Money Laundering News

Chinese investors defrauded in the Zhimin Qian case are asking the UK High Court to reject a redress plan for 61,000 seized Bitcoin, saying it could deprive them of the assets’ gains.

Thai crypto operators reportedly froze 10,000 suspected “mule accounts” as new AML checks and transfer delays took effect in a wider anti-fraud push.

How investigators tracked $61 million in crypto tied to romance scams across wallets using blockchain forensics and stablecoin freezes.

The international watchdog says P2P stablecoin transfers via self-custody wallets can bypass AML checks and urges countries to assess risks and apply proportionate safeguards.

SafeMoon’s former chief technology officer, Thomas Smith, has also pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. Alleged co-conspirator Kyle Nagy remains at large.

TRM Labs says the $17.9 billion figure reflects gross onchain volume, including internal transfers, not confirmed illicit proceeds.

Chainalysis says the on-chain money laundering ecosystem processed $82 billion in funds in 2025, with Chinese-language networks now dominating.

South Korea’s customs agency charged three suspects over a more than $100 million crypto-linked remittance scheme using WeChat Pay and Alipay, per Yonhap.

The apparent shutdown follows years of scrutiny of one of crypto’s largest fraud marketplaces.

The ruling confirms that Bitcoin in South Korean exchange accounts is an “object of seizure” under criminal law, aligning Seoul with US and EU enforcement practices.

Binance let a network of 13 high‑risk accounts move $1.7 billion in crypto, including $144 million, after its 2023 US plea deal, according to the Financial Times.

Japan’s stimulus package has shaken global markets, including Bitcoin, while the UK cracks down on Russian money laundering and sanctions evasion with crypto.

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao said Elizabeth Warren “can’t get her facts right” after she claimed he pled guilty to a money-laundering charge.

The transfer came a day after the US DOJ unsealed an indictment against Prince Holding Group, which allegedly used LuBian to launder illicit funds.

South Korea reportedly flagged a record 36,684 suspicious crypto transactions in 2025, surpassing the combined total of the past two years.