Australia's financial crimes regulator AUSTRAC suspended crypto ATM operator Cryptolink Pty Ltd's registration for three months starting August 9, 2026, forcing the shutdown of the country's largest network of 96 crypto ATMs due to failures in basic reporting obligations, particularly threshold transaction reporting requirements.
Following $3.4 billion in crypto thefts in 2025 and over $1 billion stolen in the first half of 2026, investigators reveal hackers have approximately 45 days to launder stolen assets before trails go cold. The Bybit exchange has recovered $48.4 million after suing North Korea's Lazarus Group, with a US court freezing $30.5 million in related assets.
Crypto exchange Bybit filed a civil lawsuit against North Korea, its intelligence agency, and the Lazarus Group over the February 2026 hack. A U.S. federal judge granted Bybit's request to trace stolen assets.
US District Judge Shalina Kumar denied Coinbase's preliminary injunction bid to block Michigan state enforcement against sports event contracts, calling the company's arguments 'applesauce' and citing Third Circuit precedent.
U.S. District Judge Shalina Kumar rejected Coinbase's preliminary injunction request to prevent Michigan from enforcing gambling laws against its sports event prediction contracts, dismissing the company's arguments as 'applesauce.' The ruling follows Coinbase's December 2025 lawsuit seeking to establish federal jurisdiction over prediction markets.
Russia's Federal Security Service raided nine unregistered cryptocurrency exchange offices in Moscow City, detaining more than 20 people accused of laundering money stolen from Russian scam victims and transferring proceeds to Ukraine-based operations.
European financial watchdogs have issued warnings about fraudsters impersonating regulators and licensed crypto firms to exploit confusion following the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation deadline, which forced over 1,700 unlicensed crypto service providers to cease EU operations.
Binance-affiliated companies have filed a lawsuit in Hong Kong against RedotPay's co-founders, alleging they breached a partnership agreement by diverting more than 470,000 Binance Card users to RedotPay's own stablecoin payment card service. RedotPay has vowed to vigorously defend against the claims.
Federal prosecutors charged Few and Far founder Taj Tarsha with securities fraud and wire fraud, alleging he misappropriated over $10 million raised from investors for an NFT marketplace and instead spent the funds on gambling, cryptocurrency trading, a Miami condominium, and DJ equipment.
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged Few and Far founder Taj Tarsha with securities and wire fraud, alleging he misused over $10 million from investors on gambling, trading, and personal expenses including a DJ hobby.
Shaw Walters, founder of Eliza Labs and the ElizaOS AI agent framework, announced the project's token is 'dead' and the foundation is winding down after using remaining treasury funds to settle a Burwick Law class-action lawsuit. The token, formerly known as ai16z, has crashed 97% from its $2.4-2.5 billion peak market capitalization to approximately $305,000.
South Korea's Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced plans to create a dedicated Virtual Asset Joint Investigation Division within the Seoul Serious Crime Investigation Agency (Jungdaebeomjoe Susacheong), set to launch October 2. The new agency will focus on seven major crime categories including corruption, economic crimes, defense procurement, narcotics, insurrection, cybercrime, and judicial obstruction.
Authorities in Hong Kong and Macau conducted a joint operation arresting eight people connected to the 'Fun Coffee' cryptocurrency investment fraud scheme disguised as a Vietnam-based coffee business. The scam affected over 200 victims with losses totaling approximately HK$94-100 million, with the largest single case involving HK$9.63 million.
Cryptocurrency exchange Bitget announced it will terminate services for Japan residents by the end of 2026 after receiving a warning from Japan's Financial Services Agency for operating without proper registration. New user registrations will cease from August 3, 2026, with phased service restrictions to follow.
Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal have formally requested the Securities and Exchange Commission investigate President Donald Trump's memecoin, which he launched days before his 2025 inauguration, alleging it may constitute fraud or an illegal 'rug pull' scheme. The inquiry comes amid polling showing 55% of voters disapprove of Trump's billion-dollar cryptocurrency earnings.
BNB Chain announced it is pursuing legal action against a former employee who allegedly bought nearly 80% of ASTEROID token supply for $10,000 using a tutorial wallet, then sold most tokens for approximately $638,000.
BNB Chain announced it is taking legal action against a former employee who allegedly used a wallet seed phrase from an old tutorial video to independently launch the ASTEROID meme token without authorization. The company disavowed any connection to the token, which saw four wallets acquire nearly 80% of its supply before selling.
A Reuters investigation revealed that Shelbit, an unlicensed Dubai-based cryptocurrency exchange, processed at least $4 billion for an Iranian sanctions-evasion network linked to the IRGC, Iran's central bank, and illegal gambling operations. At least $676 million from wallets connected to this network flowed to Binance.
