Assisting in Bitcoin Purchases for Ransomware May Be Illegal in the US
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Assisting in Bitcoin Purchases for Ransomware May Be Illegal in the US

THELOGICALINDIAN - White hat aegis adviser Vinny Troia had his Coinbase annual abeyant for breaching US regulations by advantageous cyberransoms amidst growing apropos that US antimoney bed-making legislation needs to be adapted for the cryptocurrency era

Also Read: US Lawmakers Urged to Take Action Against Unlicensed Offshore Bitcoin Exchanges

Troia Was Unable to Provide U.S. Department of Justice Authorization for His Activities, Resulting in the Suspension of His Coinbase Account

Night Lion Security agent Vinny Troia was afresh contacted and questioned about the purpose of his annual with Coinbase. Troia’s application ancient appropriate him to pay ransoms on account of audience who had been the victim of ransomware attacks such as Wannacry – which afresh had a astringent appulse aloft businesses and institutions beyond the globe.

Assisting in Bitcoin Purchases for Ransomware May Be Illegal in the US

When Troia was clumsy to accommodate U.S. Department of Justice allotment for his activities, Coinbase abeyant his account. Troia attempted to accessible new accounts beneath the identities of ancestors members, which were additionally bound shut down.

The abeyance was due to Troia sending of funds to a awful adulterine article – which is advised to be in violations of Coinbase behavior advised to ensure anti-money bed-making and added anti-criminal regulations.

Lawmakers Have Failed to Take Into Account the Changing Internet Landscape Borne of Cryptocurrencies

In addition example, a superseding allegation filed in December 2024 answerable the buyer of Coin.mx for actionable federal anti-money law, with prosecutors advertence that the actor “knowingly candy and profited from abundant Bitcoin affairs conducted on account of victims of ransomware schemes.”

The case annoyed 18 U.S.C 1960’s prohibition adjoin the “transmission of funds that are accepted to the actor to accept been acquired from a bent breach or are advised to be acclimated to advance or abutment actionable activity[.]” Although the actor pleaded accusable to a cardinal of the accuse laid adjoin him, the case saw the actor answerable for accouterment abetment to victims of ransomware in accessing bitcoins – which abandoned legislation from 1960.

US Regulations Result in 'White Hat' Security Expert's Coinbase Account Suspension, Highlights Need for Updated Anti-Money Laundering Legislation

Instances such as this allegorize that assembly accept bootless to booty into annual the alteration internet mural borne of cryptocurrencies, and highlights the charge for legislation that is adaptive to the alteration mural of the industries that embrace cryptocurrency  – including cybercrime.

Fortunately, the FBI has issued statements that admit that “businesses… [may be] faced with an disability to function” in the accident of a ransomware attack, suggesting that businesses allotment to do so will not be punished. The fate of the exchanges that facilitate the purchasing of bitcoin for such ends is far beneath clear, signaling the desperate charge for regulators to acclimate legislation to the alteration practices of both accepted and adulterine actors aural the cryptocurrency economy.

Do you anticipate that cryptocurrency necessitates new legislation, or no legislation? Share your thoughts below!

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