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A wide-ranging fraud network built around sham crypto investment platforms and extensive money-laundering channels has been brought down following a sweeping Europol intervention, shutting off an ecosystem that had channelled more than EUR 700 million through counterfeit trading dashboards and complex cross-border blockchain movements. Coordinated raids across Europe exposed the full architecture of the operation, showing how digital anonymity, fabricated interfaces, and orga

Growing unease in the United Kingdom has focused on whether political donations made through digital assets could conceal the true financial source behind contributions. Officials argue that the country’s political finance rules must be updated to confront vulnerabilities that did not exist when the current framework was drafted. Scrutiny intensified after a major political party began accepting digital tokens from supporters early in 2025, triggering debate over transparency

Speaking in Rome on November 28, 2025 at the UIF Bocconi Workshop on economic crime, Paolo Angelini, Deputy Director General of the Bank of Italy, delivered a detailed examination of how rapid shifts in digital finance are transforming the mechanics of illicit money movement, creating operational blind spots that European authorities are struggling to close. He argued that the accelerating adoption of digital tools by criminals has outpaced the regulatory frameworks meant to

NICE Actimize’s move to seek a buyer marks a major shift within the financial crime technology sector, drawing renewed scrutiny toward how valuation expectations correspond with long-term performance indicators. The division is exploring strategic alternatives during a phase defined by uneven financial results, tighter capital conditions, and an evolving set of corporate priorities. This process reinforces how historical profitability, contributions to group performance, and

Nairobi’s bustling streets are now echoing with more than just the rhythm of daily life; they resonate with the hum of Bitcoin adoption, as “Bankless Bitcoin” ATMs appear in popular shopping centers. These machines represent more than a technological advance—they are a lifeline for many, enabling cash-to-crypto conversion in spaces traditionally dominated by conventional banking. Yet, beneath this surge in accessibility lies a stark reality: regulatory uncertainty threatens t

The cryptocurrency market’s dramatic downturn accelerated on Wednesday, with Bitcoin sliding to a seven-month low and pushing total losses across digital assets beyond the $1 trillion mark.   The world’s largest cryptocurrency dropped to $88,522, inflicting fresh pain on investors ranging from retail traders buying the dip to institutional digital asset firms whose valuations have been rapidly eroding.   A modest rebound followed after Nvidia delivered strong earnings, easing

Binance is redefining global assumptions about crypto crime controls after newly released figures showed a steep decline in illicit activity moving through the exchange. What many once considered an improbable shift has now positioned Binance as a leading case study in large-scale AML transformation, having pushed criminal exposure to levels rarely observed across digital trading platforms. The findings have generated significant global attention because the exchange handles

A new wave of reporting by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) indicates that bad actors have been able to channel vast sums of cryptocurrency through exchanges, brokers, and off-ramp services, with similar laundering behaviors recurring even as several platforms operated under U.S. sanctions, plea agreements, or the oversight of court-appointed monitors. ICIJ’s project, titled “The Coin Laundry,” highlights a widening gap between the data permane

A newly unsealed federal indictment lays out an intricate money laundering conspiracy that used cryptocurrency ATMs, cash deposits, and fast digital-asset transfers to move illicit proceeds across borders under the guise of legitimate business operations. At the center of the case is Firas Isa and his Chicago-based company, Virtual Assets LLC—known commercially as Crypto Dispensers—presented by prosecutors as a clear example of how crypto-enabled laundering can be embedded in

A 47-year-old woman in the United Kingdom has been sentenced to 11 years in prison after authorities uncovered her role in controlling a vast cryptocurrency laundering operation tied to an international investment fraud. Investigators found that she attempted to convert billions in digital assets into luxury properties, jewelry, and cash, using complex schemes to disguise the true source of the funds. According to law enforcement, the woman spent several years amassing large

The $456 million reserve shortfall that prompted Justin Sun to bail out holders of the TrueUSD stablecoin is now the subject of a global freezing order upheld by Dubai’s Digital Economy Court. The dispute revolves around whether funds from TrueUSD’s reserves were improperly directed to Aria Commodities DMCC, a Dubai-based trade-finance firm involved in financing commodity shipments, mining projects, and other illiquid ventures across emerging markets, according to counsel for

The Bank of England (BoE) has unveiled a consultation paper detailing its plans to regulate systemic stablecoins, digital currencies designed to maintain a stable value against the pound sterling. The proposals, published on November 10, aim to ensure that stablecoins are sufficiently secure for everyday payments while protecting the broader UK economy. Systemic stablecoins are digital tokens whose value is linked to traditional money, such as the pound, or to assets like gov

One of the largest anti-money laundering (AML) supervision failures in Europe’s virtual asset sector has come to light, as the Bank of Ireland imposed a €21.4 million fine on Coinbase Europe after regulators discovered that more than 30 million crypto transactions escaped detection entirely.   The incident has exposed deep flaws in the company’s transaction monitoring systems—ranging from design and governance weaknesses to delayed disclosure, vendor oversight lapses, and a b

The European Commission is preparing a sweeping overhaul of financial market oversight that would bring stock exchanges, cryptocurrency trading platforms, and clearing houses under central EU supervision. The initiative aims to address fragmentation across Europe’s financial landscape and strengthen the bloc’s competitiveness against the United States. Currently, dozens of national and regional regulators oversee hundreds of trading and post-trade institutions across the EU —

Revolut has officially selected Cyprus as the central base for its European digital asset operations, following the company’s acquisition of a Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) licence from the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) through its local entity, Revolut Digital Assets Europe Ltd. This newly granted authorization signals the beginning of a significant new chapter for both Revolut and Cyprus, as the MiCA regulation introduces a comprehensive European frame

Australia’s financial intelligence regulator, AUSTRAC, has intensified its crackdown on illicit cash-to-crypto operations, zeroing in on a key player whose compliance lapses expose growing vulnerabilities in the nation’s digital currency oversight. The enforcement action against Cryptolink Pty Ltd not only underscores AUSTRAC’s sharpened focus on crypto ATM operators but also highlights how traditional laundering techniques are being repurposed through emerging technologies.

A recent federal conviction in New York has exposed how seemingly modest cryptocurrency donations can evolve into a sophisticated terrorist-financing laundering operation. The case of Abdullah At Taqi and Mohamad David Hashimi demonstrates that even limited transfers disguised as charitable aid can sustain violent organisations when paired with modern digital tools and weak oversight. It also underscores how anti-money-laundering frameworks are adapting to trace cross-platfor

Britain’s financial markets regulator has initiated legal action against HTX, a global cryptocurrency exchange, accusing the firm of unlawfully promoting crypto asset services to UK consumers. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) confirmed that it had filed civil proceedings in London’s High Court against HTX, formerly known as Huobi, for violating Britain’s financial promotions regime. According to the FCA’s website, HTX is not authorised to operate in the United Kingdom. “

In a landmark action that redefines the scope of anti-money laundering (AML) enforcement in Canada, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) has levied an unprecedented administrative monetary penalty of CAD 176,960,190 against the Canadian-registered entity Xeltox Enterprises Ltd., operating as Cryptomus. The penalty, imposed under the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA) and its Regulations, marks a wat

The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong has moved into a decisive new phase in reshaping anti-money laundering and compliance standards for digital asset funds. The regulator’s ASPIRe roadmap—first unveiled in early 2025 and reinforced at a recent industry seminar—signals a definitive shift from a period of regulatory experimentation toward an institutional-grade compliance regime. Under this new model, every participant in Hong Kong’s virtual asset ecosystem