Abkhazia Shuts Down 8 Crypto Farms Amid Ongoing Crackdown on Mining

Authorities in Abkhazia, the partially recognized South Caucasus republic, have discovered and closed down eight crypto mining farms in just two weeks. Since the beginning of June, law enforcement agents have disconnected more than 300 mining devices from the grid and fined an operator. Over 300 Mining Rigs Cut Off From Electricity Supply in Abkhazia … Read more

China Stocks Plummet Despite 1.2 Trillion Yuan Injection to Mitigate Effects of Epidemic

China’s stock market plunged Monday under selling pressure accumulated during a prolonged holiday. Investors have been worried by the coronavirus outbreak that’s already taken the lives of more than 360 people. Beijing authorities have responded by pumping well over a trillion yuan into the country’s economy and financial system. Also read: China’s Inflation Hits a … Read more

Low Interest Rates Provide Precarious Protection Against Crisis, World Bank Warns

The latest global debt wave is the largest in the past five decades, the World Bank has acknowledged in a new report. The international institution notes that previous waves of broad-based debt accumulation lead to widespread financial crises. Historically low interest rates this time might not be sufficient to avoid the next meltdown. Also read: … Read more

Cryptocurrency Accounts for Less Than 2% of All Japanese Money Laundering Cases

Money laundering cases related to cryptocurrencies in Japan have increased significantly in 2018. Nevertheless, their number remains a fraction of the total. According to the Japanese press, the majority of reported money laundering instances actually involve banks and other traditional financial institutions. Also read: Platform for Crypto Payments to Bank Accounts Launching in the UK … Read more

Russia Not Ready for the Petro, Proposes Plan to Aid Venezuela Without It

Acknowledging Venezuela’s efforts to deal with inflation and sanctions by creating a state-issued cryptocurrency, Russian officials have nevertheless declined a proposal to use the oil-backed coin in bilateral trade. According to Russian media, Moscow has recently offered Caracas a set of measures aimed at mending the country’s economy but the petro is not among the … Read more

Korean Banks to Limit Services for Crypto Traders Without Real-Name Verification

South Korean banks are reportedly taking measures to limit services for customers who are not using the real-name system. It has been over seven months since the Korean government introduced the crypto real-name system, but only 40-50% of accounts at the country’s top four cryptocurrency exchanges have been converted into real-name ones, according to local … Read more

Iran Steps Up Plan for National Crypto After US Sanctions

Right after Washington’s move to impose sanctions that will restrict Iran’s access to US currency, reports came out that Tehran is speeding up the project to develop a national cryptocurrency. Officials in the Islamic Republic believe the state-issued coin could help circumvent the restrictions imposed by the Trump administration. Also read: New Bill Proposes 5% … Read more

New ESMA Measures Impose 2:1 Restriction on Leverage for Crypto CFDs

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has announced that it will impose restrictions on the leverage offered for contracts-for-difference (CFDs) and binary options offered to European retail investors. Under the new measures, the leverage offered on cryptocurrency CFDs will be limited to no more than 2:1. Also Read: PBOC to Strengthen Cryptocurrency Regulations in 2018  … Read more

Europol and Interpol to Increase Measures Against BTC Laundering and Terrorism Financing

A two-day workshop involving over sixty financial investigators in Basel, Switzerland has seen Europol and Interpol agree upon a range of measures designed to ramp up efforts to combat the use of cryptocurrencies for money laundering and terrorist financing purposes. The event saw attendance from over 60 international financial investigators. Also Read: New Research: Laundering of … Read more