• Crypto crime near $2B 2020
    Cryptocurrencies,  Regulation

    Crypto crime near $2B in 2020, but still down 57% from 2019

    Blockchain analytics firm CipherTrace’s annual report said DeFi became ‘the next major threat vector for fraud and money laundering.’

    One reason for that decline is that while the number of incidents of thefts, hacks, and fraud remained largely the same, the take by criminals in 2019 was 160% higher than in 2020. This indicates growing “maturity in the crypto space as entities continue to harden systems and take precautions against inside and outside threats,” the report said.

  • Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin
    Regulation

    Mnuchin: stricter crypto AML rules coming ‘very quickly’

    At a Senate Finance Committee hearing, the Treasury Secretary said FinCEN was prepping to release ‘significant’ new requirements for virtual currencies

    The U.S. is joining regulators around the globe in moving to enforce tougher cryptocurrency anti-money laundering policies, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said yesterday. 

  • Facebook's chief seems to be losing, for once. (Anthony Quintano via Wikimedia Commons)
    Libra

    Despite being called ‘global threat’, Libra Association launches

    A signing ceremony by the cryptocurrency’s members was overshadowed by dropouts and a report calling stablecoins a threat to the global economy

    Facebook’s wounded Libra Association formally voted itself into existence on October 14, electing a board and choosing officers. The ceremony was overshadowed by the loss of seven original members including Mastercard and Visa.

  • The SEC, CFTC and FinCen got together to say follow the rules or you'll get trampled.
    Regulation

    Three agencies issue direct warning: everyone must comply

    Anti-money laundering and terrorism financing laws must be followed; registration with the correct agency is your responsibility

    The three main U.S. agencies overseeing cryptocurrencies and digital assets just issued an unusual joint warning. You must comply with anti-money laundering rules and register with us.