Sources have disclosed that the digital foreign money mining operation, Bitdeer Applied sciences, has bought a high-security storage and show facility in Singapore referred to as Le Freeport for $28.4 million. Bitdeer’s chairman, Jihan Wu, confirmed the vault acquisition through a textual content message following the stories that exposed the mining agency bought Le Freeport.
After the co-founder of Bitmain Applied sciences Jihan Wu left the corporate, he co-founded a agency referred to as Matrixport and he’s additionally the chairman of Bitdeer Applied sciences. Based on a report revealed by Bloomberg, that cites sources aware of the matter, Bitdeer paid S$40 million ($28.4 million) for the utmost safety vault generally known as Le Freeport.
The vault was initially constructed to be just like the high-security storage vaults situated in Luxembourg and Geneva. Freeport has additionally been dubbed “Singapore’s Fort Knox for high quality artwork and collectibles.” Freeport was initially constructed for S$100 million and the newest acquisition by Bitdeer paid off a big quantity of debt to collectors like DBS and the vaults former proprietor Yves Bouvier.
The vault has been on the market since 2017, and the high-security storage facility has had numerous well-known company shoppers. Earlier than 2018, the luxurious public sale home Christie’s as soon as rented greater than a 3rd of Freeport’s space for storing. Deutsche Financial institution as soon as leveraged Freeport to accommodate greater than $8.9 billion in gold bullion.
Bloomberg’s Ranjeetha Pakiam, Chanyaporn Chanjaroen, and Zheping Huang element that Bouvier and Freeport’s different shareholders “acquired about S$5 million from the sale.” Nevertheless, the sources don’t disclose what Bitdeer goals to do with the ability, however following the preliminary report, Jihan Wu confirmed the Freeport buy with the Bloomberg authors through textual content.
Over the past yr, Bitdeer has been making numerous enterprise strikes like investing $25 million right into a facility based mostly in Texas in Could 2021. 5 days later, Bitdeer introduced cloud internet hosting, which permits “retail miners to generate income with 1 mining machine.”
On the finish of June 2021, Bitdeer revealed the corporate’s Antbox merchandise and final October, the corporate launched Filecoin mining providers. The sources who disclosed the newest acquisition of Freeport in Singapore, additionally detailed that Bitdeer is researching going public by way of a Particular Goal Acquisition Firm (SPAC) deal through a clean verify firm.
Bitdeer will not be the one crypto agency to buy a high-security vault or bunker system. Xapo’s bunker within the Swiss mountains is simply as extravagant and reportedly millionaires saved their bitcoins there. Final week, stories indicated that the bitcoin mining operation Arsenal Digital Holdings (OTCMKTS: ADHI) acquired an underground information middle outdoors Houston. Some folks suspect it’s Westland Oil’s notorious two-story subterranean campus fallout bunker.
What do you consider Bitdeer buying ‘Singapore’s Fort Knox’ in any other case generally known as Le Freeport? Tell us what you consider this topic within the feedback part beneath.
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Scammers stole millions of dollars in cryptocurrency from remote job seekers in an elaborate scheme. New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit to recover over $2 million that she said was stolen from New Yorkers and others nationwide.
Scammers used unsolicited text messages to lure victims with promises of flexible, well-paying remote work opportunities. They claimed the job involved reviewing products online to generate market data. However, victims were told to open cryptocurrency accounts and maintain balances matching the price of products they were reviewing.
While victims believed they would receive their investments plus commissions, the funds were instead transferred into the scammers’ crypto wallets. The fake product reviews took place on a fraudulent website created as part of the scheme.
The lawsuit details seven people who were scammed. One victim, a New Yorker, lost over $100,000 while another victim from Florida lost over $300,000. These cases show the significant financial and emotional impact on the victims.
James’ office, working with Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and her cryptocurrency unit, traced the stolen funds to specific digital wallets. Over $2 million in cryptocurrency has been frozen, ensuring it can be returned to victims.
“Deceiving individuals seeking remote work is cruel and unacceptable,” said James. “We’re committed to holding scammers accountable and recovering stolen funds.”
A federal grand jury in Georgia recently indicted three Russian nationals for their involvement in running illegal cryptocurrency mixer services that helped criminals launder money. The indictment, announced on January 7, 2025, involves Roman Vitalyevich Ostapenko, Alexander Evgenievich Oleynik, and Anton Vyachslavovich Tarasov. These individuals are accused of operating two online services called Blender.io and Sinbad.io, which helped criminals hide the source of their illegal funds.
