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‘Cross-chain bridges’ make illicit crypto harder to track

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‘Cross-chain bridges’ make illicit crypto harder to track

The rising use of “cross-chain bridge companies” — which switch cryptocurrency from one blockchain to a different, bypassing any centralized entities like an change — has made it harder to trace cryptocurrency funds, particularly the place it issues cash laundering. One such service alone, RenBridge, is believed to have laundered over $500 million in prison proceeds.

That is based on a latest report from Elliptic, which supplies cryptocurrency monitoring and compliance options. It famous that transaction quantity on these bridges has risen since October 2020, and whereas the latest peak appears to be this previous January, a whole lot of tens of millions of {dollars} price of transactions nonetheless happen repeatedly. The report urged that a lot of this exercise is linked immediately with prison exercise, noting that this started taking place as crypto exchanges turned extra regulated.

An evaluation by the corporate discovered that one cross-chain bridge specifically, RenBridge, has been used to launder no less than $540 million in cryptoassets originating from theft, fraud, ransomware and different forms of prison exercise since 2020. It additionally mentioned RenBridge is a vital facilitator for Russia-linked ransomware gangs, with over $153 million in ransom funds laundered by way of the service so far.

Purloined cryptocurrency makes up the most important portion of illicit exercise mentioned to be laundered by way of RenBridge, accounting for 49.2% of recognized proceeds, adopted by:

  • Funds from ransomware assaults, at 28.4%;
  • The mysterious “different” at 10.8%;
  • Cash from Ponzi schemes, at 9%;
  • Darkish internet markets at 2.1%; and,
  • Stolen bank cards at 0.5%.

Whereas using cross-chain bridges has made cryptocurrency harder to trace, the report says it’s not unimaginable as a result of there stays an excessive amount of transparency within the sector. Doing so, nonetheless, normally entails lengthy handbook searches. Elliptic not too long ago launched software program that gives automation options for such investigations.

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Crypto

Crypto holders beware: these wallet apps look real but exist only to steal your assets instantly

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Crypto holders beware: these wallet apps look real but exist only to steal your assets instantly

  • Fake wallet apps ask for your 12-word phrase and quietly drain your crypto funds
  • CRIL found over 20 Play Store apps built solely to steal users’ crypto credentials
  • Malicious apps used WebView to fake real login pages from PancakeSwap and others

New research by Cyble Research and Intelligence Labs (CRIL) has uncovered a large-scale phishing campaign involving more than 20 Android applications listed on the Google Play Store.

These apps, which appeared to be legitimate cryptocurrency wallet tools, were created with a singular purpose: stealing users’ mnemonic phrases, the crucial 12-word keys that provide full access to crypto wallets.

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Donald Trump Reports Nearly $60 Million Income from Cryptocurrency Venture

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Donald Trump Reports Nearly  Million Income from Cryptocurrency Venture

Former US President Donald Trump has disclosed nearly $60 million in income from his involvement in a cryptocurrency venture, shedding light on how he and his family continue to benefit from the digital asset industry. The Financial Times reported on Friday that Trump’s annual financial disclosure reveals $57.4 million earned through World Liberty Financial (WLF), a cryptocurrency enterprise backed by Trump alongside his sons Donald Jr. and Eric.

The detailed filing, exceeding 200 pages and published by the US Office of Government Ethics, shows Trump holds 15.75 billion governance tokens in WLF, granting him substantial voting rights in the operation. The cryptocurrency venture stands as one of Trump’s largest income sources, alongside revenues from books and real estate investments.

Trump’s financial ties to the crypto sector have drawn increasing scrutiny amid ongoing concerns about potential conflicts of interest. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the disclosures.

World Liberty Financial revealed in January that it had successfully sold 21 billion tokens during a public sale, reaching its target of raising $1 billion. Notably, a 2024 filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission identified Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, as a “promoter” of the WLF project.

Trump’s vocal support for cryptocurrencies has helped drive market enthusiasm, pushing bitcoin prices above $100,000 per coin. Under SEC Chair Paul Atkins, several high-profile crypto-related legal cases have been dropped, further easing regulatory pressure on the industry.

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Additionally, Trump has actively promoted his own $TRUMP memecoin via social media and hosted a gala last month honoring its major holders. The Trump family media company recently announced plans to launch an exchange-traded fund (ETF) directly holding bitcoin and revealed intentions to raise $2.5 billion to establish a “bitcoin treasury.”

At a bitcoin conference in Las Vegas last May, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. praised cryptocurrencies as “cheaper,” “faster,” “safer,” and “more transparent” than traditional fiat currencies, signaling the family’s continued commitment to expanding their digital asset footprint.

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Trump Declared Over $600 Million in Income From Cryptocurrency and Business – Reuters

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Trump Declared Over 0 Million in Income From Cryptocurrency and Business – Reuters

US President Donald Trump has released his financial statement. According to the document, he received over $600 million in income from cryptocurrencies, golf clubs, licensing and other businesses. This was reported by Reuters, writes UNN.

Details

The financial declaration was signed on June 13 and did not contain information about the period it covers. At the same time, some data in the declaration suggest that it was until the end of December 2024, which excludes most of the money raised by the Trump family’s cryptocurrency ventures.

According to the publication’s calculations, Trump declared assets worth at least $1.6 billion in total.

He previously stated that he had transferred his businesses to a trust managed by his children, but the published data indicate that income from these sources still goes to the president, which has led to accusations of conflicts of interest.

Some of Trump’s businesses in areas such as cryptocurrency are benefiting from changes in US policy under his leadership and have become a source of criticism, Reuters writes.

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One meme coin issued by the president earlier this year – $TRUMP brought in approximately $320 million in commissions, although it is not publicly known how this amount was distributed between the Trump-controlled organization and its partners.

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In addition to the meme coin commissions, the Trump family earned more than $400 million from World Liberty Financial, a decentralized financial company. In his declarations, Trump indicated $57.35 million from the sale of World Liberty tokens.

The American president’s fortune also includes a significant stake in Trump Media&Technology Group (DJT.O), which owns the Truth Social social network, the report said.

In addition to assets and income from his business projects, Trump declared at least $12 million in income in the form of interest and dividends from passive investments totaling at least $211 million, according to Reuters calculations.

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Trump’s three golf resorts in Jupiter, Doral and West Palm Beach, and a private members’ club in Mar-a-Lago, brought Trump at least another $217.7 million in income. Trump National Doral, a large golf center in the Miami area, was the Trump family’s largest source of income – $110.4 million.

Trump also received royalties from various deals – $1.3 million from Greenwood Bible, the “only Bible officially endorsed by Lee Greenwood and President Trump”, and $2.8 million from Trump Watches, $2.5 million from Trump Sneakers and Fragrances.

According to Reuters, the declaration often only indicates ranges of asset and income values, and the lower limit was used for calculations, so the real value of Trump’s assets and income is most likely even higher.

Trump changed his approach to deportations: raids on farms, hotels and restaurants have been stopped – NYT14.06.25, 10:18 • 2808 views

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