US Sanctions Bitriver, Targets Russia’s Crypto Mining Potential

In an attempt to deny Russia opportunities to evade sanctions through cryptocurrencies, the U.S. Department of the Treasury has sanctioned leading Russian mining firm Bitriver. The move comes amid concerns that Moscow may use the minting of digital coins to monetize its energy resources. Zug-Based Bitriver and Its Russian Subsidiaries Blacklisted by United States The … Read more

FBI Issues Alert Concerning Malicious State-Sponsored North Korean Hackers Targeting Crypto Firms

On April 18, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Treasury Department, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) published a Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) report concerning malicious North Korean state-sponsored cryptocurrency activity. According to the U.S. government, law enforcement officials have observed North Korean cyber actors targeting specific blockchain companies in the industry. … Read more

OFAC Update Claims Ronin Hack Is Tethered to North Korea’s Hacker Syndicate Lazarus Group

According to the U.S. Treasury and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the recent Ronin bridge hack may have been tied to the North Korean hacker syndicate called Lazarus Group. Federal law enforcement officials have tied the flagged ethereum address connected with the Ronin bridge exploit to the group of hackers and added the … Read more

Report: Illicit Crypto Addresses Received $14 Billion in 2021, Only 0.15% of Transaction Volume Associated With Crime

According to the latest data from Chainalysis, the total cryptocurrency value received by illicit addresses grew to a new all-time high of $14 billion in 2021. Although the new all-time high is almost twice the $7.8 billion that was recorded in 2020, it represents just 0.15% of the 2021 cryptocurrency transaction volume. Percentage of Funds … Read more

An African Perspective on Why the World Needs Cryptocurrencies

Rising cryptocurrency use in Africa over the past few years has not only shown that digital currencies are now a vital means of moving funds across borders and between people, but that cryptocurrencies are also an important means of accessing global markets for the financially excluded. Cryptocurrency Now a Necessity Despite ongoing efforts by regulators … Read more

US Treasury Sanctions 2nd Cryptocurrency Exchange, Seizes $6.1 Million

The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned a second cryptocurrency exchange “for facilitating financial transactions for ransomware actors.” Two ransomware operators have also been sanctioned and $6.1 million in funds were seized. US Treasury Sanctions Another Cryptocurrency Exchange The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced Monday that its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned … Read more

Blacklisted Suex Addresses Received Over $900 Million in Crypto, Report Reveals

Cryptocurrency addresses allegedly used by Russian exchange Suex, recently placed under U.S. sanctions, have received more than $934 million in crypto assets, blockchain analysis suggests. According to the Treasury Department, over 40% of the platform’s transactions involved criminal actors. A Suex co-founder has denied any illegal activity. Sanctioned Crypto Broker Suex Processed $370 Million of … Read more

US Sanctions Russian Crypto Broker Suex for Laundering Millions in Illicit Funds

The U.S. Treasury Department has blacklisted Suex, a cryptocurrency broker based in Russia, for its money laundering activities. The platform is suspected of processing hundreds of millions of dollars in crypto transactions related to scams, ransomware attacks, darknet markets, and the infamous BTC-e exchange. OFAC Adds Russian Crypto OTC Exchange Suex to Blacklist The Office … Read more

US Regulators Have Imposed $2.5 Billion Penalties on Crypto Firms and Individuals

A new report shows that U.S. regulators have imposed fines and penalties totaling $2.5 billion on crypto firms and individuals so far. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has imposed the most fines, followed by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is the latest … Read more

Binance Extends Blockade of Zimbabwean Crypto Users to Include Non-Resident Traders

Malta-based cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, has reportedly extended its blockade of Zimbabwean users to include non-resident citizens. As a result of the new measures, all Zimbabwean nationals are now precluded from using the Binance trading platform. Zimbabwean Nationals Blocked Prior to the introduction of this new measure, Binance apparently allowed Zimbabwean nationals with non-Zimbabwean residential addresses … Read more