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Latest Money Laundering News
News
Bybit’s CEO says more than $200 million of the $1.46 billion stolen from the exchange has become untraceable due to mixing services. Bybit‘s CEO Ben Zhou says nearly 20% of the funds are now untraceable, just less than two weeks…
Follow-up
The European Union has targeted Russia’s largest sanctioned crypto exchange, though analysts note it has operated successfully under sanctions for years. On Monday, Feb. 24, the European Council introduced the 16th sanctions package, adding Russian cryptocurrency exchange Garantex to the…
News
Alexey Pertsev, the Tornado Cash developer convicted of money laundering in 2024, has been released from prison under electronic monitoring as he continues his legal battle. The 31-year-old Russian national, sentenced to 64 months in a Dutch prison last May,…
News
Tornado Cash developer Alexey Pertsev claims he will be released from prison on Feb. 7 after a Dutch Court canceled his pretrial detention in exchange for electronic monitoring. In a post on X, Pertsev declared that he will be released…
TORN
Tornado Cash
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Spain’s Guardia Civil, in collaboration with Tether, TRON, and TRM Labs, froze $26.4 million in crypto linked to a European criminal network. Spanish authorities and the T3 Financial Crime Unit blocked $26.4 million in crypto tied to a money laundering…
News
Google removed Huione’s mobile app from its Play Store following reports of criminal activity on the platform.
News
Hack-related crypto laundering reached $1.3 billion in 2024, marking a 280% increase from 2023, PeckShield reveals. Crypto laundering tied to hacks reached $1.3 billion in 2024, representing representing nearly a threefold increase compared to $342 million in 2023, according to…
BTC
Bitcoin
WBTC
Wrapped Bitcoin
News
Taiwanese authorities have apprehended a 30-year-old man, identified as Chen, for operating as an unregistered virtual currency dealer under newly enforced anti-money laundering regulations. Chen, based in Kaohsiung, had been using Facebook groups to solicit cryptocurrency trades and arrange in-person…
USDT
Tether
News
The U.S. and South Korea have reportedly partnered to develop tools aimed at countering North Korea-linked crypto thefts and tracking billions of dollars in stolen digital assets. The United States and South Korea are said to be working together to…
News
Russian crypto exchange CEO was detained by Polish police due to fraud and money laundering; the perpetrator will be extradited to the United States. Police in Poland have arrested Dmitriv Vasiliev because of the breaking of Polish privacy laws. This…
News
Crypto is fueling a rise in complex money laundering schemes in 2024, the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering warns in its latest report. Money laundering schemes increasingly rely on crypto and multi-layered methods in 2024, highlight the growing complexity…
News
Larry Harmon, an Ohio resident, has been sentenced to three years in prison for laundering more than $300 million worth of Bitcoin through his darknet service, Helix, according to Bloomberg. The platform operated a tool designed to obscure the origins…
BTC
Bitcoin
News
The OSCE’s recent workshop brought together regulators from Ukraine, Moldova, and Armenia to address the urgent need for crypto regulations in the face of rising financial risks. Eastern Europe is doubling down on regulatory measures for crypto exchanges as the…
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Heather Morgan, the Wall Street rapper known as “Razzlekhan,” could face 18 months in prison for helping her husband launder millions from the 2016 Bitfinex hack. U.S. prosecutors seek an 18-month prison sentence for Heather Morgan, the Wall Street rapper…
BTC
Bitcoin
News
Six men operating under the name “Loverbois” have been convicted for laundering $15,000 to $50,000 in cryptocurrency in addition to selling nearly 12 kilograms of meth disguised as Adderall pills. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio…
News
Taiwan’s financial watchdog reportedly plans to launch a pilot program for crypto custody services, with three banks already expressing interest. Taiwan‘s Financial Supervisory Commission is set to launch a pilot program for crypto custody services, aiming to stimulate institutional adoption…
News
A recent United Nations report showed that criminal networks in Southeast Asia are increasingly using the messaging app Telegram to facilitate illicit activities, ranging from trading hacked data to laundering money through unlicensed cryptocurrency exchanges. The UN Office for Drugs...
USDT
Tether
News
Despite widespread misconceptions, cash remains the dominant tool for illicit finance, while blockchain offers greater transparency and traceability, a new study reveals. Cash remains the preferred tool for criminals engaging in illicit finance, despite the popular perception that cryptocurrencies dominate...
News
Kazakhstan’s financial authorities have frozen $1.2 million in crypto and shut down 19 illegal exchangers with a turnover exceeding $60 million. Kazakhstan has frozen $1.2 million in cryptocurrency and shut down 19 illegal over-the-counter platforms as part of a broader...
News
The US Department of Justice has seized domains linked to three crypto exchanges that have allegedly facilitated illicit transactions worth more than $800 million in relation to Russian money laundering operations. The US authorities obtained court authorization to seize the...
BTC
Bitcoin
News
Brazilian authorities have uncovered a $9.7 billion crypto laundering scheme, arresting suspects in multiple cities as part of a major financial crime investigation. Brazilian authorities have clamped down on a multi-billion-dollar money laundering scheme involving cryptocurrencies across multiple cities, including...
News
German authorities have taken down 47 cryptocurrency exchange services in a crackdown on illegal money laundering activities. The Federal Criminal Police Office in Germany and the Central Office for Combating Internet Crime led the operation, which targeted platforms allowing users...
News
Authorities in Argentina arrested a Russian national for laundering millions in crypto tied to North Korea’s Lazarus Group. Argentinian authorities have arrested a 29-year-old Russian national for money laundering, uncovering a multimillion-dollar operation based in the country. Per a report...
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China’s highest court and its public prosecution agency have for the first time recognized crypto transactions in their revised interpretation of the country’s anti-money laundering laws. At a joint press conference on Aug. 19, representatives of the Supreme People’s Court...
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Ukrainian financial detectives have charged a local blogger with $5 million in tax evasion through crypto transactions linked to online affiliate marketing. The Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine has charged a prominent local blogger with evading more than $5 million...
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The OSCE hosted a three-day training in Warsaw to enhance crypto investigation skills for Armenian and Georgian law enforcement. In an Aug. 14 press release, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe announced that it had conducted a specialized...
BTC
Bitcoin
News
Hong Kong customs dismantled a sophisticated money-laundering syndicate that processed over $190 million through crypto transactions and over 200 bank accounts. Hong Kong customs authorities have cracked down on a money-laundering operation that funneled HK$1.5 billion (around $192 million) in...
BTC
Bitcoin
News
Civil police in Brazil’s Sao Paulo have cracked down on a money laundering operation leveraging cryptocurrencies, run by the Primeiro Comando da Capital, a notorious drug gang. According to CNN, the PCC gang operated a cryptocurrency exchange that facilitated their...
BTC
Bitcoin
News
The Russian founder of Bitzlato was sentenced to time served for facilitating over $700 million in illegal crypto transactions. Anatoly Legkodymov, a Russian co-founder of Hong Kong-based crypto exchange Bitzlato that processed over $700 million worth of illicit crypto on...
Feature
Judge Katherine Polk Failla postponed the trial of Roman Storm, co-founder of Tornado Cash. What is happening in this controversial case, and is the crypto mixer responsible for its users? Due to the case’s complexity, the co-founder of the notorious...
News
Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chair, Olanipekun Olukoyede, advocates for the adoption of blockchain technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to combat illegal fund flows,
Feature
We examine the dual-edged sword of privacy in crypto, looking into how anonymity tools like mixers and privacy coins have impacted mass adoption amidst rising financial crimes. On Jan. 3, 2009, the public got the chance to experience what anonymity...
