Australian feds seize mansion, Bitcoin allegedly linked to crypto exchange hack

An Australian man from the state of Queensland has forfeited Bitcoin, a waterfront mansion and a Mercedes-Benz car after Australian Federal Police claimed the assets could be linked to the proceeds of crime. The AFP-led Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce (CACT) said in a May 18 statement that it seized nearly 25 Bitcoin (BTC), alongside the …

Russia arrests Blum co-founder Vladimir Smerkis on fraud charges

Vladimir Smerkis, a co-founder of the Telegram-based crypto project Blum, has reportedly been arrested in Moscow, Russia, on fraud allegations, amid Blum confirming he is no longer affiliated with the project. The Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow approved a request from investigators to keep Smerkis in custody while he is being investigated, Russian state-owned news …