The first woman to gain more than a million YouTube subscribers is now going all-in on bitcoin to promote financial freedom to her loyal fanbase. “I kind of view bitcoin as similar to YouTube, which…
Argentinean Prosecutor Investigates an Alleged Bitcoin Scam Ganancias…
In Mendoza, Argentina, law enforcement launched an investigation against a sports-related investment site for presumably being a bitcoin scam. Among the inquiries, authorities are investigating if they’re involved in money laundering and tax evasion. Platform…
Seized Silk Road Bitcoin Worth $3 Billion Likely…
Over $3 billion worth in bitcoin seized by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), belonging to Silk Road, are likely linked to a former U.S. Secret Service agent. The latest findings suggest that “Individual X”…
Serbian National Arrested and Extradited to the US…
A Serbian national has been extradited to the United States to face charges of defrauding investors out of more than $70 million through a cryptocurrency mining and binary options scam. Antonije Stojilkovic, 32, and six…
International Operation Disrupts Ransomware Group Netwalker by Tracing…
In collaboration with Bulgarian authorities, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) disrupted a well-known ransomware gang’s infrastructure. Law enforcement seized their servers and traced the illicit funds with the help of blockchain forensic analytics via…
Major Darknet Marketplace for Stolen Cards Shuts Down…
The longest-running marketplace for stolen credit cards on the darknet has announced the shutting down of its services. The administrator of Joker’s Stash, founded in 2014, stated that the site would be taken down in…
How compliance software detects fraud and money laundering…
The crypto industry has boomed over the past 12 months. While 2019 began with a total market cap of $200 billion, the explosion in Bitcoin’s value resulted in this figure surging fivefold as 2020 began…
South African Court Grants Order to Liquidate Mirror…
A South African High Court recently granted a provisional liquidation order against Mirror Trading International (MTI) following an application for relief by two investors who failed to withdraw their bitcoin. According to a statement released…
What Are Stablecoins?
A “stablecoin” is a type of cryptocurrency whose value is tied to an outside asset, such as the U.S. dollar or gold, to stabilize the price. Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum offer a number…
Popular Browsers Like Google Fail to Catch Copycat…
As the digital asset economy grows popular and a number of crypto companies become well known, copycat scammers appear in greater numbers. There are a number of websites that are clones of the official web…
US Lawmakers Caution Against Regulations Restricting Use of…
Four U.S. lawmakers have sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, warning of the risks of restricting the use of self-hosted cryptocurrency wallets. Their concerns follow reports that the Treasury Department may be on…
Darknet Market Crypto Revenues Hit All-Time Highs in…
A study revealed that darknet markets have astonishing figures so far in 2020, despite the coronavirus pandemic, but the dynamics changed compared to the last year’s numbers. Darknet Vendors Surpassed $800 Million in Revenues Despite…
Onchain Researchers Suspect Chinese Government Sold Plustoken’s Billion-Dollar…
A number of masterminds from the Plustoken scam were sentenced to 11 years in prison for defrauding cryptocurrency investors. Last week, on November 19, a court ruling had shown the Chinese government said that it…
Chinese Police Seize $4.2 Billion in Multiple Cryptocurrencies…
Chinese police have seized more than $4.2 billion worth of crypto assets in its clampdown against the Plustoken Ponzi scheme. According to a court ruling made public on Nov. 26, and shared by The Block,…
Ciphertrace Files 2 Patents for Systems to Identify…
Cryptocurrency intelligence firm Ciphertrace has filed two patent applications for tools and systems to trace monero transactions. The company aims to enable the detection of criminal uses of privacy coins like monero. Monero Tracing Patents…
Televend’s Complex System of Telegram Drug Bots Swell…
During the last few months following the departure of the infamous Empire darknet market (DNM), a great number of DNM users have been flocking to alternative vendors. More recently, a new bot service on Telegram…
Sharktron Defi Project Devs Exit Scam: Tron Foundation…
Developers of the Sharktron defi project have exit scammed with reports suggesting that TRX tokens worth up to $10 million are missing. The Tron Foundation has confirmed the theft, but is quick to inform Sharktron…
A Look at ‘Individual X’ and the Seized…
