What happens to crypto assets used for nefarious activities after authorities seize them? A new Chainalysis program helps sort through the rubble. In the 11 years since the inception of the crypto industry, malicious parties have used digital assets for a spate of illegal activities, from drug payments to money laundering. Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis […]
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“Dash is technically no more a ‘privacy coin’ than Bitcoin,” according to Perkins Coie. So why did Shapeshift delist it? Cryptocurrency exchange ShapeShift recently delisted three privacy coins: Dash, Zcash (ZEC) and Monero (XMR). This was an unexpected move to say the least, given the exchange’s historic commitment to privacy. As a noncustodial platform, Shapeshift did […]
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The Silk Road saga gets more airtime on the latest CBS News documentary Mainstream U.S. media outlet CBS is airing a documentary tonight on the takedown of the Silk Road dark web marketplace. It features an interview with Julia Vie, former girlfriend of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht who claims ‘Dread Pirate Roberts’ wasn’t motivated […]
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Bitcoin’s rally to $15.9K stole the limelight from DeFi tokens and decentralized exchanges but the tables could turn rapidly. Bitcoin’s long-waited bull run and the recent wave of corporate and institutional investors allocating significant portions of their reserves to Bitcoin (BTC) are all signs that the pace of crypto’s mainstreaming is rapidly accelerating: But has […]
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With the election taking all the air out of the room, we look at what new appointments at the DoJ could mean. Every Friday, Law Decoded delivers analysis on the week’s critical stories in the realms of policy, regulation and law. Editor’s note Are you over the election? I’m over the election. But you can […]
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After multiple years of heightened legal overwatch, the future may hold much of the same. Over the past few years, regulatory bodies across the globe have increased their scrutiny on the cryptocurrency space, clarifying gray areas while also going after offenders. Although the industry has seen a lot of regulatory action, authorities have not really […]
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The government of Brazil requested assistance from US authorities regarding a crypto fraud scheme called “Operation Egypto.” According to a Wednesday filing, the U.S. Justice Department seized $24 million in virtual currency pursuant to an official request from the Brazilian government. The Department of Justice, or DoJ, said that the government of Brazil requested its […]
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Monopolizing a market is legal in some instances, but not others. The United States Department of Justice is filing suit against Visa for its acquisition of Plaid, which the DoJ argues is an illegal play to achieve monopoly. According a complaint filed by the DoJ on Wednesday: “Visa seeks to buy Plaid — as its CEO […]
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Bitcoin’s recent gains appear to have been driven by leverage-fuelled speculation, with open interest in futures and Binance’s leverage ratio pushing into new highs. On Nov. 4, crypto data market aggregator CryptoQuant published a chart indicating Binance’s Estimated Leverage Ratio — open interest divided by Bitcoin (BTC) reserves — has pushed into new all-time highs. […]
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The U.S. Department of Justice has articulated its digital enforcement strategy, putting the crypto community on notice. The United States Attorney General’s Cyber-Digital Task Force recently unveiled the result of its months-long effort to evaluate emerging cryptocurrency-related threats and articulate law enforcement strategies for countering them. The resulting guidance leaves the reader with an impression […]
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