Woman Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Crypto-Funded Murder-for-Hire Scheme

Michelle Murphy, 58, from Bedford, Texas, has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for attempting to hire a hitman using bitcoin to kill her boyfriend’s lover. Charged in September 2023 and pleading guilty in December, Murphy used the dark web to orchestrate the crime, paying $10,510 in bitcoin. The transaction was traced through … Read more

Binance Fined Over $4 Million in Canada for Money Laundering Violations

Canada’s Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre (FINTRAC) has imposed a fine of C$6 million on crypto exchange Binance for failing to comply with anti-money laundering and terrorist financing laws. This penalty, equivalent to approximately $4.4 million, was levied after Binance failed to register as a foreign money services business and neglected to report over … Read more

Mastercard, Visa, JPMorgan, and Other Major Banks Explore Tokenized Asset Settlements

Several major financial firms are collaborating to test the benefits of shared-ledger technology for jointly settling tokenized assets like commercial bank money and various securities. The initiative, known as the Regulated Settlement Network, is a proof-of-concept designed to expedite and secure cross-border transactions using a singular system for tokenized assets. This trial is an extension … Read more

EU Regulator Considers Crypto Inclusion in €12 Trillion UCITS Funds

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has initiated a call for evidence to explore the potential inclusion of new assets, including cryptocurrencies, in UCITS funds, which represent a major share of EU retail investments. UCITS, an acronym for Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities, is a regulatory framework of the European Union that … Read more

Tokyo-Based Crypto Exchange Coincheck to List on Nasdaq Through Merger

Coincheck, a Japanese cryptocurrency exchange, has made a public filing to list Coincheck Group B.V. on Nasdaq through a De-SPAC transaction with Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV Inc. This follows an earlier announcement from March 22, 2022, detailing plans by Monex Group Inc., Coincheck’s parent company, for the listing. After the listing, Coincheck will become … Read more

Most FTX Creditors to Receive Over 100% Repayment, Court Document Shows

FTX is poised to repay nearly all its account holders fully, according to a reorganization plan presented in court. The bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange has raised about $15 billion mainly by selling investments from itself and its affiliate, Alameda Research. This fund will ensure payments of 118 cents on the dollar for 98% of creditors with … Read more

US Sanctions Lockbit Leader in Ransomware Crackdown

On May 7, the U.S. announced sanctions against Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev, a key figure in the Lockbit ransomware group. The U.S., alongside international allies including the UK and Australia, has taken coordinated measures to curb the activities of this prominent cybercriminal group. Khoroshev, responsible for developing and deploying Lockbit ransomware, is now facing an indictment … Read more