On November 3, 2020, the cryptocurrency community noticed that one of the largest addresses holding 69,369 bitcoins from the Silk Road were transferred. Following the onchain movement, the U.S. government revealed it had seized the…
$1.1 Billion Crypto Ponzi: Masterminds of Wotoken Head…
A Chinese court has confirmed the sentencing of the masterminds behind the 7.7 billion yuan Chinese Ponzi scheme Wotoken, which had over 715,000 investors. Wotoken Scammers Sentenced to Prison The Intermediate People’s Court of Yancheng…
P2P Trading Resumes on Okex While Withdrawals Freeze…
Asian cryptocurrency exchange Okex says peer to peer trading is now open but the freeze on withdrawals remains in effect. In an update, Okex CEO Jay Hao reveals that buying cryptocurrency via the fiat gateway…
US Financial Watchdog Fines Bitcoin Mixer Service $60…
Larry Dean Harmon, founder and operator of early bitcoin mixing services Helix and Coin Ninja, is being fined $60 million by the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (Fincen) for allegedly violating anti-money laundering rules.…
US Financial Watchdog Fines Bitcoin Mixer Service for…
Larry Dean Harmon, founder and operator of early bitcoin mixing services Helix and Coin Ninja, is being fined $60 million by the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (Fincen) for allegedly violating anti-money laundering rules.…
Coinbase Received 1,900 Requests for Client Info From…
Coinbase has revealed that it received a total of 1,914 requests for customer data from global law enforcement agencies during the first six months of 2020. It is, however, not clear how many of the…
Okex Halts Withdrawals Due to ‘Out of Touch’…
The digital currency exchange Okex disabled cryptocurrency withdrawals on Friday morning and explained that funds were “safe and not affected.” Following the withdrawal announcement, regional reports claim that Okex’s founder Mingxing “Star” Xu was taken…
Despite Daily Transactions Peaking IRS Scare Tactics Have…
Privacy coin Monero presses on full steam ahead as its daily transaction count reaches all-time highs. Data from bitinfocharts.com shows the daily number of XMR transactions peaked at 20.136k on October 12, 2020. This smashes…
CipherTrace gives officials tips on how to uncover…
Blockchain forensics firm CipherTrace has published comprehensive guidance to assist law enforcement officials in identifying signs of cryptocurrency use when carrying out criminal investigations. The report notes that the U.S. Department of Treasury has identified…
CipherTrace gives officials tips on how to uncover…
Blockchain forensics firm CipherTrace has published comprehensive guidance to assist law enforcement officials in identifying signs of cryptocurrency use when carrying out criminal investigations. The report notes that the U.S. Department of Treasury has identified…
The Silk Road Balance Sheet Discrepancy: Bitcoin Worth…
The original Silk Road marketplace has been shut down for well over seven years now and to this day, 444,000 bitcoin worth $4.8 billion is still missing. Just recently, a report focused on those funds…
US Government Moves to Regulate Cryptocurrencies After Attorney…
United States Attorney General (AG) William Barr says the recent publishing of the Cryptocurrency Enforcement Framework will help law enforcement to fight elements using digital currencies for illicit ends. Produced by the AG’s Cyber-Digital Task…
While Darknet Users Search for New Markets, Global…
During the last month since the fall of Empire Market, darknet market (DNM) patrons have been migrating to alternative markets. Meanwhile, global law enforcement recently arrested 179 individuals tied to DNMs and seized over $6.5…
Kucoin CEO Says Exchange Hack Suspects ‘Found,’ $204…
According to the Kucoin exchange CEO Johnny Lyu, the trading platform has recovered $204 million in crypto assets since October 1. The exchange executive says the hacking suspects have been “found” and the “police are…
Chainalysis and Integra Win $1.25 Million IRS Contract…
Crypto intelligence firm Chainalysis and data forensics company Integra Fec have won a combined $1.25 million contract to provide tools that break the privacy-focused coin, monero, for the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Floated early…
KuCoin: User Funds Will Be ‘Covered Completely’ After…
KuCoin, a digital asset exchange based in Singapore, has announced that at least $150 million worth of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency tokens has been withdrawn from its hot wallets into an unknown wallet. In…
Why traders are not worried that the KuCoin…
Analysts say that the unknown hacker behind the KuCoin breach is selling the stolen ERC-20 tokens on Uniswap. Although selling tokens on the Ethereum-based decentralized exchange allows the hacker to obtain Ether (ETH), it doesn’t…
Bitcoin price unfazed after $150M hack of major…
