Regulatory Roundup: Trump’s Cryptocurrency Proposals, IRS Changes Rule, China Quarantines Cash

In this roundup, we cover numerous cryptocurrency regulatory developments in the U.S., including President Trump’s crypto proposals, testimonies by the Federal Reserve chairman and the Treasury secretary, a crypto-friendly SEC proposal, and the IRS changing a crypto tax rule. We also cover China quarantining yuan bills, its central bank filing 84 digital currency patents, 40 … Read more

Another Crypto Exchange Discourages the Use of Bitcoin Mixing Services

The cryptocurrency exchange Binance was recently scrutinized for flagging a customer’s funds because the individual had used a bitcoin mixing application. Now the platform Paxos Global is discouraging the use of crypto mixers after a customer allegedly sent coins to a mixing service. Also read: Regulatory Roundup: EU-Wide Crypto Regulations, New Rules in Europe, US, … Read more

4 Bitcoin Mixers for the Privacy Conscious

In an era of unprecedented global surveillance, it is unreasonable to expect the blockchain world to be any different. It is perfectly reasonable, though, to resist this surveillance through countermeasures that thwart the would-be surveillers. Digital privacy is a right that everyone is entitled to. Thanks to the provision of bitcoin mixers, you can claim … Read more

As FATF Regulations Galvanize, Crypto Mixing Applications Are Targeted

Since the inception of Bitcoin, governments have tried to keep track of all the transactions taking place on the public blockchain. As the years progressed, authorities have shown a distaste for cryptocurrency mixing applications like Coinjoin. On Dec. 19, a Binance customer couldn’t withdraw his bitcoin because the exchange told him he used the mixing … Read more

Plustoken Cash-Outs Could Be Behind BTC Price Drop, Says Report

On Monday, the blockchain surveillance company Chainalysis published an excerpt from the firm’s upcoming crime report that will publish in January. According to the Chainalysis research, the Ponzi scheme called Plustoken not only defrauded investors out of $3 billion but the scam “may also be driving down the price of bitcoin.” Also read: Mystery Surrounds … Read more

IRS Agents Propose Draconian Tactics to Investigate Bitcoin Users

A recently published U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) slide describes alarming recommendations on how tax agents should deal with digital currency users who are not paying taxes. The slide recommends that agents question crypto users’ friends and family, comb through social media posts and issue subpoenas to make sure U.S. residents are paying taxes on … Read more

How to Keep Bitcoin Cash Transactions Private

There are many reasons to keep bitcoin cash transactions private and the top six ways to make them anonymous are outlined in a new video by Bitcoin.com. Meanwhile, the Financial Action Task Force has just released its global guidance for crypto assets, effectively calling on countries and crypto exchanges to strengthen their KYC measures. Also … Read more

US Government to “Aggressively Pursue” Unregulated Services Around the World

Two common complaints among crypto traders are that platforms which didn’t before are now demanding identification documents and that more venues close their doors to residents of some countries. While users naturally lash out at the companies, it is important to remember that this is often done under coercion or threat by regulators. The US … Read more

Black Hat Demo to Reveal ‘White Rabbit’ Crypto-Transaction Surveillance Tool

This week in Las Vegas there are two well-known events taking place dedicated to information security and the global hacking counterculture — Black Hat Arsenal and Defcon 2018. During the conference festivities, there will be a bunch of demonstrations showcasing all kinds of hacker tools, security services, and engineering studies. Two developers from the intelligence … Read more

US Secret Service Asks Congress for Help to Prevent Illicit Use of Privacy Coins

The US Secret Service is worried about the illicit use of cryptocurrencies. A high-ranking official of the agency has urged Congress to consider additional legislation to address anonymity-enhanced cryptocurrencies and services intended to obscure transactions on blockchains such as tumblers or mixers. Also read: Yahoo! Japan Confirms Entrance Into the Crypto Space Undermining US Laws Deputy … Read more