Tornado Cash: Code Not Speech, Non-Custodial MSBs, Knowledge Not Required

In an oral statement issued on Thursday, Tornado Cash judge says code is not speech, non-custodial service providers can be money service businesses, and specific knowledge of criminal activity is not a prerequisite for charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Gensler To Rule On SEC Licensing Requirements For "Communication Protocols"

SEC Chair Gary Gensler expressed intent to rule on amendments to rule 3b-16 of the Exchange Act by November. Criticized as overly broad, the proposed amendments may be abused to require software publishers to obtain SEC licenses.

Keir Starmer Wants To Spy On Your Bank Account

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans to "stop benefit fraud" costing taxpayers "almost £10 billion a year". The digital rights group Big Brother Watch sees a revival of bank spying powers.

German Government Plans Expansion Of Bank Account Surveillance

In a proposed "security package", the German Government aims to expand the surveillance capabilities of the German Federal Police (BKA) of bank accounts subject to suspicious activity and transaction reports.

German Interior Ministry Dodges Questions On Chain Analysis Software, Mixer Risks

The German Interior Ministry dodged questions on government use of chain analysis software and the risks of mixers for the concealment of criminal activity. Suspicious Transaction Reports involving cryptocurrencies appear negligibly low.

Geyser Fund Shuts Down Bitcoin For Palestine

The crowdfunding platform Geyser Fund is shutting down projects in conflict zones citing regulatory uncertainty.

Samourai Wallet: Rodriguez Deemed Flight Risk, Denied Freedom Of Movement

Keonne Rodriguez has been denied a freedom of movement request due to alleged flight plans. The defense cited that Rodriguez had not fled after detecting law enforcement attempted to access overseas Samourai-related servers in March of 2024. The next hearing is set for December 17th.

Kraken Germany Removes Lightning Network Support

The German banking authority BaFin is unaware of "new regulations that came into effect on September 10th", allegedly leading Kraken Germany to halt support for the Lightning Network according to customer service representatives. Kraken issued a correction after publication of this article.

Human Rights in Finance Sues Dutch Central Bank Over AML

Human Rights in Finance is suing the Dutch Central Bank under Article 8 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights over failure to enforce protections in light of "potentially criminal" AML data outsourcing program ran by the Netherlands' five largest banks

Dutch Foundation Requests Human Rights Evaluation of AMLD5

Human Rights in Finance formally requests a human rights evaluation from the European Commission on the EU's 5th Anti-Money Laundering Directive, citing privacy infringements and procedural abuse

German Parliament Faces Questions On Blockchain Surveillance

The German party Die Linke is questioning the German government on the use of blockchain surveillance software and the use of crypto mixers for the identification and prevention of financial crime.

UK NCA Claims Crypto "Increasingly Used" For Money Laundering, E2EE Risk To Children

The UK's National Crime Agency claims "cryptoassets are increasingly used to launder non-digital proceeds of crime" and identify increased risks to children through end-to-end encryption in a 2024 National Risk Assessment.