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☆ Over 60% of illegal crypto activity is tied to sanctioned groups or terrorist organizations, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Dylan Butts | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The American blockchain analysis firm's "2024 Crypto Crime Report" found that $24.2 billion of illicit cryptocurrency was transferred in 2023, based on already identified illicit crypto wallets. Chainalysis retroactively updates its yearly crypto figures when new illicit wallets come to light. watch nowCrypto to avert sanctionsEntities like the crypto "mixer" Tornado Cash and Garantex took the lion's share of illicit funds in 2023. The amount of crypto transferred to sanctioned entities has climbed in recent years in tandem with a greater share of new trade restrictions specifying crypto wallets. Terrorist financingIllicit crypto volume identified by Chainalysis as terrorist financing accounted for a much smaller proportion than that of transactions to sanctioned entities in 2022.

Persons: Andrea Gacki, cryptocurrency, Chainalysis, Andrew Fierman, Garantex, Tornado Cash, Lazarus, Lazarus Group ., Sinbad.io, Chanalysis's Fierman, Tawfiq Muhammad Said Al, Law's, Hayat Tahrir Organizations: Foreign Assets, U.S . Department of, Treasury, Bloomberg, Getty, Hezbollah, CNBC, Tornado, Lazarus Group, U.S . Office, Foreign, Lazarus, National Bureau for, Iran's Quds Force, Al, ISIS, Hayat Locations: New York, Korean, Chainalysis, China, Latin America, North Korea, Iran, Iran's Quds, Syria, cryptocurrency

Six people listed on Israel's previous Tron seizure notices who responded to Reuters questions denied connections to militant groups. Iran has previously used Tron to skirt U.S. sanctions. 'BLINDSPOT'Since its 2008 birth, the Bitcoin blockchain, and since then crypto more widely, have been magnets for criminals drawn by liquidity and a reputation for anonymity. In 2021, the first year NBCTF published seizure notices, it froze 30 Bitcoin wallets. No Bitcoin wallets appear in notices in the subsequent years.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Mriganka Pattnaik, Merkle, Hayward Wong, Tron, Wong, Israel, NBCTF, Weeks, Justin Sun, Sun, Binbin Deng, Shlomit Wagman, VanEck, Wagman, Tom Wilson, Elizabeth Howcroft, Nidal al, Gebeily, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: REUTERS, Hezbollah, Reuters, Israel's, Bureau for, British Virgin Islands, Dubai Co, Israel, Hamas, Islamic, West Bank, Tron, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Sun, Force, Harvard University, Authority, Militant, Thomson Locations: Iran, Israel, United States, New York, Britain, Singapore, Gaza, British Virgin, Jihad, Dubai, Venezuela, Jenin, Tehran, Paris, U.S, London, Beirut

☆ Tether freezes 32 crypto wallets holding $873,118 linked to terrorism and warfare in Israel, Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The world's biggest stablecoin, tether, saw more than $10 billion in redemptions in May, fueling fears of a 2008-style "bank run." Tether froze 32 virtual wallets linked to crypto-funded terrorism and warfare in Israel and Ukraine, according to a media release published Monday. Tether, which issues the world's largest stablecoin of the same name, says it has been collaborating with the National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing of Israel in its efforts. "Tether remains committed to promoting responsible blockchain technology use and standing as a robust defense against cybercrime," continued Ardoino. "We eagerly anticipate continued collaboration with global law enforcement agencies as part of our commitment to global security and financial integrity."

Persons: Paolo Ardoino Organizations: National Bureau for, Israel, Tether's U.S, cybercrime Locations: redemptions, Israel, Ukraine

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Cryptocurrency issuer Tether has frozen 32 crypto wallet addresses containing a combined $873,118 it said were linked to "terrorism and warfare" in Israel and Ukraine, the company said on Monday. Israeli police said last week they had frozen crypto accounts used to solicit donations for Hamas on social media. Tether said that it is committed to "working closely" with law enforcement agencies globally "to combat cryptocurrency-funded terrorism and warfare." Crypto has been widely used in Ukraine since Russia's invasion last year, with Kyiv raising over $100 million in crypto after appealing for donations. Pro-Russian groups have used crypto for funding in eastern Ukraine, blockchain researcher Chainalysis said last year.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Crypto, Chainalysis, TRM, Elizabeth Howcroft, Tom Wilson, Mark Potter, Rod Nickel Organizations: REUTERS, TRM Labs, Israel's National Bureau for, Reuters, bitcoin, Thomson Locations: Israel, Ukraine, Hamas, U.S

The seizure was to "thwart the activity" of Islamic State and "impair its ability to further its goals," the NBCTF said on its website. The NBCTF document, which has not been previously reported, did not give any details on the value of the crypto seized, nor how the accounts were connected to Islamic State. Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange by trading volumes, did not respond to Reuters' calls and emails seeking comment. The U.S. Treasury said in a report last year that Islamic State had received crypto donations it later converted to cash, accessing funds via crypto trading platforms. The owner of the two Islamic State-linked Binance accounts seized by Israel was a 28-year old Palestinian called Osama Abuobayda, the NBCTF document shows.

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