Enforcement Actions

According to security intelligence research firm analysis, North Korean-state-backed hackers drained $285 million from Drift through an extended in-person operation in 2026. The hackers account for 76% of all crypto scam and hack losses this year and have stolen $6 billion

Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden sent a letter this week to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino questioning a reported loan made by Tether to a family trust where Lutnick's four children are beneficiaries. The senators expressed concern that the loan, mad

According to a Global Ledger investigation published in April 2026, Grinex, a sanctioned cryptocurrency exchange operating out of Kyrgyzstan, was drained of approximately $13.7 million and immediately suspended operations. Grinex had emerged in March 2025 as an apparent successor to Garantex, a

According to an investigation by independent media outlet Proekt, Russian oligarchs and state-owned banks have been profiting from a multi-billion-dollar shadow financial system using cryptocurrency to circumvent Western sanctions. The system processes around $2 billion in daily foreign trade and ha

According to Bloomberg reporting this week, Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden pressed stablecoin issuer Tether and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over a reported loan made by Tether to a trust where Lutnick's four children are beneficiaries. In their letter to Lutnick and Tether

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, an FBI-coordinated international operation arrested at least 276 individuals and dismantled nine cryptocurrency scam centers tied to pig butchering fraud schemes on April 29. The operation, described as the product of unprecedented cooperation between the

In an unexpected mention during an OpenAI lawsuit hearing, Musk referred to early ICO fundraising, saying, “There are valuable cryptocurrencies, but most are scams.” If OpenAI were to go the ICO route, the outcome would be hard to predict. He also disclosed a complicated history with Bitcoin and Dogecoin: he once supported investing in Bitcoin, bought during the pandemic, then sold due to cash needs, while still holding a large amount of BTC.

South Korea's Seoul Administrative Court overturned a six-month partial business suspension imposed on Bithumb by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), according to local reports by Yonhap News. The court's ruling allows Bithumb to continue normal business operations while facing separate

According to Yonhap News Agency, prosecutors in South Korea sought a 20-year prison term for Delio CEO Jeong Sang-ho on Thursday during closing arguments at Seoul Southern District Court. Jeong was charged with violating the Act on Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes in connection with

According to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday, the United States has seized nearly $500 million in Iranian cryptocurrency assets as part of Operation Economic Fury, a sanctions and asset seizure campaign ordered by President Donald Trump in March 2025. The program targets bank accounts,

According to TRM Labs, North Korean actors extracted approximately $577 million in the first four months of 2026, representing 76% of all global cryptocurrency hack losses during the period. The theft stems from two April incidents: the $292 million KelpDAO exploit and the $285 million Drift

According to ChainCatcher, citing multiple independent sources verified by Caixin, Peng Jing, founding partner and director of Chongqing Jingsheng Law Firm, was taken away by authorities in late April. She is suspected to be a key figure in a stablecoin bribery and money laundering scheme

According to Gazeta Wyborcza citing Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW), Zondacrypto, one of Central and Eastern Europe's largest crypto exchanges, halted withdrawals this month after being revealed as controlled by Russia's Tambov crime syndicate since 2018. The platform's reserves reportedly d

According to Bloomberg News, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden requested information from US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and cryptocurrency firm Tether on Wednesday regarding a loan between the company and a trust benefitting Lutnick's children. The senators wrote that the loan "raises s

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI-led global task force arrested 276 suspects and disrupted nine crypto scam centers on Wednesday. Dubai police arrested 275 individuals, with three charged in California on wire fraud and money laundering counts. Thai authorities arrested one suspe

A U.S. court sentenced the descendants of this jewelry family to 8 years in prison for operating an unregistered money-transmitting business and an over-the-counter cryptocurrency exchange. They first received illicit drug proceeds via cryptocurrency and then converted them to cash, laundering the money through shell companies and forged documents, before ultimately withdrawing funds in Colombia using the local currency. The court also seized approximately $2,360,000 and related bank accounts.

According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korean prosecutors on April 30 sought a 20-year prison sentence for Delio CEO Chung Sang-ho over allegations of defrauding approximately 2,800 victims of about 250 billion won ($190 million) in virtual assets. The crypto lending platform suspended withdrawals o

North Korean hackers have stolen nearly three-quarters of all cryptocurrency taken by cybercriminals so far in 2026 through two precisely executed attacks on decentralized finance platforms in April, according to blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs. The two incidents—a $285 million breach of Drift

The U.S. FBI and DOJ led a coordinated cross-border operation, with Dubai police arresting 275 people and Thai authorities arresting 1 person. In the Southern District of California, the U.S. has filed wire fraud and money laundering charges against four alleged suspects. The three syndicates Ko Thet Group, Sanduo Group, and Giant Company allegedly used “pig-butchering” schemes combined with fake investment platforms to profit, with cross-border cooperation to prevent losses reaching $562 million so far. The focus ahead will be asset tracking and recovering funds for victims.

According to a report by Fox Business on April 30, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on the Kudlow show that the United States has seized nearly $500 million worth of Iranian cryptocurrency assets as part of the “economic rage action.” Bessent said the move is intended to freeze bank accounts, confiscate assets, and pressure foreign governments to cut ties with Iran.