A cryptocurrency mixer is a tool used to mix cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, making it harder for authorities to trace the origin of digital money. These services are attractive to criminals involved in activities such as ransomware attacks and fraud, as they allow them to send funds anonymously.
Ostapenko and Oleynik were arrested in December 2024, while Tarasov is still on the run. The three men face serious charges related to money laundering and operating unlicensed financial businesses. If convicted, they could face up to 20 years in prison for laundering money and up to five years for running an unlicensed business. The indictment follows the earlier shutdown of the Sinbad.io service after it was seized by law enforcement in 2023.
Blender.io and Sinbad.io were both cryptocurrency mixers, meaning they offered a way to send digital money anonymously. For a fee, these services allowed criminals to send their funds without revealing where the money came from. This feature made these mixers attractive to those who wanted to hide stolen funds or profits from illegal activities, such as ransomware attacks, fraud, and even theft of virtual currencies.
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Blender.io operated from 2018 to 2022 and was known for its promise of anonymity. It advertised a “No Logs Policy,” meaning it claimed to have no records of transactions. The site also reassured users that no personal details were needed to use the service. This allowed criminals to send and receive Bitcoin without leaving a trace of their identity.
After Blender.io was shut down in 2022, the defendants launched Sinbad.io, which offered similar services. This service continued until law enforcement authorities took it down in November 2023, marking a significant victory in the fight against cybercrime. The shutdowns of both services were the result of coordinated efforts by authorities from several countries, including the U.S., the Netherlands, Finland, and Australia.
Both Blender.io and Sinbad.io were not only used by ordinary criminals but were also linked to state-sponsored hacking groups. For instance, Blender.io was used by North Korean hackers to launder funds stolen through cyberattacks. Similarly, Sinbad.io had connections to cybercriminals who targeted businesses and individuals. These cryptocurrency mixers served as a vital tool in helping these criminals profit from their illegal activities, making it harder for authorities to trace the stolen money back to its original source.
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The investigation into Blender.io and Sinbad.io showcases the power of international cooperation in tackling cybercrime. The indictment was made possible by the joint efforts of law enforcement agencies from different countries, including the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI, the Netherlands’ Financial Intelligence Service, and Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation. Their collaboration helped track down the operators of these illegal services and ultimately led to their takedown.
In addition to the U.S. authorities, international agencies like the Australian Federal Police and Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation played key roles in the investigation. Their contributions were essential in identifying the people responsible for running these cryptocurrency mixers and disrupting their illegal activities.
The importance of international cooperation cannot be overstated. Cybercrime often crosses national borders, and without the efforts of multiple countries working together, it would be much harder to stop these crimes. The arrests of Ostapenko and Oleynik, along with the ongoing search for Tarasov, send a strong message to cybercriminals around the world: law enforcement agencies are committed to identifying and holding accountable those who operate illicit financial networks.
This case highlights how dangerous these cryptocurrency mixers can be in enabling serious criminal activities. By breaking down these networks, authorities are making it harder for criminals to profit from their wrongdoing, while also protecting public safety and national security.
To read the original order please visit DOJ website
A Wisconsin congressman will head the House Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Artificial Intelligence.
Bryan Steil, a Republican representing the 1st Congressional District in southeast Wisconsin, was appointed to the role Thursday.
His subcommittee’s jurisdiction includes things like mobile banking and non-fungible tokens, or NFTs. It’ll also be the first stop for legislation on cryptocurrency.
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Digital currencies have a murky federal regulatory status. That allowed President Joe Biden’s Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler to go after the crypto industry.
The industry responded by spending over $130 million in 2024’s election cycle through its PAC, Fairshake.
It spent $764,206 to independently help re-elect Steil, according to campaign finance database OpenSecrets.
In a statement, Steil said “technologies like financial apps, digital assets, and machine learning revolutionize our economy,” adding that he looks forward to continuing “to provide the rules of the road to move our economy into the future.”
Steil was appointed to his new role by House Financial Services Chair French Hill, R-Arkansas. Hill’s top campaign contributors include the CEOs of the crypto exchange platform Coinbase and the Charles Schwab Corporation.
One of his legislative priorities has been a bill that would set up clearer, crypto-friendly federal financial regulations, which passed the House with bipartisan support in May. He called Steil “instrumental” in passing that bill, and in overturning an SEC rule requiring crypto exchanges to list their digital assets as liabilities on their balance sheets.
Now, the Janesville native will oversee hearings and votes on new crypto-related legislation.
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