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Crypto Queen Accomplice Sentenced for Bitcoin Laundering
Jian Wen was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison for her involvement in a Bitcoin (Bitcoin) conspiracy against money laundering.
On October 31, 2018, police raided Wen’s residence and found a wallet containing 61,000 Bitcoin, which was seized. Since then, the value of confiscated BTC has risen from £1.4 billion to over £3 billion ($4 billion).
Wen, 42, was reportedly enlisted by Yadi Zhang (also known as Zhimin Qian and nicknamed “Cryptocurrency Queen”) to act as a “front person” for the operation.
Zhang is accused of defrauding 130,000 Chinese investors of $5.6 billion between 2014 and 2017. reportedly arrested in the UK earlier this month.
Wen has attempted to buy prestigious properties in London, such as a £23.5 million mansion in Hampstead and a £12.5 million property with luxury amenities. These transactions resulted in anti-money laundering checks, leading to the purchases being canceled due to Wen’s inability to explain the provenance of the BTC.
During the trial, Wen said he was unaware of the illicit origin of the funds and was simply trying to improve his and his son’s lives. Prosecutors argued that she was driven by personal financial gain.
Wen was not charged with participation in the initial fraud.
Last March, a jury condemned Wen faces money laundering charges involving 150 BTC worth nearly £8 million ($10 million).
Judge Sally-Ann Hales revealed that more than 128,000 investors contributed 40 billion renminbi (about $5.6 billion) to the project.
“A portion of the proceeds from this fraud were converted into Bitcoin, transferred to a cryptocurrency wallet, and smuggled out of China using a laptop,” he explained.
Despite reporting an income of just £12,800 (about $16,200) in 2015 and £5,979 (about $7,600) in 2016, Wen moved into a six-bedroom property in London in 2017, paying more than £17,000 (about $21,600). dollars) per month.
Wen and his employer allegedly ran an international jewelry business, with Wen acting as a “front person.” They also financed Wen’s son’s move from China to the UK to attend private school and bought two properties in Dubai.
According to the CPS press release, Wen is guilty of converting “substantial sums” of Bitcoin into cash and other assets on behalf of his employer.
Cracking down on cryptocurrency money laundering
Crypto money recycling has had a significant impact on investors by undermining the integrity of the digital asset market.
Criminals exploit the relative anonymity of cryptocurrencies to launder the proceeds of various crimes, including cybercrime, fraud and theft
As crypto.news recently reported, Daren Li and Yicheng Zhang were arrested for laundering at least $73 million through shell companies linked to cryptocurrency investment schemes.
Their operation involved overseeing an international syndicate that laundered the proceeds of cryptocurrency investment scams.
Victims were tricked into transferring millions of dollars into U.S. bank accounts under the guise of shell companies.
Subsequently, the funds were moved to various domestic and international bank accounts and cryptocurrency platforms to obfuscate their origin, nature, ownership and control.
Li and Zhang are charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and international money laundering, underscoring ongoing efforts to combat illicit activity in the cryptocurrency realm.
News
How Ether Spot ETF Approval Could Impact Crypto Prices: CNBC Crypto World
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CNBC Crypto World features the latest news and daily trading updates from the digital currency markets and gives viewers a glimpse of what’s to come with high-profile interviews, explainers and unique stories from the ever-changing cryptocurrency industry. On today’s show, Ledn Chief Investment Officer John Glover weighs in on what’s driving cryptocurrency prices right now and how the potential approval of spot ether ETFs could impact markets.
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Miners’ ‘Capitulation’ Signals Bitcoin Price May Have Bottomed Out: CryptoQuant
According to CryptoQuant, blockchain data shows signs that the Bitcoin mining industry is “capitulating,” a likely precursor to Bitcoin hitting a local price bottom before reaching new highs.
CryptoQuant analyzed metrics for miners, who are responsible for securing the Bitcoin network in exchange for newly minted BTC. As outlined in the market intelligence platform’s Wednesday report, multiple signs of capitulation have emerged over the past month, during which Bitcoin’s price has fallen 13% from $68,791 to $59,603.
One such sign includes a significant drop in Bitcoin’s hash rate, the total computing power that backs Bitcoin. After hitting a record high of 623 exashashes per second (EH/s) on April 27, the hash rate has fallen 7.7% to 576 EH/s, its lowest level in four months.
“Historically, extreme hash rate drawdowns have been associated with price bottoms,” CryptoQuant wrote. In particular, the 7.7% drawdown is reminiscent of an equivalent hash rate drawdown in December 2022, when Bitcoin’s price bottomed at $16,000 before rallying over 300% over the next 15 months.