In an official statement, KuCoin Global CEO Johnny Lyu confirmed a major hacking attack on Sep. 26. The breach affected the firm’s Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), and ERC20 hot wallets, after private keys were leaked.…
US Indicts Hackers Stealing $17M in Bitcoin and…
Two people have been charged in the U.S. for allegedly using “a sophisticated market manipulation scheme” to defraud and steal $17 million in bitcoin and ether from users of three cryptocurrency exchanges worldwide. The targeted…
US Indicts 2 People Stealing $17M in Bitcoin…
Two people have been charged in the U.S. for allegedly using “a sophisticated market manipulation scheme” to defraud and steal $17 million in bitcoin and ether from users of three cryptocurrency exchanges worldwide. The targeted…
‘You Are Not Anonymous on Tor’ – Study…
Privacy advocates are growing leery of the Tor network these days, as recently published research has shown a great number of network’s exit relays are compromised. Furthermore, on September 15, the Hacker Factor Blog published…
Hydra’s ‘Complex Drug Delivery System’ in Russia Overshadows…
On September 14, the blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis reported on the infamous Russian darknet marketplace (DNM) known as Hydra and noted the DNM is Eastern Europe’s “sixth-largest service by volume in the region.” Moreover, the…
IRS to Pay $625K to Crack Monero, Crypto…
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) wants to pay a contractor $625,000 if they can crack layer-two privacy schemes and the privacy-centric crypto asset monero (XMR). The tax agency says that the entity has “limited…
6 Members of the Multi-Billion Dollar Plustoken Scam…
Following the arrest of 109 accused members of the $6 billion Ponzi scheme called Plustoken, six alleged members of the team were prosecuted according to a court filing submitted on Monday. The prosecutors say the…
Hash Power Broker Nicehash Denies It Enables 51%…
Hash power broker Nicehash denies that it enables bad actors to use its hash renting platform to launch 51% attacks on blockchain networks. The broker insists that it does not have any way of monitoring…
‘Bitcoin Should Be Traded Like Stock’ in India,…
The founder of Begin India Think Tank says that bitcoin should be regulated as stock, which he believes is the legal status the cryptocurrency should get in India. He also believes that Bitcoin may be…
‘Bitcoin Should Be Traded Like Stock,’ Says Begin…
The founder of Begin India Think Tank says that bitcoin should be regulated as stock, which he believes is the legal status the cryptocurrency should get in India. He also believes that Bitcoin may be…
Criminals Target Privacy Coins: How To Avoid Downloading…
Reports in the past few weeks detail that bad actors are targeting two privacy coin projects, Monero and Zcash, adding to concerns about the growing rate of security incidents involving blockchain networks. Such incidents, as…
Major South Korean Crypto Exchange Raided by Police…
South Korean police raided the country’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Bithumb on September 2 as part of an investigation of fraud allegedly committed by the organization’s main shareholder. With the recorded number of visitors to the…
Ciphertrace Allegedly Builds Monero-Tracing Tools, XMR Proponents Disagree
The blockchain surveillance firm Ciphertrace claims to have created the “world’s first” monero tracing tools for law enforcement. According to the company announcement, Ciphertrace developed forensic tools for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)…
Sources Say World’s Largest Darknet Empire Market Exit…
One of the world’s largest darknet markets (DNM), Empire Market, allegedly exit scammed after the marketplace was taken offline for a number of days this week. DNM patrons are upset about Empire Market’s departure and…
Bitcoin Users Leery of Tor: 23% of the…
Hackers are stealing bitcoin through the large-scale use of malicious relays on the Tor network according to a newly published research report on the subject. The researcher dubbed “nusenu” said he warned people about the…
Title Token for Blockchain Estate Registry, Part 3
The advantage of the cross-blockchain protocol for public registries is that it can unite any number of existing ledgers in one ecosystem and does not need to upgrade the protocols of such blockchains. In simple…
‘Year of the Phish’? Socially-Engineered Attacks Populate Crypto…
When it comes to cryptocurrency-related crime, every year seems to have its own particular ‘flavor’. 2018 was the year of massive exchange hacks (remember Coincheck?); 2019 was seasoned with an air of massive ponzi schemes…
Twitter Hack Shows That Crypto Is Easier to…
During an Aug. 4 panel on legal compliance within the cryptocurrency industry, major figures noted recent shifts in public perception of the industry, pointing to arrests within weeks of the Twitter hack as an example…
