Today Crypto News:There's a Lot of News Because It's Bull Season

1-Russian pair accused for crypto mixer money laundering

The DOJ has accused Blender.io and Sinbad.io crypto mixing services' Roman Vitalyevich Ostapenko, Alexander Evgenievich Oleynik, and Anton Vyachlavovich Tarasov with money laundering.

Blender was online from 2018 until 2022 when U.S. authorities took it offline. After Blender closed, Sinbad replaced it, but federal investigators targeted its platform.

Brent S. Wible, DOJ Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, said the defendants provided “safe havens” for criminals to launder money. The DOJ said Ostapenko and Oleynik were captured last month, but Tarasov remained at large and sought by U.S. authorities.

The DOJ and U.S. Treasury have increased their investigation of crypto-mixing services like Blender and Sinbad, which blockchain proponents say violates privacy rights.

Tornado Cash, an Ethereum-based crypto tumbler that processed millions of dollars, was a prominent example. The U.S. Treasury sanctioned Tornado Cash in August 2022, causing legal proceedings against its creators in the U.S. and Netherlands.

Federal appeals court invalidated Treasury sanctions against Tornado Cash in November 2024, judging them illegal. Federal prosecutors continue to charge the mixer's creators, Roman Storm and Roman Semenov.

2-Crypto's plot to take the limelight during Trump's inauguration

As Donald Trump prepares to become the 47th US president on January 20, the crypto world is booming.

Coin businesses and investors welcome Trump's return after a few years of tough crackdowns, confusing laws, and a dismal market under Joe Biden.

U.S. inaugurations are great spectacles with sumptuous dinners, spectacular balls, and high-stakes networking.

Behind the glitz, companies and affluent people use financial donations to curry favor with the new government.

Inaugural committee donations are popular and valuable instruments for building relationships with decision-makers.

The Trump campaign has excelled in fundraising. The New York Times reports that his team has collected over $200 million for the inauguration and political initiatives, breaking the $107 million record established in 2017.

Those who donate $1 million or more get VIP meals with Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance, along with other high-profile contributors.

Big Tech moved quickly. After contributing $1 million, Google, Meta, and Amazon are trying to restore ties with the incoming government.

Former opponents like hedge fund magnate Ken Griffin are now million-dollar fundraisers trying to get in.

The most intriguing developments are in crypto, not Silicon Valley. Crypto enterprises are storming into the limelight for the first time, presenting themselves as crucial actors in this high-stakes atmosphere.

How much are crypto firms banking on Trump, and what's their strategy in this new era? Let's examine the stats, significant actors, and what this means for crypto under Trump.

3-Kenya planning crypto legalization

According to The Standard, Mbadi stated Friday that the new framework will capitalize on cryptocurrency while tackling dangers including money laundering, terrorist funding, and fraud.

Mbadi stated the Kenyan government would provide a legal and regulatory framework for VAs and VASPs to benefit.

Kenya proposed regulating bitcoin assets and service providers in December. Mbadi said the policy promotes innovation, financial literacy, and a fair, competitive, and stable market for industry players.

Increasingly, African fintech startups provide payment solutions to the unbanked. Kenya would employ flexible regulatory methods to meet international norms and assist development.

In 2024, the Financial Action Task Force advised Kenya to improve anti-money laundering and terrorist funding. The FATF added Namibia, withdrew Uganda, and increased scrutiny on Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria, which might affect Kenya's trade and investment expenses.

If enacted, the strategy may make Kenya a digital financial leader by protecting customers and meeting global regulations.Mbadi also noted the worldwide trend toward regulating cryptocurrencies, mentioning Morocco, the US, and Russia.

4-Russia to Sell $10M in Hack-Stolen Bitcoin

Russian officials are apparently trying to monetize a large Bitcoin stockpile discovered during investigations into an international criminal organization from October 2010 to February 2018.

Local sources say the government will sell $10 million worth of BTC and more than 1,000 BTC, worth approximately $100 million.

The assets were found during an investigation of the Infraud hacker organization, known for credit card frauds worldwide.

Investigators recovered 5,212 BTC from the group throughout the exercise. Major Marat Tambiev, one of the inquiry officers, is accused of meeting a lawyer representing several Infraud members and demanding half of the BTC in exchange for not confiscating the other half and sparing the criminals from penal detention in favor of house arrest.

Tambiev and his helper, Kristina Lyakhovenko, were arrested after receiving 1,032 BTC on April 7, 2022. He was sentenced to 16 years in maximum security and a $5 million fine for taking a bribe. Falsifying evidence got Lyakhovenko nine years in prison.

Police located the disgraced officer's Bitcoin keys in a “Pension” folder on his work computer in 2023. Russian Treasury cash are being moved, but legal difficulties make liquidating the whole hoard difficult.

Tambiev allegedly separated his criminal fortune into smaller quantities and stashed them in various wallets, requiring prosecutors to submit several court petitions to obtain them.

The Prosecutor-General filed a lawsuit against the ex-investigator and one of his uncles for allegedly transferring some of the coins to family members. Court permission was given to the prosecutors to sell the first batch. Authorities also want to liquidate Tambiev's real estate and cars.

The U.S. Justice Department was cleared to sell up to 69,000 coins worth $6.5 billion, most of which originated from the defunct Silk Road internet bazaar. This is despite incoming President Donald Trump pushing the government not to sell any cryptocurrencies while he and his associates build a Bitcoin reserve.

Inspired by President Vladimir Putin's backing for BTC at an economic symposium in Moscow, Russian MPs have proposed a national BTC stockpile.

References

Avan-Nomayo, N. (2025c, January 10). Russian trio charged in crypto mixer money laundering case. crypto.news. https://crypto.news/russian-trio-charged-in-crypto-mixer-money-laundering-case/

Jain, A. (2025b, January 10). How crypto plans to steal the spotlight at Trump’s inauguration. crypto.news. https://crypto.news/how-crypto-plans-to-steal-the-spotlight-at-trumps

Zimmerman, M. (2025c, January 10). Kenya preparing to legalize crypto: report. crypto.news. https://crypto.news/kenya-preparing-to-legalize-crypto-report/

Jones, W. (2025, January 10). Russia to sell $10M in Bitcoin seized in hack case. CryptoPotato. https://cryptopotato.com/russia-to-sell-10m-in-bitcoin-seized-in-hack-case/