Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Also: Zcash Patches Flaw, $32M Humanity Protocol HackThis week, a key player in a $97M laundering scheme got prison time, Humanity Protocol suffered $32M in losses, Zcash patched a flaw, the EU targeted crypto platforms tied to Russia, authorities froze $3.8M in illicit funds and researchers exposed a Trezor chip weakness.

Cryptocurrency Exchange Traded A7A5 TokenRussian sanctions busters won't be too fazed by the collapse of a cryptocurrency platform that facilitated billions of dollars' worth of transactions and whose main attraction was a ruble-pegged stablecoin. Experts say transactions fueling Russia's shadow economy and its war machine will persist.

Also: US' Multi-Million Dollar Scam Funds SeizureIran exchange leak raises sanctions risks, $580M frozen in scam crackdown, $61M romance scam funds seized, feds seek $327K in dating scam case, Russia exploit broker sanctioned, South Korean wallet recovery phrase exposure and arrest in custody bitcoin theft, Axiom data misuse and Uniswap lawsuit ends.

Also: IoTex Bridge Exploit Linked to Private Key BreachThis week, Step Finance shuts down, IoTeX bridge exploit, Russia-linked exchanges help evade sanctions, Australian charged in $3.5 million scam, a hacker returned $21 million in seized bitcoin to South Korean prosecutors and Malaysia arrested 12 police officers in an extortion case.

US Treasury Says Crypto Exchange Helped Launder $100 Million for Ransomware GangsThe U.S. Department of Treasury sanctioned Thursday a Russian founder and co-owners of the Garantex cryptocurrency exchange in a bid to tighten methods criminal hackers use to launder extortion money and Kremlin sanctions busting. Regulators also sanctioned Garantex successor Grinex.

Cryptocurrency Tracing Suggests Group Is Rebrand of Russian-Speaking BlackCat GroupEven lesser-known ransomware groups haul in serious extortion cash - although in the ransomware world, little is what it seems. Take relative newcomer Embargo, which appears to be a rebrand of, or successor to, the notorious BlackCat group, also known as Alphv.

Also: CoinDCX's $44 Million Exploit, Crypto Theft Hit $2.17B in First Half of 2025This week, Russia crypto laundering in Krygyzstan, CoinDCX lost $44M in a hack, the U.S. sought $7.1M in crypto linked to oil tank investment scam, Ex-NCA officer was jailed for stealing seized bitcoin, crypto thefts hit $2.17B in the first half of 2025 and Trump Media revealed $2B bitcoin holdings.

Also, Crypter Takedown, Threat Intel Naming Accord and Regulators Ping CrowdStrikeThis week, Ukraine hacked Tupelov, Russian hacking, crypter sites seized and the U.S. will seize North Korean IT worker crypto. Regulators probed CrowdStrike. A Rosetta Stone for intel. A Romanian man admitted to swatting, Lee Enterprises hack exposed data and an FBI vet joined the private sector.

Void Dokkaebi Campaigns Using Russia for Cryptocurrency TheftNorth Korean hackers look north toward Russia for the internet infrastructure behind the many online scams that Pyongyang has built to funnel stolen cash into the rouge nation. Void Dokkaebi hackers participate in the North Korean scam of social engineering IT job seekers.

Also: the Recent Ransomware Surge, Crypto Reserve ControversyIn this week's update, four ISMG editors discussed the recent surge in ransomware attacks, implications of the U.S. military's pause on cyber operations against Russia, and President Trump's bold but controversial plan to create a national cryptocurrency reserve.

Russian cryptocurrency exchange Garantex, a money laundering destination for Russian and North Korean hackers, is no more after international law enforcement seized its servers. Prosecutors in the United States indicted the exchange's two principals in federal court.

Also: Complaint Against Trump, Melania MemecoinsThis week's stories include sentencing in a $37 million theft, $9 million zkLend theft, Tornado Cash developer's pretrial detention release, guilty plea in SEC hack, an update on a crypto-using murderer, case against Trump memecoin, and a prisoner exchange involving a Russian Bitcoin fraud suspect.

Blender and Sinbad Were Favorites of Ransomware and North Korean HackersThree Russian nationals behind cryptocurrency mixers favored by ransomware hackers and North Korean crypto thieves face criminal charges in U.S. federal court: Roman Vitalyevich Ostapenko, 55, Alexander Evgenievich Oleynik, 44, and Anton Vyachlavovich Tarasov, 32.

Also, Australian Fines Kraken AU$8 million Over BreachesThis week, scammers targeted crypto workers with fake meeting apps, Australia fined Kraken crypto exchange operator Bit Trade and a Los Angeles federal court ordered five individuals to pay $5 million. Polish police detained a Russian former exchange operator and FTX debtors clawed back more cash.

French Police Reportedly Detain Accused Ryuk Money Launder Ekaterina ZhdanovaAn international investigation led by the United Kingdom busted Russian money cash-for-crypto laundering networks in an operation that's led to the arrest of 84 individuals and U.S. sanctions against others. One of the network allegedly laundered extortion money paid to the Ryuk ransomware group.

US-Sanctioned Crypto Exchange Founder Sergey Ivanov Included in Sweeping ArrestsRussia’s primary federal investigative agency announced a rare and sweeping investigation into the United States-sanctioned cryptocurrency exchange Cryptex and other platforms used to carry out illegal transactions and launder millions from ransomware groups.

Also: Angel Drainer Resurfaces; Russia's Sanctions Evasion PloyThis week, Indodax was hacked, Angel Drainer resurfaced, Russia developed Infra crypto, GS Partners settled with U.S. states, Caroline Ellison to be sentenced Sept. 24, FCA prosecuted first unregistered crypto case, Nigeria set new crypto regulations, and India may approve offshore crypto firms.

Pertsev Turned A Blind Eye to Illicit Activity on the Mixer, Dutch Court SaysA Dutch court Tuesday handed Tornado Cash developer Alexey Pertsev a sentence of five years and four months for money laundering. The 31-year-old Russian national developed and maintained cryptocurrency anonymization software used to launder digital cash worth more than $2 billion.

Experts See Surge in Attacks, Including in Russia, Using Leaked LockBit CodeWhat do a German healthcare network, a Russian security company and an American bridal clothing retailer have in common? All seem to have been compromised in recent months by attackers who wielded LockBit crypto-locking malware - but who weren't tied to the actual LockBit operation.

Also: US Sanctions for Russia-Linked DeFi, Coinbase Can't Escape SEC LawsuitThis week, Sam Bankman-Fried got 25 years, the U.S sanctioned a Russian fintech, Coinbase can't get out of an SEC lawsuit, Munchables lost millions and had it returned, Curio and ParaSwap had smart contract problems, Hong Kong warned about crypto entities, and TRM Labs reported 2023 crypto trends.