New York's attorney general has filed a lawsuit against prediction market platform Kalshi, claiming the company operates illegal gambling operations without proper licensing. The legal action follows similar suits against cryptocurrency exchanges Coinbase and Gemini.
Major cryptocurrencies including Ethereum, XRP, MemeToro and HYPE are attracting investor capital in July 2026 while smaller tokens face liquidity challenges amid increased regulatory enforcement actions and payment-access restrictions.
Thailand's Securities and Exchange Commission filed a criminal complaint against crypto exchange Bitkub and two former directors for allegedly submitting false reports after a 2021 hack that resulted in $47 million in losses.
Polymarket announced it will legally challenge France's decision to block access to its website nationwide, arguing the regulator wrongly treated an information source as illegal gambling despite trading already being disabled since November 2024.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and U.S. Secret Service announced that investigations by the Cyber Fraud Task Force have resulted in the seizure of more than $25 million in cryptocurrency connected to international fraud operations.
Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has set up a specialized cryptocurrency investigation unit within its National Command and Control Centre to investigate money laundering, terrorism financing, and other crimes involving digital assets. Officials said the unit will monitor suspicious crypto transactions and investigate crypto-linked cybercrime and financial fraud, while the FIA's counter-terrorism chief separately recommended that the cybercrime and anti-narcotics agencies establish similar units to address cybercrime and drug trafficking.
Former Celsius CEO Alexander Mashinsky and business partners Shlomi Daniel Leon and Hanoch “Nuke” Goldstein were ordered to pay $10 million, $4.1 million, and $2.014 million, respectively, to resolve Federal Trade Commission charges related to the collapsed cryptocurrency lending platform. Mashinsky and Leon are permanently barred from marketing or selling certain asset-related products or services, while Goldstein is permanently barred from marketing or selling specified retail cryptocurrency products or services.
South Korean financial authorities investigated more than 40 cases of unfair crypto trading including market manipulation and fraud since the country's user-protection law took effect in 2024, referring over 30 cases to investigative agencies.
The Senate approved a nonbinding resolution condemning efforts by Sam Bankman-Fried to secure presidential clemency following his 25-year sentence for fraud related to FTX's collapse. The resolution, introduced by Senators Cynthia Lummis and Ruben Gallego, passed through unanimous consent without objection.
By unanimous consent, U.S. senators passed S. Res. 772 on July 16, 2026, a nonbinding resolution declaring that convicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried should receive no presidential pardon or commutation. Led by Senators Cynthia Lummis and Ruben Gallego, the measure responded to Bankman-Fried's pending clemency petition.
CEO Stephen Gregory outlined plans to recapture 20% of the U.S. crypto exchange market through 0% maker fees, 0.02% taker fees, and expansion into derivatives and prediction markets, following a two-year regulatory disruption that included an SEC civil lawsuit and loss of banking relationships.
The U.S. government moved approximately $288 million worth of seized Bitcoin and Ethereum to Coinbase Prime on Monday, July 13-14, 2026, according to on-chain analytics platforms. The transfers included cryptocurrency confiscated from multiple cases and sparked speculation about potential asset sales.
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse disclosed that the company seriously considered shutting down after the SEC sued in 2020, spending $150 million on legal defense. The revelation comes as the XRP community celebrates the third anniversary of Judge Analisa Torres's July 13, 2023 split summary judgment ruling.
The DOJ charged Bulgarian national Rossen Iossifov, currently serving 111 months for fraud, with conspiring to move approximately $290,000 in cryptocurrency that had been seized and forfeited to the US government.
A four-month INTERPOL operation spanning 97 countries resulted in 5,811 arrests and the seizure of $293 million in illicit assets. Thai police arrested two suspects linked to a romance scam network, with one 20-year-old's cryptocurrency wallet processing over $122.5 million in suspicious transactions.
An appeals court has rejected Sam Bankman-Fried's attempt to overturn his conviction for fraud related to the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX and his 25-year prison sentence. The former billionaire founder of FTX had appealed both the conviction and the lengthy sentence handed down for his role in the exchange's failure.
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried's appeal to overturn his fraud conviction and 25-year prison sentence was denied by an appeals court on Friday. Around the same time, his X account posted market commentary via a prison-approved proxy, marking his continued social media presence despite incarceration.
The European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation ended its transitional period on July 1, 2026, requiring all crypto service providers to obtain proper licensing. ESMA ordered unauthorized firms to wind down operations, leaving an estimated 10 million or more users searching for new compliant platforms.
India's Enforcement Directorate conducted raids on six Bengaluru-based crypto on-ramp/off-ramp firms, investigating alleged unauthorized cross-border money transfers totaling approximately ₹2,500 crore ($300 million).
Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange, is reportedly set to lose permission to serve EU clients after its Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) license application in Greece faces rejection, according to Reuters citing two sources familiar with the matter.
India's Directorate of Enforcement filed a prosecution complaint against Chirag Tomar and seven other individuals and entities in connection with an alleged Coinbase spoofing scheme that stole more than $20 million.
Federal prosecutors charged two Eastern European nationals with running AudiA6, a cryptocurrency mixing service that allegedly laundered nearly $400 million in Bitcoin since 2021. The pair were arrested in Georgia following international investigations involving the US, Europol, and 10 other countries.
Hungary will reverse restrictive cryptocurrency regulations introduced under former leader Viktor Orban in 2025 that required approved validation for crypto transactions and carried potential prison sentences. The rules had triggered platform suspensions, an EU probe, and drove major digital asset firms out of the country.
A wallet linked to US government holdings of seized FTX assets moved 98,590 LINK tokens worth approximately $768,000 to Coinbase Prime on Wednesday, raising speculation about a potential sale of the cryptocurrency.
Geoffrey K. Auyeung, 47, of Newcastle, Washington, was sentenced to five years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering after helping launder nearly $100 million from a fraud scheme through Bitcoin and Ethereum. Victims believed they were investing in oil and gas ventures.
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has officially submitted a clemency petition to the White House via the Justice Department's Pardon Attorney's Office, despite President Trump previously stating he does not intend to grant the pardon. Bankman-Fried is currently serving a 25-year sentence.
The UK's Financial Conduct Authority has listed Hyperliquid and Hyper Foundation as unauthorized firms, while CME's chief warned that crypto perpetuals could be a 'disaster waiting to happen,' highlighting growing regulatory concerns about the platform amid its Wall Street expansion.
Polymarket's chief marketing officer Matthew Modabber reportedly used his personal PayPal account to send at least $350,000 to content creators including Nick Shirley and Riley Gaines who promoted the prediction market platform without disclosing the payments. The allegations emerge as the company faces separate regulatory scrutiny and cuts ties with George Santos.
The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control designated four Iranian cryptocurrency exchanges—Nobitex, Wallex, Bitpin, and Ramzinex—for sanctions violations and terrorist financing. Nobitex handled approximately 50% of Iran's crypto inflows in 2025, and four Iranian nationals including chairman Amir Hossein Rad were also named in the action.
CFTC Chair Michael Selig stated the agency is correcting what he called a flawed enforcement action against Gemini Space Station, the Winklevoss brothers' crypto exchange, alleging the case represented political 'lawfare' and attempting to undo a 2025 settlement.
Buenos Aires prosecutors conducted 90 simultaneous raids targeting three fraud rings involving fake trading apps, WhatsApp hijacks, and Chinese-origin schemes, freezing more than 8 million USDT and arresting 24 individuals.
South Korean prosecutors charged five individuals in the country's first-ever arrest and prosecution tied to a decentralized exchange rug pull, involving the Solana-based CATFI memecoin that defrauded approximately 256 investors of roughly $650,000.
A federal grand jury in San Francisco indicted three Tennessee men on charges including conspiracy to commit robbery and kidnapping after allegedly posing as delivery drivers to steal cryptocurrency in a series of violent attacks across California, including one incident where a victim was forced at gunpoint to surrender $6.5 million.
The U.S. Treasury Department is pressuring Binance to implement stricter compliance measures following reports that over $1 billion in cryptocurrency transactions tied to Iranian entities moved through the exchange despite sanctions.
Aave LLC filed an emergency motion in U.S. federal court to lift a restraining order freezing approximately $73 million in Ether recovered after the Kelp DAO exploit, as a law firm attempts to seize the funds claiming links to North Korean hackers.
The Federal Trade Commission secured a $4.72 billion judgment against former Celsius Network CEO Alex Mashinsky, who agreed to pay $10 million and accept a permanent ban from the cryptocurrency and financial services industries following the collapse of the crypto lending platform.
South Korean prosecutors are seeking a 20-year prison term for Delio CEO Jeong Sang-ho over allegations of embezzling $168.8 million from nearly 2,800 crypto deposit users through what they describe as 'active deceptive acts.'
Prediction market platform Polymarket engaged blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis to monitor trading activity in real-time for insider trading and market manipulation as it seeks $15 billion valuation and CFTC approval for U.S. relaunch.
FBI-led operation resulted in 275 arrests in Dubai and one in Thailand, targeting cryptocurrency romance scam operations. European police separately arrested 10 people and dismantled three scam centers estimated to have stolen over $58 million.
