Russia

Russia’s Power Systems and Finam have launched the country’s first Bitcoin mining investment fund, using gas-powered rigs and requiring a minimum investment of 5 million rubles. The closed-end fund will mine Bitcoin and share profits with qualified investors, but returns depend on Bitcoin staying above $35,000.

NY Attorney General Letitia James cracked down on a crypto fraud ring that stole millions in Brooklyn, freezing $300,000 in assets and seizing $140,000 in crypto from a Vietnam-based group targeting Russian speakers with fake ads.

The Middle East is witnessing a dangerous escalation as Israeli airstrikes target sensitive Iranian sites. However, a notable absence has emerged amid the turmoil: the strategic silence of the BRICS nations.

The barbed-wire-secured site was packed with mining rigs and heavy power equipment. Prosecutors said it was leased to a third party under the false pretense of renting space in a non-existent building—an elaborate cover for illegal crypto mining.

Russian authorities in the Republic of Buryatia were stopped in their tracks during their patrol when they stumbled upon a peculiar truck in the middle of the truck.

Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department has partnered with the University of Hong Kong to develop a crypto tracking tool amidst rising money laundering cases involving digital assets, aiming to strengthen detection and investigation of illicit transactions.

A former Russian energy executive used stolen electricity to mine Bitcoin at home, causing losses to the power grid. Police seized his crypto and uncovered further corruption linked to his role in the energy sector.

Behind the scenes of the darknet’s most infamous marketplace, billions in crypto change hands each year—lining the pockets of those who built Hydra with eye-watering annual profits of over $1.3 billion.

Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank, has launched Bitcoin-linked bonds for accredited investors, allowing exposure to Bitcoin’s price and the dollar-to-ruble exchange rate without needing crypto wallets. This move, alongside plans for Bitcoin futures and similar products, shows a cautious but growing acceptance of cryptocurrency within Russia’s regulated financial system.

Two Russian crypto entrepreneurs were kidnapped in Buenos Aires and held for a $43,000 crypto ransom. They were assaulted and released within 24 hours after a friend paid. Interpol has issued a red notice for the suspects, who fled to the UAE.