Hong Kong police busts $15M laundering ring that used crypto, 500 bank accounts

Hong Kong police arrested 12 people involved in a cross-border money laundering scheme that relied on crypto and over 500 stooge bank accounts to launder HK$118 million ($15 million), local news outlets reported. The syndicate was dismantled on May 15, resulting in the arrest of nine men and three women in mainland China and Hong Kong. The suspects allegedly recruited others to open bank accounts to receive proceeds from fraud cases, which were then converted into crypto at crypto exchange shops to launder the illicit funds, Hong Kong Commercial Daily…

Bitcoin Outshines All In 2025, Official Report From Russian Central Bank Says

They say journalists never truly clock out. But for Christian, that’s not just a metaphor, it’s a lifestyle. By day, he navigates the ever-shifting tides of the cryptocurrency market, wielding words like a seasoned editor and crafting articles that decipher the jargon for the masses. When the PC goes on hibernate mode, however, his pursuits take a more mechanical (and sometimes philosophical) turn. Christian’s journey with the written word began long before the age of Bitcoin. In the hallowed halls of academia, he honed his craft as a feature writer…

Europol helps dismantle $23M ‘mafia crypto bank’

European law enforcement in January arrested 17 suspects of a “mafia crypto bank” who are said to have laundered over 21 million euros ($23.5 million) in crypto for criminal entities in China and the Middle East. The money laundering services were allegedly carried out on behalf of other criminal networks engaged in migrant smuggling and drug trafficking, Europol said in a May 14 statement. Spanish authorities said the criminal organization ran a secret informal money transfer system called hawala and was often compensated in crypto. A total of 17 individuals…

Bhutan Enables Crypto Tourism with Binance Pay and DK Bank

Bhutan, a South Asian country renowned for its cryptocurrency investments and mining operations, has introduced a cryptocurrency payment platform designed for the tourism sector in collaboration with Binance Pay and DK Bank. This innovative payment system allows tourists to visit Bhutan and pay for goods and services using cryptocurrencies stored in their Binance accounts. Over a hundred different cryptocurrencies are supported by the system. Merchants in Bhutan can easily accept crypto payments by scanning a QR code on their phones. Tourists can make payments using crypto assets such as Bitcoin…

Bitcoin-backed loans ‘obvious’ next step — Xapo Bank CEO

Bitcoin holders are becoming more comfortable borrowing against their crypto as market confidence grows, according to Seamus Rocca, the CEO of the Gibraltar-based private bank Xapo Bank.  In an interview at the Token2049 event in Dubai, Rocca told Cointelegraph that with Bitcoin (BTC) hovering around $95,000 and institutional adoption starting to catch on, the executive said the mood among investors shifted from short-term speculation to a more long-term outlook.  “I’m not sure that confidence would have been there three or four years ago,” Rocca told Cointelegraph. “But today, people are…

Standard Chartered Bank Predicts $2,800 BNB by 2028

The bank’s analysis says that BNB trades like “an unweighted index” of bitcoin and ether “in terms of both returns and volatility.” Standard Chartered Forecasts BNB to Hit $2,800 Within Four Years Standard Chartered Bank, the $800-billion financial institution headquartered in London, England, published a research report on Tuesday predicting that BNB, the cryptocurrency powering […] Source CryptoX Portal

John Deaton Sees Bank Potential

Key Notes Ripple’s planned bid for Circle is drawing speculation in the broader market. John Deaton, an XRP advocate, sees the Ripple and Circle combo growing into a bank. Ripple Labs is making many strategic acquisitions amid the changing regulatory landscape. Pro-XRP Lawyer John E. Deaton has commented on the rumored Ripple Labs deal to acquire stablecoin issuer Circle. Deaton said he looks forward to Ripple buying or becoming a bank once the deal with Circle pulls through. Ripple’s Proposal to Acquire Circle In an X post, the XRP holders’…

Global central bank gold rush could spark Bitcoin price run to new all-time highs

Key takeaways: US Treasury funds saw $19 billion inflows, the highest since March 2023, as the 30-year yield fell 30 basis points. Foreign central banks cut US Treasury holdings to 23%, a 22-year low, as gold reserves hit 18%. Bitcoin soared in 2020 from $9,000 to $60,000 amid similar trends, hinting at a similar outcome in 2025. The global financial tides are shifting significantly, and Bitcoin (BTC) price could greatly benefit from it. Recent data indicates that US Treasury funds saw $19 billion in net inflows last week, exceeding the…

Ghana’s Central Bank to Regulate Crypto by September 2025

The Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BOG), Johnson Asiama, announced that the central bank plans to begin regulating cryptocurrency and related platforms by the end of September 2025, pending the passage of the Virtual Asset Providers Act. Speaking in Washington, D.C., Asiama stated that the BOG is establishing a dedicated digital assets unit, recognizing […] Source CryptoX Portal