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that developers will no longer be investigated or charged unless they knowingly help third parties commit crimes, signaling a fundamental shift in DOJ's approach to prosecuting crypto developers.
The Department of Justice sentenced a member of a scam group to nearly six years in prison for participating in a $263 million fraud operation that used social engineering to steal from crypto users, with proceeds spent on luxury items and real estate.
The Department of Justice's strike force restrained $701 million in cryptocurrency, seized a Telegram recruitment channel, and took down 503 fake crypto investment websites as part of an expanded enforcement operation against organized scams.
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission added New York to its string of lawsuits against states seeking to curtail prediction market activity, claiming federal jurisdiction over these markets versus state gaming regulation.
Tennessee has outlawed Bitcoin and crypto ATMs, making it a criminal offense to own or operate the machines. The law, which passed unanimously, extends liability beyond crypto ATM operators to businesses hosting the machines.
Brazil's Finance Ministry blocked 28 betting platforms including Polymarket and Kalshi, citing investor protection concerns and rising gambling addiction. Finance Minister Dario Durigan announced the sweeping ban affecting major prediction market operators.
Wisconsin Department of Justice filed lawsuit against five prediction market platforms, alleging their sports event contracts violate state gambling laws, citing platform language as evidence of gambling rather than investing.
Federal prosecutors arrested Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke for allegedly using confidential military intelligence to place over $400,000 in bets on Polymarket regarding Venezuela operations, including the capture of Nicolás Maduro. The soldier allegedly participated in the raid himself and attempted to conceal his betting activity.
The UK's Financial Conduct Authority carried out its first nationwide operation targeting illegal peer-to-peer crypto trading, raiding eight locations suspected of facilitating P2P trading without required registration or anti-money laundering controls.
Coinbase removed New York Attorney General's prediction markets lawsuit from state to federal court, setting up a jurisdictional fight over CFTC authority versus state gambling laws. The move follows New York's lawsuit against Coinbase and Gemini over alleged illegal prediction market gambling.
RaveDAO's RAVE token crashed from $27.33 to $1.15 on April 19, wiping out over $5 billion in market cap after surging 4,500%. Binance and Bitget opened investigations into suspected pump-and-dump activity, while blockchain investigator ZachXBT offered a $25,000 whistleblower bounty.
Web3 investigator ZachXBT flagged RAVE token as a potential pump-and-dump scheme after it surged over 4,500% with nearly 90% of supply concentrated in three wallets. Binance and Bitget have committed to investigating the token's suspicious price movement.
A Texas man received a 23-year prison sentence for orchestrating the Meta-1 Coin fraud scheme that defrauded investors of over $20 million between 2018 and 2023. The project falsely claimed backing by $44 billion in gold and $1 billion in artwork.
The DOJ announced a compensation process for victims of the $4 billion OneCoin fraud scheme, offering more than $40 million in seized assets. OneCoin was launched by Ruja Ignatova, who has been missing since 2017, and Karl Sebastian Greenwood, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The SEC acknowledged that some past enforcement actions against cryptocurrency companies lacked clear investor benefit and misinterpreted federal securities laws, marking a significant shift in regulatory approach under Chair Paul Atkins.
US prosecutors rejected Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm's newest argument for case dismissal, stating a recent Supreme Court ruling cited by his attorneys was 'inapposite' to the case as Storm faces retrial on two charges.
The FBI's Internet Crime Report reveals Americans lost over $11 billion to cryptocurrency fraud schemes in 2025, with older Americans bearing nearly 40% of losses. Fraud schemes grew more sophisticated and targeted larger sums than in 2024.
Cambodia's parliament passed the Law on Anti-Technology Fraud introducing five new offenses aimed at rooting out online and crypto scam operations, with penalties up to life in prison for those running scam compounds behind billions in crypto fraud.
A US court ordered KuCoin operator Peken Global Limited to pay a $500,000 penalty to the CFTC and permanently block American traders from its platform, following a separate $297-300 million DOJ settlement over similar conduct.
Federal prosecutors charged Jonathan Spalletta with exploiting smart contract vulnerabilities in Uranium Finance twice in April 2021, laundering funds through Tornado Cash and spending proceeds on collectibles including Pokémon cards and antique coins. He faces up to 30 years in prison.
Australia's Federal Court fined Binance Australia Derivatives $6.9 million after the exchange misclassified 524 retail clients as wholesale investors, exposing them to high-risk crypto derivatives without required protections. The penalty follows Binance's admission that the clients lost $6 million trading these products.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order creating a U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and digital asset stockpile using cryptocurrencies already owned by the government through law enforcement seizures, rather than purchasing new tokens. The reserve comprises approximately $17 billion in Bitcoin seized in enforcement actions.
