Tag Archives: united kingdom

Wybo Wiersma – a 40-year-old Dutchman who studied at Oxford’s St Cross College – will serve a 54-month prison sentence for stealing £2,156,000 (more than $2.6 million) using a cryptocurrency scheme. UK detectives linked the scam to the man who used the pseudonym Norbert van den Berg in his malicious website and university coursework. ‘Greed and Dishonesty’ Behind the Scam Judge Michael Gledhill KC ordered Wiersma to spend four and a half years in prison for his offense. The...

According to an investigation by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism and the Observer, more than 168 shell companies in the United Kingdom are suspected of operating fraudulent crypto or foreign exchange trading schemes, around half of which are potentially linked to pig-butchering scams. In fact, these organized crime groups were found to be using the UK as a “virtual base” for their operations while exploiting lax regulations to conduct fraud on an industrial scale, the...

The government of the United Kingdom is willing to strengthen the rules on the local cryptocurrency sector to prevent another adverse event like the FTX collapse. The recently-appointed Prime Minister – Rishi Sunak – is known as an advocate of blockchain technology, arguing the country should emerge as “a global cryptoasset technology hub.” People’s Protection is Most Important Andrew Griffith – Economic Secretary to the Treasury – revealed the government’s intentions to...

UK’s Charity Commission announced inquiring into a charity called – Effective Ventures Foundation over its ties with FTX. According to the official press release, the charity reported its association with FTX as a serious incident because the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange was its “significant funder.” The non-ministerial department asserted that trustees submitted an RSI and sufficiently performed their duties and responsibilities. While trustees have not been involved in...

The London-based cryptocurrency platform – Luno – will reportedly trim the size of its team by over 330 people. It adds its name to the growing list of industry players dismissing staff due to the bear market, including Coinbase, Crypto.com, Bybit, Huobi, Gemini, and more. According to CNBC coverage, Luno will reduce its headcount from 960 to around 630. “2022 has been an incredibly tough year for the broader tech industry and, in particular, the crypto market. Luno,...

Jo Johnson – the brother of the UK’s former PM, Boris Johnson – reportedly resigned from his advisory role in Bifinity (a payments technology company launched by Binance).  The world’s largest cryptocurrency platform has had several brushes with British regulators over the past few years. Despite the tension, the company aims to become a registered entity in the Kingdom sometime next year. Johnson’s Departure According to recent coverage by The Telegraph, Boris Johnson’s...

Despite all the economic and financial turmoil in the United Kingdom, bitcoin has not taken advantage of the situation and dropped even further in October, even though that period has historically been bullish for the world’s number one digital currency by market cap. Bitcoin Should Have Risen, but the Opposite Happened October saw the resignation of UK prime minister Liz Truss, who set a record after serving only 44 days in her post. The news brought an onslaught of new...

In a surprising twist, a new study suggests that the United Kingdom is at the head of the crypto scene in Europe. The study – conducted by blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis – says that the land of tea, crumpets, and top hats is number one when it comes to digital currency activity across the continent. The United Kingdom Is, Well, King! This is an odd situation given that the United Kingdom has not been the most crypto-friendly country. In fact, regulators have sought...

The United Kingdom High Court shut down the cryptocurrency firm PGI Global for allegedly running a fraudulent scheme. The company promised investors returns of up to 200% if they purchased digital assets through its platform, but consumers never received such profits. The Latest Crypto Scam in the UK? According to an official press release, the British authorities detected PGI Global’s suspicious activities last month and closed it after determining that the firm stole more...

Rishi Sunak is all set to take over the role of the prime minister of the United Kingdom in a few days. Amidst dire economic headwinds, Sunak was voted into office after Liz Truss, who only served a record-breaking 45 days, announced her resignation as a result of a maelstrom of criticism over her failed fiscal policies. Sunak, for one, is a proponent of the crypto industry and had previously championed regulation. UK Crypto Regulation During his stint as the Finance...