Russian Nationals Accused of Cryptocurrency Mixer Operations

user avatar

by Giorgi Kostiuk

2 years ago


Three Russian nationals have been charged by a U.S. federal court for running cryptocurrency mixers used by cybercriminals for money laundering.

Nature of Charges

Russian nationals Roman Ostapenko, Alexander Oleynik, and Anton Tarasov are charged by a U.S. federal court for operating mixers Blender.io and Sinbad.io, allegedly used for laundering funds by cybercriminals, including state-linked hackers.

Operation of Platforms

Blender.io operated from 2018 to 2022, advertising itself as a privacy-first service with a 'no logs' policy. After its shutdown, Sinbad.io began offering similar services until its closure in November 2023. Both platforms were sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control for laundering funds, including those tied to North Korean state-sponsored hacking activities.

Investigation and International Cooperation

The FBI led the investigation with assistance from law enforcement in the Netherlands, Australia, and Finland. Prosecutors emphasized the importance of international collaboration in dismantling cybercriminal infrastructure.

The charges against the Russian nationals highlight the need for international cooperation in the fight against cybercrime and its links to cryptocurrency crime.

Tier I

Sector: #18291

Sealed Hiding Place Room

Resource Cache

Resource Cache

Tier I

Requires 25% Tier Progress to Claim
Meme Cache

Meme Cache

Tier I

Requires 50% Tier Progress to Claim
Equipment Cache

Equipment Cache

Tier I

Requires 75% Tier Progress to Claim

After collecting, hiding places will be stored in your inventory and can be opened with Keys.

Other news

Mysten Labs Unveils Sui Testnet v1801 for Developers

Mysten Labs has launched the Sui testnet v1801, allowing developers to preview changes in protocol version 137.

user avatarAyman Ben Youssef

Bybit Introduces Bybit Odds, Integrating Prediction Market Analytics

Bybit has launched Bybit Odds, an innovative analytics product designed to integrate prediction market data into its trading ecosystem.

user avatarTando Nkube

Binance Expands Automated Trading Tools for Users

Binance has introduced new Spot Grid and Spot DCA bot support for additional trading pairs, enhancing its spot platform's automation.

user avatarKofi Adjeman

China Launches Investigation into AI Labs for Data Misuse

China has launched an investigation into AI labs DeepSeek and Moonshot AI for allegedly routing sensitive user data to Anthropics servers.

user avatarNguyen Van Long

Lion Group Holding Adds HYPE Tokens to Corporate Treasury

Lion Group Holding has disclosed a corporate treasury position of approximately 195,000 HYPE tokens, marking a significant move in corporate crypto asset holdings.

user avatarSatoshi Nakamura

Zcash ETP Gains Traction Amidst Market Surge

Zcash has seen a remarkable price increase this year, with gains exceeding 2,700%, fueled by the launch of the Zcash exchange-traded product (ETP) by 21Shares, providing a regulated way for investors to gain exposure to Zcash.

user avatarJesper Sørensen

Important disclaimer: The information presented on the Dapp.Expert portal is intended solely for informational purposes and does not constitute an investment recommendation or a guide to action in the field of cryptocurrencies. The Dapp.Expert team is not responsible for any potential losses or missed profits associated with the use of materials published on the site. Before making investment decisions in cryptocurrencies, we recommend consulting a qualified financial advisor.