This latest hash rate drop follows Bitcoin’s fourth cyclical “halving” event in April, which cut the number of coins paid out to miners in half. According to CryptoQuant’s Miner Profit/Loss Sustainability Indicator, this has left miners “mostly extremely underpaid” since April 20, forcing many to shut down mining machines that have now become unprofitable.
CrypotoQuant said that miners faced a 63% drop in daily revenue after the halving, when both Bitcoin block rewards and transaction fee revenues were much higher.
During this time, Bitcoin miners were seen moving coins from their on-chain wallets at a faster rate than usual, indicating that they may be selling their BTC reserves“Daily miner outflows reached their highest volume since May 21,” the company wrote.
Among the sales of Bitcoin miners, whales and national governmentsBitcoin’s price drop in June also hurt Bitcoin’s “hash price,” a metric of Bitcoin Miner Profitability per unit of computing power.
“Average mining revenue per hash (hash price) continues to hover near all-time lows,” CryptoQuant wrote. “Hashprice stands at $0.049 per EH/s, just above the all-time low hashprice of $0.045 reached on May 1st.”
By Ryan-Ozawa.
News
US Congressman French Hill Doubles Down on Trump’s Pro-Crypto Stance
US lawmaker French Hill has noted that Donald Trump will take a more pro-crypto approach than the current administration. The run-up to the presidential election has seen cryptocurrencies become an issue with lawmakers making huge statements ahead of the polls. Donald Trump has also been reaching out to the industry, making a pro-crypto case.
French Hill Backs Trump’s Pro-Crypto Stance
Republican Congressman French Hill has explained the type of cryptocurrency regulatory framework he believes Donald Trump could adopt in the country. In a recent interview with CNBC, French Hill said that the recently passed FIT21 bill is the type of regulatory framework the Trump administration will adopt in the sector.
#FIT21 passed the House with 71 Democratic votes, it’s exactly the kind of digital asset regulatory framework former President Trump would support if re-elected.
See more on @SquawkCNBC🔽 photo.twitter.com/ceTmU4LApU
— French Hill (@RepFrenchHill) July 3, 2024
THE FIT21 Bill It is intended to protect investors and consumers in the market by establishing clear rules and powers for the various regulators in the sector. According to Hill, Trump will adopt it because it directs the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on the specific regulatory framework needed in the market.
“… for people who are innovating and starting a crypto token, a related business, custody of those assets, how to ensure consumer protection, so I think that framework is the right approach and that’s what I’m going to recommend to the President to pass, which is that we have not passed it between now and the end of this Congress.”
He also called Trump an innovative and pro-growth president in financial matters.
Cryptocurrency is going mainstream
This election cycle saw the cryptocurrency industry taking a place in mainstream issues following broader adoption across demographics. From candidates moving toward enthusiasts to recent pro-Congress legislation, cryptocurrencies have become a rallying point for officials. The U.S. regulatory landscape has been criticized for stifling growth due to frequent SEC LawsuitsThis has led executives to push for pro-cryptocurrency laws and raise money for pro-industry candidates.
Read also: Federal Reserve Predicts “AI Will Be Deflationary” to Stimulate Economy
David is a financial news contributor with 4 years of experience in Blockchain and cryptocurrency. He is interested in learning about emerging technologies and has an eye for breaking news. Keeping up to date with trends, David has written in several niches including regulation, partnerships, cryptocurrency, stocks, NFTs, etc. Away from the financial markets, David enjoys cycling and horseback riding.
News
US Court Orders Sam Ikkurty to Pay $84 Million for Cryptocurrency Ponzi Scheme
A federal court has ordered Jafia LLC and its owner, Sam Ikkurty, to pay nearly $84 million to cryptocurrency investors after ruling that the company was operating a Ponzi scheme.
The ruling, issued by Judge Mary Rowland in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, follows a lawsuit filed by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in 2022 after the fund collapsed.
Judge Rowland found that Ikkurty, based in Portland, Oregon, did numerous false claims on his company’s hedge funds.
These included misleading statements about his trading experience and the promise of high and stable profits. Instead, Ikkurty used funds from new investors to pay off previous investors, a hallmark of a Ponzi scheme.
The Ponzi Scheme
The court found that Ikkurty misappropriated investment funds for personal use without the knowledge of the investors. These funds were used for personal use and were reported as Fraudulent Investmentscausing significant financial losses to customers.
This non-transparent operation violated Transparency Commission regulations, which led to the imposition of a hefty fine to compensate defrauded investors and restore some public confidence in the financial system.
Judge Rowland emphasized that fraudulent activity such as this violates the law and undermines the integrity of modern financial markets. The $84 million award seeks to address the financial harm inflicted on investors and reinforce the importance of legal compliance in cryptocurrency trading.
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