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The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong has announced that it has taken disciplinary action against China Ecotourism Group Limited (China Ecotourism) and its seven current and former directors in collaboration with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX). The investigation mainly focused on improper conduct, including granting 13 loans totaling HKD363 million and RMB91 million to nine borrowers, and acquiring a 37.5% stake in a blockchain technology company for HKD35 million.
Currently only a few Hong Kong brokers with virtual asset retail licenses can subscribe to the Hong Kong Bitcoin ETF through the new share subscription method (PD/distributor), and after the ETF officially enters the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, all hundreds of Hong Kong brokers and banks can purchase it. The approved virtual asset ETF adopts the performance of the ChiNext CF Bitcoin Index (Asia-Pacific closing price), so the profit and loss risks of cash subscription for Bitcoin ETF are basically the same as those of directly buying Bitcoin. As the exchange ratio between Bitcoin and Bitcoin ETF is fixed, if physical subscription is used in the IOP stage, that is, Bitcoin is used to subscribe to Bitcoin ETF, the relevant ETF can be exchanged for Hong Kong dollars in the exchange if it is sold at a premium after listing, and then buy back Bitcoin at the same time to earn the price difference between on-exchange and off-exchange. (Finance News Agency)
On April 26th, the US SEC filed a lawsuit against bitcoin mining company Geosyn Mining and its co-founders, accusing them of falsely reporting the number of cryptocurrency mining equipment in operation and using customer funds for personal expenses, resulting in a $5.6 million investment fraud.
The UK Home Office announced in a press release on Friday that new powers to seize cryptocurrencies used in crimes have come into effect. The Home Office stated that due to these new regulations, police in the country will no longer need to make an arrest before seizing cryptocurrency holdings, making it easier to seize assets known to have been obtained through criminal means, even if seasoned criminals are able to protect their anonymity or are located overseas.
Local time in the UK, Qian Zhimin appeared in Westminster Magistrates' Court for the first time under the identity of Yadi Zhang. She was accused of obtaining, using or possessing cryptocurrency as criminal property from October 1, 2017 to this Tuesday in London and other parts of the UK. Currently, Qian Zhimin is charged with two counts of illegally holding cryptocurrency. Qian Zhimin is the main suspect in the Blue Sky Gerui illegal public deposit-taking case investigated by the Chinese police in 2017, involving a fund of 43 billion yuan and 126,000 Chinese investors. After the case was exposed, Qian Zhimin fled abroad with a fake passport and held a large amount of bitcoin overseas. According to the above Financial Times report, Qian Zhimin denied the charges of the Royal Prosecution Service in the UK, stating that she would not plead guilty or apply for bail.
In response to the news that "the Central Bank of Nigeria has issued a ban on cryptocurrency trading and requested financial institutions to freeze the accounts of users related to Bybit, KuCoin, OKX, and Binance exchanges," the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) stated in a document that the CBN has not officially issued such a notice, and the public should check the official website for the latest information to ensure the reliability of the news. According to a screenshot reported by Cointelegraph yesterday, the Central Bank of Nigeria has requested all banks and financial institutions to identify individuals or entities trading with cryptocurrency exchanges and set these accounts to "Post-No-Debit" (PND) status within six months. This means that account holders will not be able to withdraw funds or make payments from these accounts. According to the screenshot, the Central Bank of Nigeria has listed cryptocurrency exchanges that have not obtained operating licenses in Nigeria, including Bybit, KuCoin, OKX, and Binance. The Central Bank of Nigeria will crack down on the illegal purchase and sale of stablecoin USDT on these platforms, especially those using peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions. In addition, the Central Bank of Nigeria pointed out that financial institutions are prohibited from engaging in cryptocurrency transactions or providing payment services to cryptocurrency exchanges.
The top Democrat on the U.S. House Financial Services Committee, Maxine Waters, has stated that a stablecoin bill may be ready soon, indicating progress towards a new stablecoin law in the U.S. before the elections. Waters has previously criticized a version of the stablecoin bill, but emphasized the importance of protecting investors and ensuring that stablecoins are backed by assets. Congressional movement on stablecoin legislation has recently picked up pace, with input from the U.S. Federal Reserve, Treasury Department, and White House in crafting the bill. The stablecoin bill could potentially be tied to a must-pass Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization due next month, and may also be paired with a marijuana banking bill.
According to The Block, the co-founders of the encrypted coin-mixing service, Samourai Wallet, have been arrested. Prosecutors allege that they laundered $100 million from Silk Road and other illegal markets. On Wednesday, Samourai CEO Keonne Rodriguez and CTO William Lonergan Hill were charged with operating the Samourai wallet.Prosecutors claim that Samourai is an unlicensed money transfer company that participated in "over $2 billion in illegal transactions and provided over $100 million in money laundering transactions for illegal dark web markets, including Silk Road." Rodriguez was arrested on Wednesday morning and will face trial in Pennsylvania.Hill was reportedly arrested in Portugal, and the US is seeking extradition. Prosecutors say that Samourai's network servers and domain name have also been seized, and the app can no longer be downloaded from the US Google Play store. Rodriguez and Hill are charged with money laundering and unlicensed money transmission, with maximum sentences of 20 years and 5 years, respectively.
According to market news reported, court documents revealed that US prosecutors urged the judge to sentence SBF to 40-50 years imprisonment for FTX fraud.
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