Dispelling the Myth That Bitcoin Proponents Want a…
Bitcoin and a great number of other cryptocurrencies are electronic versions of currency. Many people falsely assume that crypto proponents are for a cashless society and this is certainly not the case. If we removed…
Big Travel Firm CWT Pays $4.5 Million Bitcoin…
CWT, one of the biggest travel companies in the U.S., this week paid $4.5 million in bitcoin to hackers who infiltrated the firm’s computer system, stealing sensitive corporate data. It is unclear whether customer information…
Brave Browser Brings New Level of Security to…
July 27, Brave Software partners with Guardian to bring greater levels of security and privacy to the iPhone and iPad users. This partnership will combine the privacy stack of the two companies — Brave’s privacy…
US Takes Down $25 Million Bitcoin ATM Operation,…
The U.S. government has taken down a $25 million bitcoin ATM operation and seized 17 machines along with some cryptocurrencies. The Department of Justice says the man behind this unlicensed bitcoin ATM operation has agreed…
Twitter Hack Used Bitcoin to Cash In: Here’s…
Someone hacked Twitter Wednesday – and they used bitcoin to capitalize on it. Bitcoin is an alternative money system based on the value of censorship resistance. In other words, Bitcoin was built from the ground…
Study: Exchanges Accepted $1.3 Billion in Bitcoin Stemming…
A recently published report from the research and analysis firm Peckshield indicates that during the last two quarters of 2020, cryptocurrency exchanges accepted 147,000 BTC ($1.3 billion) from high-risk addresses. During the last few years,…
US Army Requests Information on Tools to Track…
The U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Army have requested information on web-based cryptocurrency tracking tools. The tools must enable U.S. government agencies worldwide to conduct in-depth investigations into the source of crypto transactions…
Dogecoin Surges, Coinbase Rumors, Brave Legal Threats: Hodler’s…
Coming every Sunday, Hodler’s Digest will help you track every single important news story that happened this week. The best (and worst) quotes, adoption and regulation highlights, leading coins, predictions and much more — a…
Tether Freezes Millions of Dollars USDT in 40…
Stablecoin issuer Tether has blacklisted 40 Ethereum addresses holding millions of dollars of the tether cryptocurrency, 24 of which were banned this year. This finding follows the Centre Consortium taking a similar action due to…
US Dept of Homeland Security Buys Analytics Software…
Coinbase is selling its blockchain analytics software to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Secret Service. Following criticisms from the crypto community, CEO Brian Armstrong defended Coinbase’s position. Coinbase Selling Analytics Software…
Tether Blacklists 39 Ethereum Addresses Worth Over $46…
Tether (USDT) has blacklisted 39 Ethereum addresses worth $46 million in USDT, with 24 holding a total of over 5.5 million USDT being blacklisted this year. This revelation comes on the back of Centre’s first…
Centre Obliges Government Request, Freezes Address With $100,000…
Centre Consortium has blacklisted an ethereum address holding $100,000 in USDC, a move that the entity says was “in response to a request from law enforcement.” A joint venture between Circle and Coinbase, Centre is…
Encryption Crackdown: Private Phone Network With 60,000 Users…
An international law enforcement team has brought down an encrypted phone network with 60,000 users worldwide. The platform was one of the largest providers of encrypted communications, widely used by organized crime groups. UK’s National…
Bolstering Privacy: Human Rights Foundation Donates $50K Toward…
On June 10, 2020, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) launched a fund that is dedicated to the development of tools that make the Bitcoin network “more private, decentralized, and resilient.” HRF’s initial gift of $50,000…
Chinese Police Find Secret Bitcoin Mining Operation in…
Chinese law enforcement discovered a Bitcoin (BTC) mining operation in what appeared to be multiple underground burial sites. Local English-language news outlet Beijing News reported on May 31 that law enforcement found an illicit mining…
US Law Enforcement Promises $5M for the Capture…
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), has put out a bounty for $5 million for the arrest and conviction of Venezuela’s superintendent of cryptocurrency. Joselit de la Trinidad Ramirez Camacho…
AML in the UK: What the Update Means…
Money laundering – the process of making criminal money appear clean, universally involves 3 steps. First is the placing of criminal money into the financial system away from its true source – by moving and…