February 18, 2022       /       Unchained Daily       /       Laura Shin Daily Bits ✍️✍️✍️ The US Department of Justice  announced Eun Young Choi as the[...]

The post What’s 100x Worse Than Crypto Money Laundering? appeared first on Unchained Podcast.

The latest report suggests cryptocurrency-based crime hit a new all-time high in 2021, with illicit addresses receiving $14 billion in 2021, which amount was doubled to 2020, according to Chainalysis. (Read More)

President Alexander Lukashenko has signed another decree regulating the crypto economy of Belarus. It envisages the establishment of a register for cryptocurrency wallets and addresses certain legal aspects pertaining to the circulation of cryptocurrencies in the country. Presidential Decree Aims to Prevent Use of Crypto Wallets in Criminal Activities Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has […]

Behavior-based financial fraud prevention and compliance platform Sardine has completed a $19.5 million Series A funding round that brings the total raised by the company to $24.5 million.

read more

For the first time, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs has seized three NFTs amid a wider tax fraud investigation in the United Kingdom.

New funding came from Andreessen Horowitz, NYCA and Experian Ventures.

Popular trading app Robinhood has revealed that its international expansion will be “crypto first.” The company said from the regulatory standpoint, crypto is “probably the easiest way to go global.” The trading platform is also looking for compliant ways to list more cryptocurrencies. Robinhood Becoming ‘Crypto-First’ Company Steve Quirk, Robinhood’s chief brokerage officer, talked about […]

The use of cryptocurrency by Ukrainians is an effort to fight back against Russian troops positioned in their country. A blockchain analytics firm Elliptic revealed that Ukrainian crowdfunding had increased 900% since 2021, with most donations coming from within Ukraine itself rather than externally like before when it was funded mainly by other countries or organizations who saw what they called “a crisis.” Related Reading | Ukraine Adopts New Law To Legalize Bitcoin And Other Cryptocurrencies These groups have seen a significant rise in cryptocurrency funding thanks to Bitcoin. As a result, digital currency is becoming an alternative channel for donors, despite restrictions imposed by traditional financial systems.  Bitcoin allows people worldwide to make connections and create change that lasts far beyond anyone’s donations – crypto contributions can now harness this power. In 2021, non-government organizations and volunteer groups received more than $500,000 worth of Bitcoin as crowdfunding. This marked a 900% increase from 2020.  Since the Ukrainian military was effectively crumbling against the Russian invasion, many citizens have taken up arms to fight. They are called “volunteer groups.” They get funding from private donations. Ukrainian Fundraising Campaigns Receive Crypto Funding  In the modern era, cryptocurrencies are becoming more popular as funding for fundraising campaigns. Elliptic’s study shows that digital currency users can contribute to these types of organizations and receive payment from them more effortlessly than ever before without having any interference or problems with cross-border payments, which makes it very attractive, among other things too. With the potential of their payments being denied, private donors have turned away from bank wires and app payment systems in favor of Bitcoin. Some fundraising campaigns have had accounts closed before due to financial institution restrictions on certain funds raised through that particular means. Relatively new to this type of donation process. Still, it’s becoming more popular among those seeking alternative ways to donate money. Related Reading | Solana’s Outlook Bullish Post Phantom’s Fundraising Round Elliptic has revealed that one of the organizations they’ve uncovered thus far, Come Back Alive– a group that received nearly $200,000 in funding recently from September to December last year–provides support primarily for Ukraine’s army. Cybersecurity organizations have been receiving funding via cryptocurrencies for years now. One such organization is the Ukrainian Cyber Alliance. The group primarily carries out cyber operations against Russia-based hackers and propaganda disseminators. The organization get help from its supporters worldwide through Bitcoin donations or Litecoin mining ventures. They’ve received almost $100 thousand in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to fund their operations against Russia last year. 10,000 Russian Troops Massacred Near Border With Ukraine The recent increase in military deployment near the border between Russia and Ukraine has residents on edge. Russia had stationed more than 10 thousand troops near eastern Donbas since last year when the conflict began following the Maidan revolution. To date, more than 6000 people, including soldiers, have died due to violence. Both sides blame each other for these deaths. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com  

2020 was touted as the “Year of Ransomware." Little changed in 2021 as such attacks continued to target critical infrastructure, extorting bigger sums of crypto. 

On Tuesday, the US government seized $3.6 billion in bitcoin from the 2016 Bitfinex hack and arrested two individuals, Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan, on charges of money laundering. Tom[...]

The post How Law Enforcement Tracked Down $3.6 Billion in Bitcoin appeared first on Unchained Podcast.

A special law enforcement operation undertaken by Russia has led to the seizure and shutdown of four online bazaars that specialized in the theft and sales of stolen credit cards, as the government continues to take active measures against harboring cybercriminals on its territory. To that end, the domains operated by the card fraud forms and marketplaces, Ferum Shop, Sky-Fraud, Trump's Dumps,

Non-fungible tokens have been witnessed a rise in malpractices as the sector turns increasingly volatile, blockchain analytics platform Chainalysis reported. (Read More)