ETH Merge Forks, Quantum Computing, Biden Draining Oil Reserves, DOJ Targets Criminal Crypto Use — Week in Review

With the Ethereum Merge event now successfully completed, new proof-of-work (PoW) forks have emerged to vie for miner acceptance. This, as the United States government, has warned that the post-quantum world is getting closer, and vulnerable cryptography will need to be protected. Amidst red hot inflation in the U.S., President Joe Biden notes that gas … Read more

DOJ Launches Network of Over 150 Federal Prosecutors to Combat Criminal Uses of Crypto

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has established the nationwide Digital Asset Coordinator Network of over 150 federal prosecutors. The authority explained that the new network will further its “efforts to combat the growing threat posed by the illicit use of digital assets to the American public.” US Government’s Digital Asset Coordinator Network The U.S. … Read more

Former Coinbase Manager’s Brother Pleads Guilty in Cryptocurrency Insider Trading Case

The brother of a former Coinbase product manager has pleaded guilty in a cryptocurrency insider trading case. According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), he is facing up to 20 years in federal prison. DOJ’s First Crypto Insider Trading Case The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Monday that Nikhil Wahi, the brother of … Read more

Head Trader of $100M Global Crypto Ponzi Scheme Pleads Guilty in US

The head trader of a $100 million global cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme has pleaded guilty and is facing up to five years in prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). “The defendants allegedly misappropriated large sums of investors’ money to lease a Lamborghini, shop at Tiffany & Co., make a payment on a second … Read more

Accused Bitfinex Bitcoin Money Launderer Heather ‘Razzlekhan’ Morgan Speaks for the First Time Since Her Arrest

Following the federal judge’s decision to give the accused Bitfinex money launderer Heather Morgan permission to “engage in legitimate employment,” Morgan has broken her silence on social media. Morgan’s Twitter account dubbed “Heather ‘Razzlekhan’ Morgan” is verified on Twitter and her latest tweet insists that she does not endorse any crypto or NFT project bearing … Read more

DOJ Seizes $500K in Ransom Payments, Cryptocurrency From State-Sponsored North Korean Hackers

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has seized $500K in ransom payments and cryptocurrency from a state-sponsored North Korean group. “We are returning the stolen funds to the victims,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco said, adding that the seized funds include ransoms paid by health care providers in Kansas and Colorado. DOJ Seizes Crypto … Read more

SEC Fines John McAfee’s Associate $375K in Penalties for ICO Promotions

According to a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) judgment, Jimmy Gale Watson, a former associate of the now deceased John McAfee, has been fined for being paid to promote pump and dump-fashioned initial coin offerings (ICOs). The SEC has ruled that Watson must pay roughly $375K in penalties and he’s not allowed to participate in … Read more

Accused Bitfinex Bitcoin Money Launderer Granted Permission to ‘Engage in Legitimate Employment’

On February 8, 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) arrested a couple that is accused of laundering 94,636 bitcoins stolen from Bitfinex in 2016. The DOJ alleges that the tech entrepreneur, Ilya Lichtenstein, and his wife Heather Morgan, conspired to launder billions of dollars worth of bitcoin. The duo could face 25 years in … Read more

FBI Arrests 2 Men Planning ‘Violent’ Robbery of Bitcoin Worth Millions of Dollars — They Face 20 Years in Prison

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested two men who participated “in a violent plan to break into a family’s home in the middle of the night” to steal bitcoin worth tens of millions of dollars,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice. They could go to prison for 20 years. 2 Men Charged … Read more

US Arrests Former Employee of Opensea NFT Marketplace in ‘First-Ever Digital Asset Insider Trading Scheme’

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has indicted an employee of non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace Opensea in what the department called the “first-ever digital asset insider trading scheme.” DOJ Indicts Former Opensea Product Manager The DOJ announced Wednesday the unsealing of an indictment charging Nathaniel Chastain, a former product manager at Ozone Networks Inc. (aka … Read more