Alleged Crypto Investment Scam Worth $80M Sees Four People Charged With Money Laundering in U.S.

CoinDeskPolicyPubblicato 2023-12-13Pubblicato ultima volta 2023-12-14

Introduzione

The four allegedly obtained the money through so-called pig-butchering and other fraudulent schemes.

A scheme for allegedly laundering the proceeds of crypto investment scams has resulted in charges against four people in Los Angeles, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Thursday.

The four allegedly opened shell companies and bank accounts to launder more than $80 million of victims' funds obtained through so-called pig butchering and other fraudulent schemes, the DOJ said.

In "pig butchering" scammers contact their victims through dating websites or social media, gaining their trust before eventually pitching a money-making opportunity involving cryptocurrency.

The individuals involved were charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, concealment money laundering and international money laundering.

Two of those charged, Lu Zhang of Alhambra, Calif. and Justin Walker of Cypress, Calif. face up to 20 years in prison if convicted, the DOJ said.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Recommended for you:

Edited by Sheldon Reback.

Letture associate

Bitcoin eyes $81K as Nvidia earnings beat boosts risk assets

Bitcoin rebounded towards $81,000, boosted by a positive reaction in risk assets following Nvidia's strong Q2 earnings beat of $96.2 billion. The move helped BTC reclaim the $80,000 level as market attention turned to an upcoming keynote speech by Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh at the Jackson Hole symposium. Analysts noted that sell-side pressure above $82,000 appears to be weakening ahead of a major $6.58 billion Bitcoin options expiry event on Friday, which could pave the way for a cleaner path toward $85,000 if resistance is broken.

cointelegraph26 min fa

Bitcoin eyes $81K as Nvidia earnings beat boosts risk assets

cointelegraph26 min fa

Huge Surprise for Altcoin: They Bought Back All Tokens Sold by Major Investors Over the Past 9 Months

The Ethena Foundation has announced four key updates to significantly alter the $ENA token's economics and governance structure. First, the Foundation has repurchased all locked tokens from major early investors who sold any amount of $ENA over the past nine months, aiming to reduce future sell-side pressure. Second, a General Framework Agreement transfers all intellectual property rights and economic value generated by the Ethena protocol to the Foundation, to be governed by $ENA token holders, not company shareholders. Third, a "fee switch" mechanism proposal is up for vote; if approved, all net protocol revenue will be used for automatic $ENA buybacks, directly channeling earnings back into the token economy. Finally, new agreements with major investors aim to mitigate potential sell pressure from upcoming monthly venture capital token unlocks. These measures collectively seek to align protocol value with token holders and stabilize the token's supply dynamics.

cryptonews.ru50 min fa

Huge Surprise for Altcoin: They Bought Back All Tokens Sold by Major Investors Over the Past 9 Months

cryptonews.ru50 min fa

Solana Proposals Could Lead to Reduction in Staking Yields to 2.25% and Cut Emissions by $1.5 Billion

Solana is moving towards a stricter monetary model that could lead to a SOL deficit and significantly reduce staking rewards for holders. Two governance proposals drive these changes. SIMD-550, currently under vote, would double Solana's annual disinflation rate from 15% to 30%, accelerating the timeline to reach a final inflation rate of ~1.5% to the first half of 2029. The second, SIMD-553 (already approved), introduces additional token burning tied to computational units used on the network. Together, these measures could reduce SOL emission by an estimated $1.4-$1.5 billion over six years. The immediate impact would be lower staking yields, potentially falling from the current ~5.25% to approximately 4.34% in year one, 3% in year two, and 2.25% by year three. Analyst Matt Mena from 21Shares suggests inflation should be tied to economic metrics to help offset this decline. The changes also raise concerns for validator economics, with some potentially becoming unprofitable as inflation rewards decrease and voting costs may rise. However, the lower passive yield might push a significant portion of the 67.9% staked SOL into Solana's DeFi ecosystem for activities like lending and trading. This shift could boost network fee revenue to compensate for lower inflation rewards. The proposals aim to trade lower yield today for less dilution tomorrow, betting that network growth and usage will make this a worthwhile trade-off for SOL holders.

cryptonews.ru1 h fa

Solana Proposals Could Lead to Reduction in Staking Yields to 2.25% and Cut Emissions by $1.5 Billion

cryptonews.ru1 h fa

Chairman of Olympic Committee detained in Poland over crypto scandal

The Chairman of the Polish Olympic Committee, Radosław Piesiewicz, was detained in Warsaw in connection with a case involving the cryptocurrency exchange Zondacrypto. The detention was carried out on the order of the Katowice National Prosecutor's Office and the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime. Piesiewicz denies the allegations, claiming he never had accounts on the exchange or dealt in cryptocurrency, and links the detention to political persecution. He has led the Olympic Committee since 2023 and is also a parliamentarian for the Law and Justice party. The prosecutor's office initiated the case in April 2026 on grounds of fraud and money laundering amounting to approximately 350 million PLN (around €80 million). The investigation found the exchange was used to transfer funds abroad and cash out criminal proceeds, with clients unable to withdraw their assets. A total of 13 people are implicated, including the exchange's founder. Zondacrypto became the general sponsor of the Polish Olympic Committee and team in October 2025, with a contract lasting until 2028. In April 2026, Piesiewicz stated the committee could not terminate the agreement without incurring unaffordable penalties. The investigation revealed Piesiewicz received expensive gifts from exchange representatives, including a €40,000 watch, as well as paid trips to Monaco and Bergamo.

cryptonews.ru1 h fa

Chairman of Olympic Committee detained in Poland over crypto scandal

cryptonews.ru1 h fa

Charles Schwab adda Solana, Avalanche and Chainlink to nascent crypto platform

U.S. financial services giant Charles Schwab plans to add Solana (SOL), Avalanche (AVAX), and Chainlink (LINK) to its direct crypto trading platform, Schwab Crypto, in the coming months. The platform, launched for retail clients in May, previously only offered Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) trading. Schwab charges a 0.75% fee per crypto trade and the service is available in most U.S. states. This expansion into more digital assets coincides with the firm's reported plans to offer prediction market contracts tied to the S&P 500 index. Schwab, which holds over $13 trillion in client assets, reported record second-quarter net revenue of $7.1 billion.

cointelegraph1 h fa

Charles Schwab adda Solana, Avalanche and Chainlink to nascent crypto platform

cointelegraph1 h fa

Trading

Spot