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U.S. DOJ disbands the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Unit: report

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U.S. DOJ disbands the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Unit: report

The U.S. Department of Justice is disbanding the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Unit, citing its ‘reckless strategy’ in prosecuting crypto firms in the previous administration.

According to a recent report by Fortune, a four-page memo issued by U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche revealed the decision to disband the crypto-related investigation unit “effective immediately.” The decision is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to loosen oversight on the crypto industry.

““The Department of Justice is not a digital assets regulator. However, the prior Administration used the Justice Department to pursue a reckless strategy of regulation by prosecution,” stated Blanche in the memo.

Following the announcement, Blanche also urged DOJ staff members to spend less time pursuing cases against crypto exchanges, mixers and “offline wallets.” Instead, they are directed to focus on prosecuting “individuals who victimize digital asset investors.”

The National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Unit was established under Joe Biden’s presidency as a joint task force that consisted of prosecutors from the Justice Department’s money laundering, cybercrime units, as well as other district offices.

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The The National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Unit task force oversaw some of the largest crypto cases in the country. One in particular was the case against cryptocurrency mixing service Tornado Cash, which was prosecuted for money-laundering charges.

Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm stated on Jan. 26 that he faces up to 45 years of imprisonment for operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business, conspiracy to commit money laundering and sanction evasion. Many crypto industry figures stood in support of Tornado Cash, viewing it as a case that criminalized software developers.

Most recently on March 21, the U.S. Treasury lifted sanctions against Tornado Cash, allowing Americans to access it once more.

The NCET also prosecuted Avraham Eisenberg, a hacker who exploited a crypto trading protocol Mango Markets for more than $114 million. Last January, the platform officially announced it was completely shutting down operations, giving users a deadline to close positions before they can no longer access the site.

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In addition, the joint investigation unit had also led investigations that scrutinized North Korean actors who helped launder funds stolen from crypto hacks.

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USDC Enters Intuit’s Core Products With Circle Partnership as Stablecoins Move Mainstream

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USDC Enters Intuit’s Core Products With Circle Partnership as Stablecoins Move Mainstream
USDC is moving deeper into mainstream finance as Intuit partners with Circle to embed stablecoin payments across its platforms, expanding always-on, lower-cost digital money movement for consumers, small businesses, and global transactions.
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Report: North Korean hackers stole a record $2.02B in crypto in 2025 – UPI.com

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Report: North Korean hackers stole a record .02B in crypto in 2025 – UPI.com
North Korean hackers accounted for a record $2.02 billion in global cryptocurrency thefts in 2025, which accounted for most of the $3.4 billion stolen this year, according to an industry report released on Thursday. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

Dec. 18 (UPI) — North Korea topped its own world record for cryptocurrency theft with a $2.02 billion haul in 2025, which accounted for about 60% of the world’s $3.4 billion in crypto thefts.

North Korea’s stolen crypto this year totaled $720 million and is 51% more than North Korea’s then-record $1.3 billion take in 2024. It raises to $6.75 billion its total in cryptocurrency thefts in recent years, according to a report released on Thursday by blockchain data provider Chainalysis.

Much of this year’s stolen cryptocurrency occurred when hackers working for North Korea’s hacking team in February pilfered some $1.5 billion worth of mostly ethereum cryptocurrency from Dubai-based exchange Bybit, NBC News reported.

The $1.5 billion Bybit theft set a world record for the most stolen in a single incident.

The North Korean hackers operate from the relative safety of a nation that mostly is closed to the outside world.

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“It’s very difficult to stop, because there’s an asymmetry where they’re in general so cut off from the world and such a rogue state,” Matt Pearl, Center for Strategic and International Studies’ director of its Strategic Technologies Program, told NBC News.

North Korean hackers managed to steal more cryptocurrency this year despite carrying out fewer attacks, often with the help of IT workers within cryptocurrency services providers or through the use of impersonation tactics that target crypto executives, Chainalysis reported.

Once the cryptocurrencies are stolen online, North Korea’s hackers prefer to launder the proceeds through money laundering services that use the Chinese language, according to Chainalysis.

They also use bridge services and mixing protocols and take about 45 days to launder their stolen cryptocurrency after a particular theft.

A similar report in October by blockchain analytics firm Elliptic said North Korean hackers conducted more than 30 hacking attacks to steal its record $2.02 billion in crypto with three months left in the year.

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In addition to the Bybit theft, North Korean hackers also are blamed for stealing $14 million from nine accounts on the WOO X crypto exchange in July and $1.2 million from the blockchain funding site Seedify in September, among many other thefts.

About 40% of the proceeds from the cryptocurrency thefts are used to fund North Korea’s nuclear arms and other weapons development efforts.

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Fed Rolls Back 2023 Crypto Rules, Shifting How Banks Assess Digital Asset Exposure

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Fed Rolls Back 2023 Crypto Rules, Shifting How Banks Assess Digital Asset Exposure
Federal Reserve scraps crypto-specific bank rules, replacing them with a principles-based framework that eases regulatory friction, expands flexibility for state member banks, and reopens pathways for crypto custody, payments, and tokenization.
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