the Center for Banking Technologies “began developing a platform for...
Crypto Forensics Breakthrough: Finnish Authorities Trace Monero in High-Profile Hack
28.1.2024
The National Bureau of Investigation in Finland has reportedly made significant progress in tracing Monero (XMR) transactions as part of an ongoing investigation into the criminal trial of Julius Aleksanteri Kivimäki. Kivimäki stands accused of hacking a private mental health firm’s database...
Chinese Investors Are Turning to Crypto Amidst a National Stock Market Slump
27.1.2024
Chinese investors are increasingly putting part of their portfolios in cryptocurrency due to the state of the national stock market. According to reports, investors are using exchanges like Binance or Okx, or Hong Kong local exchanges, to purchase crypto using payment methods like Alipay...
Amid Rising ‘National Divorce’ Talks, Exploring the Potential Impact on US Dollar in Hypothetical Second Civil War
26.1.2024
In the wake of Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s latest declaration, emphasizing Texas’ inherent constitutional right to defend itself and pointing to the Biden administration’s lack of enforcement of federal immigration statutes, the rhetoric around a potential “national...
South Korean Tax Body Seized Crypto Worth $28.4m From ‘Tax Dodgers’ in 2023
24.1.2024
South Korea’s tax body last year confiscated cryptoassets worth $28.4 million from citizens who were trying to avoid paying taxes. Per Newsis, the number of “crypto tax dodgers” has ballooned from 5,741 – a figure reported in late 2022 – to 10,849. The latest figures come from the National...
US Senator Elizabeth Warren Comments Digital Assets Are Used to Evade Economic Sanctions
23.1.2024
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized the illegal use of cryptocurrency assets by bad actors. Commenting on a report issued by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), Warren declared that “rogue nations are using crypto to dodge sanctions and undermine our national...