2 Foreign Nationals Plead Guilty in Lockbit Ransomware Case

Two foreign nationals pleaded guilty in Newark federal court regarding their participation in the Lockbit ransomware organization, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed on Thursday. Russian citizen Ruslan Magomedovich Astamirov and Mikhail Vasiliev, a dual citizen of Canada and Russia, were identified as members of the Lockbit group. Active since January 2020, this group … 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

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

Ukraine, US Shut Down 9 Cryptocurrency Exchanges

Supported by U.S. law enforcement, police in Ukraine have disrupted a network of crypto exchange services suspected of laundering criminal proceeds. The platforms were allegedly processing dirty money obtained from ransomware attacks and various fraud schemes. Cyberpolice, US Investigators Bust Crypto Exchanges in Ukraine Officers from Ukraine’s Cyberpolice unit and Main Investigative Department, working with … Read more

US Court Sentences Russian Crypto Ransom Launderer to Probation and Fine

A Russian crypto entrepreneur, charged with laundering money from ransomware attacks, has been sentenced to probation and fined in the U.S. after pleading guilty. Founder of two coin trading platforms, Denis Dubnikov, was arrested in the Netherlands and extradited to the U.S. last year. Oregon Court Sentences Russian for Processing Ryuk Payments A Russian national … Read more

Russian Darknet Markets, Ransomware Groups Thrive Despite Sanctions, Report

Russian marketplaces on the dark web have continued to operate despite Western sanctions and efforts to shut them down, according to a report accessing the illicit blockchain space amid the world’s “first crypto war.” Ransomware actors and high-risk crypto exchanges have also remained active. Underground Russian Crypto Platforms Adapting to Disruptions Caused by Ukraine War … Read more