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Cryptocurrency Department of Justice (DOJ) Financial Crimes

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

US Corporate Governance — 2025 Midyear Review

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued an interim final rule in March 2025 that removes requirements for US companies to report beneficial ownership information under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA)....more

Estlund Law, P.A.

Lyon, France- INTERPOL’s New Notice Is Silver (Part 2 Of 3: The U.S. Softens Its Crypto Enforcement Mechanism)

Estlund Law, P.A. on

Our last post focused on INTERPOL’s newest notice, the Silver Notice. This new tool allows member countries to request information on assets linked to a person’s criminal activities such as fraud, corruption, drug...more

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

DOJ shifts focus on digital asset enforcement

Recently, the Deputy Attorney General for the DOJ released a memo that outlined a new policy direction for the DOJ regarding the enforcement of laws related to digital assets. The memo emphasized ending the previous...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

A New Era for Digital Assets: The Impact of DOJ’s Shift Away from Regulation by Prosecution and Its Implications

Ballard Spahr LLP on

In a significant policy shift, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a memorandum titled “Ending Regulation By Prosecution,” on April 7, 2025, signaling a change in the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) approach to digital...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

DOJ Narrows Crypto Enforcement Focus to Fraud and Criminal Conduct

On April 7, in a significant policy shift, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced via the release of a memorandum that it will no longer pursue criminal enforcement actions that effectively impose regulatory...more

BakerHostetler

DOJ’s New Policy on Prosecutions to Focus on Bad Actors, Not Digital Asset Industry

BakerHostetler on

On April 7, 2025, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced in a memorandum to all DOJ employees (the “Blanche Memorandum”) that the DOJ “will stop participating in regulation by prosecution” and “no longer pursue...more

Wiley Rein LLP

DOJ Disbands Crypto Enforcement Unit

Wiley Rein LLP on

In a significant shift in enforcement strategy, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) disbanded its National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET), effective immediately. According to the April 7 memo announcing the decision,...more

Fenwick & West LLP

DOJ Memo Refocuses Digital Assets Enforcement Priorities, Dissolves Crypto-Enforcement Unit

Fenwick & West LLP on

On April 7, 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ) released a memo for all department employees titled “Ending Regulation By Prosecution.” ...more

Paul Hastings LLP

Anti-Money Laundering Enforcement Risk Still Remains for Virtual Asset Services Providers

Paul Hastings LLP on

Despite the Trump administration’s generally favorable stance toward cryptocurrency and blockchain innovation, virtual asset services providers (VASPs) must remain vigilant in complying with anti-money laundering (AML)...more

A&O Shearman

Cryptocurrency Exchange Pleads Guilty To Violating Anti-Money Laundering Laws, Agrees To Pay More Than $500 Million In Penalties...

A&O Shearman on

On Monday, February 24, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (the “SDNY”), in conjunction with the FBI, announced that a Seychelles-based cryptocurrency exchange (“the Exchange”) pled guilty...more

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Establishment of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and United States Digital Asset Stockpile

The Secretary of the Treasury shall establish an office to administer and maintain control of custodial accounts collectively known as the “United States Digital Asset Stockpile,” capitalized with all digital assets owned by...more

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Cryptoasset exchange pleads guilty for unlicensed money transmitting

On January 27, DOJ announced a cryptocurrency exchange platform (the platform) pled guilty to operating as an unlicensed money transmitting business and failing to implement adequate AML and know-your-customer (KYC) programs....more

Lowenstein Sandler LLP

Crypto Brief - Newsletter - January 24, 2025

Lowenstein Sandler LLP on

Lowenstein Crypto advises leading digital asset and cryptocurrency projects, exchanges, and trading firms. Our practice covers regulatory advice, transactions and structuring advice, investigations, and adversarial matters...more

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

First Stand-Alone Crypto Tax Fraud Case Leads to Guilty Plea

On September 12, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced that Frank Richard Ahlgren III pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return underreporting gains from selling $3.7 million in Bitcoin. As we discussed...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

2023 Year-In-Review: Key Enforcement Initiatives and Cases in Crypto, Cyber, SPACs, Whistleblowers, and the Future of...

Troutman Pepper Locke on

It was a busy year for enforcement activity in the cyber, crypto, SPAC, and whistleblower spaces, with several pending actions that will likely have wide-ranging implications in 2024. We are also awaiting a ruling from the...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

Criminal Case Round-Up: Recent Prosecutions Involving Financial Institution Officers

Ballard Spahr LLP on

The Department of Justice (“DOJ”) has been very active in the Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”) / Anti-Money Laundering (“AML”) space, as reflected by a recent series of individual prosecutions and corporate non-prosecution agreements...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

The Cryptocurrency Conundrum: Balancing Innovation with Terrorism Financing Risks

Troutman Pepper Locke on

Cryptocurrency, with its anonymity and decentralization, has revolutionized financial transactions. However, it has also opened doors for illicit activities, such as terrorist financing. Below we explore the role of...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

Crypto Couple Plead Guilty to Money Laundering Conspiracy

Ballard Spahr LLP on

In February 2022, we blogged on the seizure of a record $3.6 billion in stolen Bitcoin (“BTC”) and an accompanying criminal complaint, charging husband and wife Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein and Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan with...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

DOJ Relies on Traditional Statutes To Charge Defendants in Cryptoasset Fraud Cases

Two recent indictments highlight the Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) continuing use of the traditional wire fraud, money laundering and identity theft statutes to pursue fraud involving digital assets, indicating that law...more

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

U.S., German law enforcement disable darknet crypto mixer

On March 15, U.S. law enforcement, along with German criminal authorities, disabled a darknet cryptocurrency “mixing” service used to allegedly launder more than $3 billion in cryptocurrency underlying ransomware, darknet...more

BakerHostetler

NFTs Used to Serve Complaint; Treasury Official, SEC Chairman Address Crypto Compliance; NYAG Sues Crypto Exchange; DOJ Takes Down...

BakerHostetler on

NFT Integration Software Released; NFTs Used to Serve Complaint in Civil Action - According to a recent press release, a major U.S. software company has launched a suite of tools that will allow users to “enter the Web3 and...more

White & Case LLP

Bitzlato Founder Charged With Facilitating Money Laundering of More than $700 Million in Dark Web Funds

White & Case LLP on

Anatoly Legkodymov, Russian founder of Hong Kong-registered cryptocurrency exchange Bitzlato Limited ("Bitzlato"), was arrested on January 17 based on an Amended Complaint filed by the Department of Justice ("DOJ") charging...more

BakerHostetler

Stunning Collapse of Global Cryptocurrency Exchange FTX Leads to Bankruptcy

BakerHostetler on

In a sudden and stunning collapse, FTX, the world’s second largest cryptocurrency exchange, run by 30-year-old Sam Bankman-Fried along with more than 130 entities affiliated with FTX, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy...more

Proskauer - Blockchain and the Law

Rise of Financial Crime in the NFT Market Elicits New Scrutiny from Regulators

With the enduring popularity of certain NFTs and the promise of their use in the Metaverse and beyond, the hype around the new technology has been accompanied by rising concerns over NFTs being the centerpiece of traditional...more

Paul Hastings LLP

Daily Financial Regulation Update -- Saturday, July 2, 2022

Paul Hastings LLP on

Major Developments- Justice Department Announces Enforcement Action Charging Six Individuals with Cryptocurrency Fraud Offenses in Cases Involving Over $100 Million in Intended Losses...more

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