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North Korean crypto hacks down 80% but that could change overnight: Chainalysis
15.9.2023
Crypto bad actors from the DPRK have stolen $340.4 million in 2023, down from $1.7 billion from the prior year, but that's no reason to feel at ease
PEPE Token Heist: Former Team Members Swipe $15 Million in Tokens, Lead Developer Vows to Rebuild and Decentralize
27.8.2023
Approximately 16 trillion PEPE tokens worth $15 million were illicitly transferred to crypto exchanges and sold, according to an announcement from the meme coin’s anonymous lead developer. The theft was allegedly orchestrated by three former team members who accessed the token’s...
Founders of Crypto Mixer Tornado Cash Accused of Laundering $1 Billion
24.8.2023
The founders of the cryptocurrency mixing service Tornado Cash were charged Thursday with allegedly helping to launder more than $1 billion in digital currency, including funds taken by North Korean hackers. Department of Justice: ‘You Can’t Hide From Us Behind a Keyboard — Whether You’re a Hacker...
Crypto scams are down 77% — but this exploit is making a huge comeback
12.7.2023
Attackers of this kind are supposedly "big game hunting” large-scale organizations with deep pockets to extract ”the most money possible” out of these firms
Bitcoin no longer crypto of choice for illicit crypto activity: TRM Labs
28.6.2023
While fiat channels remain the dominant tool for criminal financing, Bitcoin appears to have fallen out of favor for criminals as far as cryptocurrencies go
Why Elizabeth Warren Is Wrong About Crypto and the Fentanyl Epidemic
1.6.2023
FTX Finds $7.3 Billion in Liquid Assets; Lawyers Consider Rebooting Shuttered Crypto Exchange
13.4.2023
FTX debtors revealed during a hearing on April 12th that the restructuring team has collected $7.3 billion in liquid assets. The exchange is currently considering a relaunch, according to a lawyer representing the defunct cryptocurrency exchange. Following the announcement, the exchange’s...
US Treasury Report Warns of Defi’s Threat to National Security, Authors Conclude Fiat Is Used in Illicit Finance More Than Crypto
6.4.2023
The U.S. Treasury has released a 42-page report assessing the risks of decentralized finance (defi). The report states that specific nation-state adversaries, cybercriminals, ransomware attackers, thieves, and scammers are using defi to “transfer and launder their illicit proceeds.”...
Founder of Crypto Exchange Bitzlato Denies US Charges
16.3.2023
The founder of cryptocurrency exchange Bitzlato has denied guilt in a money laundering case in the United States. Anatoly Legkodymov was arrested in Miami, in mid-January, for his role in running the trading platform which allegedly processed over $700 million in illicit funds. Bitzlato Founder...
U.S. Treasury Poised to Release View on How DeFi Used in Illicit Finance
14.3.2023
The U.S. Treasury Department is close to releasing a risk assessment analyzing criminal use of decentralized finance (DeFi), according to Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes Elizabeth Rosenberg
Crypto Exchange Bitzlato Restores Access to User Funds
3.3.2023
Russia-linked cryptocurrency exchange Bitzlato has begun processing withdrawals of digital assets belonging to its customers. The trading platform was shut down in an operation carried out by law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and Europe alleging that it had been used to launder dirty money....
5 High-Profile Cryptocurrency Implosions Shatter Trust, Wipe out Billions in Value During 2022’s Crypto Winter
26.2.2023
2022 was a year of phenomenal cryptocurrency blowouts, as several projects collapsed and many more are on life support after the entire ecosystem was shattered. The fallout from these digital currency projects has not only removed billions of dollars in value from the crypto economy, but also...
US Treasury Seeks Public Comments on Crypto-Related Illicit Finance and National Security Risks
21.9.2022
The U.S. Department of the Treasury is seeking public input on “digital-asset-related illicit finance and national security risks.” The department warned: “The growing use of digital assets in financial activity heightens risks of crimes such as money laundering, terrorist...
Reports Say FTX Warns Customers Not to Interact With Aztec Network, CEO Sam Bankman-Fried Responds
21.8.2022
According to reports on social media, a number of users have complained that FTX has blocked a transaction that was associated with the Aztec Network’s zkmoney privacy technology. Following the accusations, FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried explained that transactions are monitored for...
Chainalysis: Illicit Crypto Activity Falls — Scam Revenue 65% Lower Than Last Year
18.8.2022
Chainalysis has found that illicit crypto volumes are down this year, with total scam revenue sitting at $1.6 billion, 65% lower than where it was through the end of July last year. “Those numbers suggest that fewer people than ever are falling for cryptocurrency scams,”...
South African Professor Accuses Central Bank Official of Spreading Misinformation That Damages Crypto Industry
3.8.2022
A South African professor, Steven Boykey Sidley, has branded as “balderdash” claims by the South African central bank deputy governor that “90% of cryptocurrency transactions” are illicit. The professor also accused the senior central bank official of spreading...
Top Diamond Producer De Beers Deploys Blockchain-Based Platform at Scale
11.5.2022
De Beers, one of the leading diamond-producing companies globally, recently announced the deployment of its blockchain-based diamond source platform at scale. The platform will “enable the provision of provenance information from source to Sightholder to store on a secure blockchain.”...
Illegal Use of Cryptocurrency Largely a Myth, Russian Lawmaker Says
30.4.2022
Only a small share of cryptocurrency transactions have illicit purposes and the use of digital coins in illegal activities is for the most part a myth, a high-ranking Russian lawmaker has recently stated. Andrey Lugovoy, who is one of the deputies working on new crypto regulations, also said Russia...
AUSTRAC releases 2 new guides to help spot illicit crypto use
21.4.2022
AUSTRAC also urged financial institutions from debanking clients who may be engaged in suspicious account activity, as a mistake could be costly to “Australia’s economy.”
US Treasury Official: We Don’t See That Crypto Could Be Used in Large-Scale Way to Evade Sanctions
20.3.2022
The U.S. Department of the Treasury does not see that cryptocurrency could be used in a large-scale way to evade sanctions. “Its share as a medium for illicit finance is not anywhere as large as just using cash,” a senior Treasury official noted. Treasury Department’s View...