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Category: ASIC

ASIC
Crypto

April 7, 2023

Australian Regulator ASIC Canceled Binance’s Derivative Licences On The Exchanges Request!

The Australian regulator ASIC has canceled the Australian financial services license held by Oztures Trading Pty Ltd c/n/a as Binance Australia Derivatives (Binance). The move comes following a request from Binance on April 5. ASIC has been conducting a targeted review of Binance's financial services business in Australia, including its classification of retail and wholesale clients. However, the targeted review will continue, says ASIC in its press release.

December 17, 2022

Australian Regulator Charges Finder Wallet For Its Stablecoin Offering!

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) commenced civil penalty proceedings against Finder Wallet Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Finder, founded by Crypto King Fred Schebesta. The regulator alleges Finder Wallet was providing unlicensed financial services, breaching product disclosure requirements, and failing to comply with design and distribution obligations (DDO) in relation to its crypto-asset-related product Finder Earn the TAUD stablecoin.

June 28, 2022

The IC Markets Scheme And Its False Defamation Claims!

We received a letter from the Cyprus-based law firm KPK Legal confronting us with defamation claims on behalf of the IC Markets group. KPK Legal explicitly represents the interests of CySEC-regulated IC Markets (EU) Ltd and its offshore entity Raw Trading Ltd in Seychelles. The letter to FinTelegram claims that, contrary to FinTelegram's representation, IC Markets would not be included in the Italian Consob's Warning List. Well, this is fact and not defamation. We are publicly countering KPK Legal's letter as they also address Google in their false defamation allegations.

June 19, 2022

Sam Bankman-Fried, FTX, And His Robinhood Investment

The vegan crypto billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried founded the crypto broker FTX in April 2019 and has since been on an aggressive acquisition trip around the world. FTX acquired the CySEC-regulated K-DNA Financial Services Ltd and the ASIC-regulated Australian ITFS Markets Pty Ltd in March 2022. A few weeks ago, WSJ reported a $648 million investment in Robinhood in exchange for 7.6% of the company’s shares. In recent weeks, the FTX founder has also stepped up as a financier in Elon Musk's Twitter acquisition. He is a busy guy!

June 19, 2022

Whistleblower Request – Broker Crypto FTX & CySEC-Regulated K-DNA Financial Services!

We didn't have US crypto billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried and his FTX Group on our radar. This crypto brokerage scheme, controlled via offshore entities in Antigua and Barbuda or the Bahamas, recently acquired CySEC-regulated investment firm K-DNA Financial Services Ltd, led by Martha Lambrianou. In March 2022, FTX Group announced the establishment of FTX Europe AG, Switzerland, as a holding company. FTX Group came to our attention via a BaFin warning against the Investorix broker scam mentioning the K-DNA Financial Services Ltd. We would like to learn more!

April 25, 2022

Introducing the Serbian Fortrade partner KapitalRS

Kapital RS Inc. a.d. d/b/a KapitalRS is a Serbian investment company regulated by the Securities Commission of the Republic of Serbia, authorized to provide investment advisory services. KapitalRS is not authorized to accept deposits, client deposits are made to an authorized broker. The company operates boiler rooms and provides technical support and marketing promotion to regulated Fortrade Group. It provides services related to the execution of orders, ie it manages the trading platform on which financial instruments are traded.

April 21, 2022

Offshore broker Axiory with super-high leverage does not accept clients from UK and EU!

Axiory offshore broker is operated by Axiory Global Ltd, regulated by FSC Belize, and Tradit Ltd, regulated by FSC Mauritius. It does not acquire clients in the UK, and EU whereby registration is algorithmically blocked and not possible. Thus Axiory abides by regulatory requirements in these countries. Axiory also does not allow pre-KYC deposits, positively differentiating itself from many other offshore brokers. It offers leverage of up to 1:777. However, in Eu

January 1, 2022

The offshore activities of CySEC-regulated Eightcap!

Until Aug 2021, the CySEC-regulated investment firm (CIF) Eightcap EU Ltd was called R Capital Solutions Ltd and was the owner and the operator of MXTrade until 2015. Then the broker was transferred to the infamous Lau Scheme in Belize. However! Now Eightcap operates the CySEC approved domain www.eightcap.eu. Besides, as usual with many CySEC CIFs, offshore broker activities are conducted through www.eightcap.com and Eightcap Global Limited in the Bahamas.

