Unnecessary Evil: How Government Regulations Kill Crypto Startups and Encourage Crime

Thanks to the EU’s most recent money laundering directive, a small business called Post-a-coin, which sold cute postcards pre-loaded with tiny amounts of bitcoin, is being forced to shut down. Meanwhile, the most heinous criminals in history are continuing to facilitate violence, trafficking and laundering of cash with impunity. Also Read: Why the Counter Economy … Read more

Deep Web Roundup: Intelligence Official Charged With Selling Secrets, Disney Visits the Darknet

A French intelligence official has been charged with selling state secrets on the dark web for BTC. Also in this roundup, we look at a new threat analysis tool trawling deep web sites for certain keywords and detail a surprise namecheck in Disney’s latest movie. Also read: Banks, Money Mules and Front Companies Aid Terrorists in … Read more

Bitcoin is Great for Criminals. It’s Even Better for Law Enforcement

When the indictment of Russian intelligence officers for interfering with the US election broke, the recriminations were swift. Not only had the 12 allegedly hacked the Democratic National Committee, but they’d had the temerity to do so using servers paid with cryptocurrency. When politicians and mainstream media began finger pointing, they had only one culprit … Read more

Quebec Chief Scientist Rejects “Myth” of Widespread Illicit Bitcoin Use

The Chief Scientist of Quebec, Rémi Quirion, has published a document rejecting the popular “myth” that illicit transactions are among those for which bitcoin is principally used. Quebec’s Chief Scientist is closely associated with the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) – a publicly funded institution dedicated to “providing support for the production and dissemination … Read more

Russia Drafts Law to Criminalize the Use of Cryptocurrencies as Money

The Russian Ministry of Finance is drafting a law to criminalize the use of cryptocurrencies as money substitutes. The Bank of Russia and the finance ministry have previously opposed the use of cryptocurrency in this way, citing that only rubles can be used for payments of goods and services in Russia. Also read: Indians Look to … Read more