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Korean Banks to Be Relieved of Liability for Crypto-Related Crime, Report Suggests
28.6.2021
Banking institutions in South Korea have reportedly requested to not be held accountable for crimes linked to cryptocurrencies such as money laundering. According to local media, financial regulators are now developing rules that could relieve Korean banks from responsibility when screening...
Europol Cracks Down on Vitae Belgian Ponzi Scheme, Recovers €1.5 Million in Crypto
28.6.2021
Europol, the EU law agency, cracked down on Vitae, a Belgian Ponzi scheme. Europol raided 17 locations related to the website, promoted as a social media site with its own cryptocurrency. The company operated in Switzerland under the name VITAE AG. Law enforcement officials recovered €1.1...
French court sentences BTC-e operator Alexander Vinnik to 5 years
28.6.2021
Vinnik’s lawyers fear Greek authorities will want him to face additional charges after the sentence
French Court of Appeals Upholds Alexander Vinnik’s Sentence
27.6.2021
A court of appeals in France has upheld the verdict in the case against BTC-e operator Alexander Vinnik. His lawyers vowed to continue the legal struggle against Vinnik’s return to Greece in order to avoid a likely extradition to the U.S. Court Confirms Vinnik’s 5-year Sentence...
FATF’s Annual Crypto Review Highlights ‘Continued Use of Anonymity Tactics’ and ‘Lack of Effective’ Regulation
26.6.2021
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has published the organization’s 12-month review and the research highlights that only 45% of the 128 reporting jurisdictions have complied with AML/CFT policy and FATF recommendations. The annual review stresses that the “lack [of]...
Scotland Yard Seizes Record £114 Million in Cryptocurrency
25.6.2021
British police have carried out U.K.’s largest crypto seizure to date. Detectives working on a money laundering case found a staggering £114 million worth of cryptocurrency in a suspect’s account. Scotland Yard vowed to continue the investigation. UK Makes One of World’s...
London Stock Exchange-listed firm inks FCA’s approval for crypto services
24.6.2021
Mode’s crypto arm Fibermode is now an official crypto asset firm in the United Kingdom, pursuant to FCA’s amended AML regulations
BIS: Cryptocurrencies Are Often Used in Financial Crimes, Money Laundering, Ransomware Attacks
24.6.2021
The Bank of International Settlements (BIS) says that it is now clear that cryptocurrencies are not money but speculative assets, emphasizing that in many cases they are used “to facilitate money laundering, ransomware attacks, and other financial crimes.” BIS Criticizes...
UK regulator warns against 111 unregistered crypto companies... and FOMO
23.6.2021
The Financial Conduct Authority has warned U.K. consumers of dealing with 111 unregistered crypto firms, calling it “a very real risk.”
Lack of crypto regulations alarming, says Italy's stock market regulator
14.6.2021
Crypto growing to a $1.6 trillion market without adequate regulations is a major worry for the head of Italy’s stock market oversight agency
A Look at How Second Life’s Linden Dollars Helped Kickstart Bitcoin’s Value
14.6.2021
When people think about bitcoin’s past they sometimes refer to subjects like Mt Gox, the Silk Road, or the famous pizza transaction. Although, people often forget that the online virtual world Second Life played an important role during the Bitcoin network’s early years. In fact, some...
India Probes Cryptocurrency Exchange Wazirx in Chinese Money Laundering Case
12.6.2021
India’s Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has reportedly sent a notice to Wazirx, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in India, under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, (FEMA). The investigation was initiated “on the basis of the ongoing money-laundering investigation into...
Russian Court Bans Websites Explaining How to Trade Bitcoin
11.6.2021
A court in Russia’s Perm region has decided to block a number of websites describing how to exchange cryptocurrency for fiat cash. Local prosecutors claim the dissemination of this type of information is against the law in Russia as it may facilitate the laundering of illicit funds. Kungur...
China Arrests 1,100 People Allegedly Using Cryptocurrency to Launder Criminal Proceeds
10.6.2021
Chinese authorities have announced that more than 170 criminal gangs have been eliminated and over 1,100 suspects arrested in the latest round of crackdown on criminal groups providing cryptocurrency money laundering services for telecom fraudsters. Crackdown on Telecom Fraud Using Cryptocurrency...
UK Regulator Extends Temporary Registrations Regime as Crypto Firms Fail to Meet AML Rules
4.6.2021
Many companies operating with cryptocurrencies are not meeting anti-money laundering regulations, the U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority revealed. The government agency has extended its temporary registration scheme after facing a growing number of crypto firms that are withdrawing their...
Binance Extends Blockade of Zimbabwean Crypto Users to Include Non-Resident Traders
3.6.2021
Malta-based cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, has reportedly extended its blockade of Zimbabwean users to include non-resident citizens. As a result of the new measures, all Zimbabwean nationals are now precluded from using the Binance trading platform. Zimbabwean Nationals Blocked Prior to...
Bitcoin Will Face Tougher Regulation as Popularity Grows, Says Sweden’s Central Banker
2.6.2021
The Swedish central bank’s governor says bitcoin will face tougher regulation given its sheer popularity that continues to grow. “When something gets big enough, things like consumer interests and money laundering come into play,” said Stefan Ingves, Governor of the Riksbank....
US Sends Bitcoin ATM Operator to Prison for Illegal Operation — 17 Machines Seized
29.5.2021
A bitcoin ATM operator has been sent to federal prison for two years for running an illegal cryptocurrency exchange operation. U.S. authorities have seized 17 bitcoin ATMs, along with some cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin. Illegal Bitcoin ATM Operator Sent to Prison The U.S. Department...
Uganda’s Financial Intelligence Authority Wants Government to Formulate a Crypto Regulatory Framework
25.5.2021
Uganda’s Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) says it wants the country’s Finance Ministry to help formulate a regulatory framework for crypto service providers. According to the FIA, this call for the government’s intervention has prompted by the Ugandan crypto industry’s...
Comparing the True Costs of Gold Mining in Africa With Those of Bitcoin Mining
24.5.2021
When billionaire Elon Musk announced that Tesla would no longer accept bitcoin as payment for its electric vehicles, the price of the crypto asset tanked. In justifying this decision, Musk cited bitcoin mining’s inefficient use of electricity as well as its impact on the environment. In fact...