The Darknet Cat and Mouse Game: Law Enforcement Gains More Traction

Since the dawn of the Silk Road and the myriad of darknet markets (DNM) that followed, it’s been a cat and mouse game between law enforcement and DNM vendors and users. Also read: Proof-of-Stake is a Rebranded Version of the Old Financial System Operation Bayonet For a while, after the Silk Road was taken down it … Read more

Russian Police Seize 22 Cryptocurrency ATMs in 9 Cities

Law enforcement officials in Russia have seized 22 BATMs installed at stores and restaurants in 9 different cities. The confiscation has been carried out on orders from the Prosecutor’s Office and the Central Bank, local media reported. The operation of crypto teller machines in the country is currently unregulated.   Also read: Kiev’s Bessarabsky Market … Read more

Another US Bitcoin Trader Faces Prison for Illegal Money Transmission

This week in Southern California a Los Angeles woman who called herself the ‘Bitcoin Maven’ will be sentenced this Monday after pleading guilty for illegal money transmission. According to law enforcement, the woman made close to $300,000 USD annually by selling BTC on the peer-to-peer exchange Localbitcoins.   Also read: Bitcoin Cash Innovation Continues with the … Read more

Greedy Facebook Versus Ideological Telegram: Why Principles Matter

Something happened this week that rarely occurs, history offered up a side-by-side comparison with a control. Heads of respective social network and messaging platforms Facebook and Telegram were each brought before their home governments, the United States for Mark Zuckerberg, Russia for Pavel Durov. How the two men responded is telling, and should inform everyone … Read more

Chainalysis Raises $16Mn – Plans to Monitor Multiple Blockchains

The blockchain surveillance company Chainalysis has announced it has raised $16 million USD in a Series A funding round from the firm Benchmark. Chainalysis also reveals it will be stretching its monitoring software efforts towards the bitcoin cash network and hopes by the year-end the platform will cover ten different public blockchains. Also read: Russians … Read more

US Bitcoin Trader Convicted for Illegal Money Transmission and Laundering

The U.S. government has been cracking down on individuals utilizing the peer-to-peer platform Localbitcoins. This week an Arizona resident named Thomas Costanzo was convicted for money laundering tied to over $164,000 worth of cryptocurrency trades. Also Read: Arizona Localbitcoins Trader Detained by U.S. Homeland Security Two Years Worth of BTC Trades Investigated The U.S. Attorneys Office … Read more

Ukraine to Compensate a Citizen in Bitcoin – for ”Moral Damages”

A district court in Kiev Oblast has accepted a lawsuit which is setting a precedent in Ukraine. The plaintiff seeks compensation in bitcoin for “moral damages” caused by law enforcement officials. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled after the presiding judge found no legal grounds to reject the claim. Also read: Lawsuit Challenges Google’s Ban … Read more

Japanese Police Reveal 669 Money Laundering Cases Tied to Local Exchanges

Just recently Japanese investigators revealed they had obtained 669 reports concerning “suspected money laundering” tied to cryptocurrency transactions and domestic digital currency trading platforms. The linked data was derived from investigations spurred by the recent transaction reporting statutes licensed exchanges are required to follow. Also read: Bitcoin Is Finding Its Way into High Schools Japanese Police … Read more

The Mystery of the ”Lost” Bulgarian Bitcoins Sparks Questions Again

Missing, stolen, lost or buried…these are all adjectives attracting attention when attached to the noun “cash”, physical or digital. Comments and shares on social media have revived curiosity and sparked questions about one particular monetary mystery – what happened with the 200,000 bitcoins Bulgaria seized from gangsters? As with any urban legend, a mix of facts, claims … Read more