December 22, 2021

Investor warning against offshore broker Moneta Markets and the Vantage Group

We recently communicated with David Bily, founder of Moneta Markets, to get the background of Vantage Group of companies. David confirmed that Moneta Markets is operated as a white label solution of Vantage Group by Vanuatu-based and VFSC-regulated offshore entity Vantage Global Limited. David opined that a license or permission would not be required for Moneta Markets in the EU. However, Consob sees differently and recently issued a warning against Moneta Markets and Vantage Global Limited.

October 31, 2021

Attention! Offshore broker Moneta Markets attacks European consumers with illegal offerings!

Moneta Markets is one of the numerous brokerage and trading brands of the Vantage Group. The website claims that Moneta Markets is operated by the offshore entity Vantage Global Limited in Vanuatu, which works with a financial dealer license from the VFSC. However, an offshore license like this does not entitle the licensee to engage in regulatory regimes in North America or Europe. Most recently, Vantage Group entered into a settlement with the Canadian regulator OSC because of their illegal offshore approach, and they continue to move on. Here is the review!

October 31, 2021

FCA-regulated Vantage Group with unauthorized Moneta Markets, FXMarket Trades, and FXBit Mining

In August 2021, Spanish CNMV issued a warning against VT Markets acting without authorization. The broker's Client Agreement states Vantage International Group Limited, registered in the Cayman Islands, as the operator. This offshore entity is part of the Vantage Group and holds a Caymen Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) license. The Vantage Group operates a portfolio of other broker brands such as the UK-regulated VantageFX and several unregulated such as Moneta Markets or FXBit Mining.

August 2, 2021

Spanish CNMV warns against offshore broker VT Markets of Vantage Group

Spanish CNMV issued a warning against VT Markets, a broker operating without authorization. The broker's Client Agreement states Vantage International Group Limited, registered in the Cayman Islands, as the operator. This offshore entity is part of the Vantage Group and holds a Caymen Islands Monetary Authority license. The Vantage Group operates other broker brands such as VantageFX, VantageFXoptions, or TradeOnlineProfit via different entities. As a payment processor, we found everpay for bank transfers, for example.

Compliance Report: Sergey Mendeleev, Garantex, and Exved – The Rising Role of Crypto in Russia’s Sanctions Evasion Strategy

Sergey Mendeleev, a prominent figure in Russia's cryptocurrency scene, has played a central role in the establishment and operation of two key platforms—Garantex and Exved. These platforms have been instrumental in facilitating cross-border payments and crypto transactions, potentially serving as important tools for Russia’s sanctions evasion strategy. Mendeleev's growing influence in this space, coupled with Russia's evolving regulatory framework, positions him as a key player in Russia.

Russia’s New Crypto Strategy for Sanctions Evasion

Russia’s new crypto laws, allowing mining and international payments in digital currencies, are part of a broader strategy to evade Western sanctions and reduce dependence on the U.S. dollar. This move, led by the Central Bank of Russia (CBR), opens up new compliance risks for global financial institutions dealing with Russian entities. The new laws are set to take effect in September for cross-border payments and in November for crypto mining.

Secretive Cyprus Funds Used to Obscure Megayachts and Real Estate Linked to Sanctioned Russian Banker

A recent OCCRP investigation revealed that Cyprus-registered RAIFs were used to hide megayachts and real estate linked to sanctioned Russian banker Andrei Kostin. These secretive funds, managed by Inveqo, allowed clients to avoid disclosing their ownership, raising concerns about the effectiveness of sanctions and regulatory enforcement. The case highlights the challenges of ensuring transparency and preventing financial crime in the global investment landscape.

First-Ever Crypto Seizure in Scotland Under New UK Law

Crypto has undoubtedly become mainstream, particularly in the cybercrime sphere. In a first for Scottish law enforcement, £110,000 in cryptocurrency has been confiscated from John Ross Rennie following a violent robbery. Under new UK rules, police can now seize crypto assets without needing to make an arrest, highlighting a growing focus on tackling digital crime as incidents involving cryptocurrency continue to rise.

Former Lebanon Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh Charged with Financial Crimes

It was a long-expected move. The powerful former Lebanon Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh has been arrested and charged with embezzling $42 million in public funds, part of a broader $110 million fraud case. His detention comes amid ongoing domestic and international investigations into financial misconduct during his controversial three-decade tenure. In 2022, the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) froze assets worth €120 million tied to Salame.