Blockstream CEO Adam Back has issued a public clarification stating the Bitcoin infrastructure company has no financial relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following references to the company in newly unsealed Department of Justice documents. The statement addresses scrutiny arising from the ongoing release of millions of pages under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which also reveals Epstein’s private discussions about cryptocurrency and names other prominent figures from technology and finance.
about Blockstream Denies Epstein Ties Amid DOJ Document ReleaseUS Department of Justice
0 in Finance and 1 in Crypto last weekNJ Man Sentenced 12 Years for Bitcoin-Funded Fentanyl Ring
A New Jersey man has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for using Bitcoin to pay Chinese suppliers in a massive fentanyl distribution conspiracy. The case highlights how cryptocurrency is being exploited to finance international drug networks. This sentencing coincides with a major global crackdown on dark web opioid trafficking.
about NJ Man Sentenced 12 Years for Bitcoin-Funded Fentanyl RingIcomTech Crypto Ponzi Promoter Sentenced to 71 Months in Prison
A senior promoter of the cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme IcomTech has been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison. Magdaleno Mendoza played a key role in defrauding investors, many from Spanish-speaking communities, by promising guaranteed returns from fake crypto mining and trading operations. His sentencing by U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe follows a guilty plea to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and illegal reentry, marking another conviction in a sprawling fraud case that targeted vulnerable populations.
about IcomTech Crypto Ponzi Promoter Sentenced to 71 Months in PrisonSamourai Wallet Founders Sentenced in Crypto Mixer Case
The co-founders of privacy-focused Bitcoin wallet Samourai Wallet have been sentenced to prison for operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business, setting a significant legal precedent as privacy tools gain renewed attention in cryptocurrency development. Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill received four and five-year sentences respectively after prosecutors successfully argued their mixing service facilitated criminal transactions despite being non-custodial, processing over $100 million in illicit funds.
about Samourai Wallet Founders Sentenced in Crypto Mixer CaseChina’s $15B Bitcoin Hack Reveals US Government Involvement
A shocking technical report from China’s National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center reveals that the 2020 LuBian Bitcoin hack, involving $15 billion in stolen cryptocurrency, may have been a state-level operation with US government involvement. The stolen Bitcoin remained dormant for four years before being seized by the US Department of Justice, raising questions about when the US actually gained control of the funds. Blockchain analysis shows the wallets in the DOJ indictment exactly match those from the 2020 hack.
about China's $15B Bitcoin Hack Reveals US Government InvolvementUS Faces Questions Over $8B Bitcoin Seizure from Chinese Hack
The US Department of Justice faces intense scrutiny from Chinese authorities following its record-breaking seizure of 127,271 Bitcoin stolen from the LuBian mining pool. China’s national cyber defense agency has published a technical analysis directly questioning how US authorities accessed the stolen cryptocurrency, escalating what was already the largest Bitcoin theft in history into a major international cybersecurity dispute. The 2020 hack, which remained largely unknown until recently, involves approximately $8 billion at current valuations and has exposed growing tensions between global powers over cryptocurrency jurisdiction and cybercrime investigations.
about US Faces Questions Over $8B Bitcoin Seizure from Chinese HackSamourai Wallet Co-Founder Gets 5 Years in Prison
Keonne Rodriguez, co-founder of cryptocurrency mixer Samourai Wallet, has been sentenced to five years in prison for operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business that allegedly laundered hundreds of millions of dollars from criminal activities including dark web markets and fraud schemes. The case represents a significant enforcement action that survived the Trump administration’s generally pro-crypto stance, with US District Judge Denise Cote imposing the maximum sentence while criticizing Rodriguez for using his talents to help criminals conceal stolen funds.
about Samourai Wallet Co-Founder Gets 5 Years in PrisonMutant Ape Planet NFT Creator Arrested for $2.9M Rug Pull
The developer behind the Mutant Ape Planet NFT collection has been arrested in New York for allegedly orchestrating a $2.9 million rug pull scheme. Aurelien Michel faces charges after promising investors exclusive benefits that never materialized while diverting cryptocurrency to his personal wallets, highlighting the persistent vulnerability of digital asset investors to sophisticated fraud in the largely unregulated NFT market.
about Mutant Ape Planet NFT Creator Arrested for $2.9M Rug PullSenate Dems Question Trump’s Binance Co-Founder Pardon
Seven Senate Democrats have launched a formal challenge against President Trump’s controversial pardon of Binance co-founder Changpeng ‘CZ’ Zhao, demanding immediate explanations from the Justice Department. In a sharply worded open letter, the lawmakers characterized the pardon as a corrupt act that signals impunity for cryptocurrency executives and white-collar criminals, while directly accusing Trump of encouraging criminal activity that personally enriches him. The move represents a significant escalation in political scrutiny over the administration’s relationship with the crypto industry.
about Senate Dems Question Trump's Binance Co-Founder PardonDOJ Seizes 7 Pig Butchering Crypto Scam Websites
In an unprecedented crackdown on sophisticated cryptocurrency fraud, the U.S. Department of Justice has seized seven domain names central to ‘pig butchering’ scams that collectively defrauded victims of over $10 million. This landmark action represents the first time federal authorities have directly targeted the digital infrastructure supporting these elaborate cons, which manipulate victims through fake relationships before steering them toward fraudulent cryptocurrency investment platforms.
about DOJ Seizes 7 Pig Butchering Crypto Scam WebsitesDeFi Developers Face Retroactive Prosecution Risk
Open source software developers building decentralized finance protocols face significant legal uncertainty in the United States, with current laws failing to provide explicit protections against retroactive prosecution by the Department of Justice. Roman Storm, creator of the Tornado Cash privacy protocol, has sounded the alarm about how DeFi developers could face charges as unregistered money service businesses for building non-custodial protocols, highlighting the legal ambiguity threatening innovation in the rapidly evolving cryptocurrency space.
about DeFi Developers Face Retroactive Prosecution RiskOKX CEO Condemns Huione Group After $15B DOJ Crackdown
OKX CEO Star Xu has publicly condemned Cambodian conglomerate Huione Group following a massive $15 billion US Department of Justice crackdown targeting extensive crypto-enabled fraud networks across Southeast Asia. The enforcement action, coordinated between US and UK authorities, has designated the Prince Group Transnational Criminal Organization and 146 affiliates for their roles in crypto fraud, illicit mining, and global money laundering activities. Xu emphasized that OKX maintains strict compliance controls to distance itself from the sanctioned entity, which he said has “caused serious damage in the crypto space.”
about OKX CEO Condemns Huione Group After $15B DOJ Crackdown