U.S. authorities seize illegal cryptocurrency exchange websites linked to Russian money laundering

U.S. authorities have seized websites of illegal cryptocurrency exchanges linked to Russian money laundering operations. This action includes an indictment against Sergey “Taleon” Ivanov, who allegedly ran services used by cybercriminals to facilitate money transfers. The seizures involved platforms UAPS, PinPays, and PM2BTC, which reportedly handled a significant portion of Bitcoin tied to criminal activities. Law enforcement in the Netherlands also seized servers, recovering over $7 million in cryptocurrencies. This crackdown follows a rise in cryptocurrency-related crimes, including recent arrests of individuals accused of laundering stolen Bitcoin. The government aims to disrupt these operations by making the seized sites inaccessible to users.