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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...
DOJ Charges Trio Behind $400 Million SIM Swap Attack on FTX
4.2.2024
The United States Department of Justice has charged three individuals accused of masterminding the SIM-swapping attack that siphoned over $400 million from FTX. The indictment of the trio appears to undercut claims that incarcerated FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried was the mastermind behind the hack....
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...
SEC, DOJ Charge Individuals in $1.9 Billion Hyperfund Cryptocurrency Fraud
31.1.2024
The SEC alongside the DOJ, has levied serious charges against key figures in a $1.9 billion cryptocurrency fraud scheme involving Hyperfund. SEC and DOJ Crack Down on $1.9 Billion Hyperfund Crypto Fraud The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have taken...
Binance Regains Trading Volume Market Share Following Settlement with US DOJ
30.1.2024
Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has experienced a notable recovery in its trading volume market share, rebounding to 49% two months after settling its case with the United States Department of Justice and paying a $4.3 billion settlement fine. The data, provided by crypto research firm Kaiko...
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...
Trickbot Ransomware Developer Behind $833M Crypto Theft Gets Prison Term
26.1.2024
Source: Pixabay/Pete Linforth A 40-year-old Russian developer of Trickbot ransomware has been sentenced to a five-year prison term, according to the US Department of Justice (DoJ). In a press release dated January 25, the DoJ identified the individual as Vladimir Dunaev from Amur Oblast, Russia....
US Government to Sell $116 Million in Bitcoin Seized From Darknet Dealer ‘Xanaxman’
26.1.2024
The forfeiture division of the U.S. government has announced its plan to sell 2,933.64 bitcoin. These were confiscated from Ryan Farace, who faced charges in 2021 for laundering proceeds from drug trafficking. Farace, also known by his alias Xanaxman, disclosed in his plea agreement that...
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...