The alpha:
- The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has just announced an “international cryptocurrency enforcement action,” according to a live stream on the DOJ website.
- Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco announced that she has arrested the founder and majority shareholder of Bitzlato, the Hong Kong-registered crypto exchange, Anatoly Legkodymov, in Miami last night.
- Legkodymov, a Russian national residing in Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China, has been accused of allowing more than $700 million in crypto transactions with Hyrda, the world’s largest darknet marketplace.
- The lead up to the announcement has crypto market concerns, with Bitcoin and Ethereum falling sharply in the past few hours.
During a live broadcast, Assistant Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco announced the arrest of Anatoly Legkodymov, saying, “Today, the Department of Justice has dealt a significant blow to the crypto-crime ecosystem” and that “police action put all those looking to exploit the cryptocurrency ecosystem with notice.”
