The EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) was sold to legislators as the end of Europe’s regulatory patch-work. In theory, every crypto-asset service provider (CASP) will live under the same anti-money-laundering (AML), governance and disclosure standards from 30 December 2024. In practice, the first six months of “early bird” licensing suggest that member states are already competing to become the Cayman Islands of MiCA.
In April 2025, Mohamad Shaker — the head of the largest boiler room in German cybercriminal Uwe Lenhoff’s vast cybercrime empire — was sentenced to 8 years in prison by a German court. Shaker's conviction marks another milestone in dismantling one of Europe’s largest cybercrime organizations. Yet, while some lieutenants have faced justice, the key facilitators — including executives of Payvision and the Amsterdam-based money laundering network — remain untouched.
In the vast Israeli online trading fraud case, the Bavarian Central Cybercrime Unit announced charges against a 47-year-old Israeli national implicated in the fraudulent investment platform GetFinancial. He allegedly worked for the group as head of the analysis department and the "Trading and Education Department", among other things. The GetFinancial case is closely linked to the family of cybercrime mastermind Gery Shalon.
Bloomberg just published an extensive report about Gery Shalon and his incredible role as cybercrime mastermind and FBI undercover agent. The report mentions the role of FinTelegream and its founder Werner Boehm in exposing Shalon's cybercrime network. Thanks to the close cooperation between FinTelegram, its whistleblowers, and law enforcement agencies, key figures of this network, such as Uwe Lenhoff and Gal Barak, were arrested in early 2019.
Atlantis Slots, operated by Pennytech Holding B.V. operates with a non-valid gambling license from Curacao. In our review, we found that Atlantis Slots is engaging in illegal operations within the European Economic Area (EEA). Despite its lack of regulatory permission in these regions, Atlantis Slots continues to offer online casino and gambling services, facilitated by payment processors Continent Pay, Neosurf, Binance Pay, Sofort and CASHlib.
Continent Pay, a/k/a ContintentPay, a high-risk payment processor, has come under the investigative lens of PayRate42 due to its purported connections with Gery Shalon, a notorious cybercriminal. It is alleged that Shalon controls Continent Pay through MARKET PROMO Sp. z o.o., a company based in Poland. A few days ago, a whistleblower request was also made on FinTelegram due to the high level of interest in this case.
We are seeking whistleblower information on the high-risk payment processor Continent Pay, which is reportedly controlled by Gery Shalon, also known as Garri Shalelashvili. He is an Israeli national originally from Georgia and is considered one of the world's most notorious cybercriminals. He gained infamy for orchestrating cyberattacks on the U.S. financial sector, including the largest theft of customer data from a U.S. financial institution in 2014, which affected over 100 million people.
A 2018 lawsuit in the U.S. filed by Gladius Network LLC against Krypton Blockchain Holdings Ltd. presents significant insights into the intricate web of business relations, cybercrime allegations, and investment disputes involving high-profile cybercrime activists. This case further substantiates the involvement of Gery Shalon, aka Garri Shalelashvili, and his Russian partner Vladimir Smirnov as the true beneficial owners behind the companies associated with Israeli national Ilan Tzorya.
In March 2022, the Seychelles Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit involving Oldypak Capital LP and GV Holdings Limited against Tempox Holdings Limited (formerly Tradologic HK Limited), Ilan Tzorya, and DTI Group Inc. This case further implicates the beneficial owners of the plaintiffs, Gery Shalon and Vladislav Smirnov, in the massive cybercrime operation surrounding E&G Bulgaria and Tradologic.
Here's an update on the E&G Bulgaria cybercrime case involving Israelis Gal Barak and Gery Shalon. FinTelegram has been instrumental in uncovering and providing crucial whistleblower information, which led to Barak's arrest in early 2019. While Barak and several of his associates have already been sentenced, further charges are anticipated, potentially implicating Gery Shalon as the true mastermind behind Barak's operations.
In a dramatic unraveling that has captured the attention of the global financial cybercrime crime scene, Gery "Gabi" Shalon, a Georgia-born Israeli citizen, stands as a significant figure. Charged in a 23 count Indictment by U.S. prosecutors on November 9, 2015, Shalon's alleged crimes span computer hacking, securities fraud, aggravated identity theft, illegal online gambling, illegal money transmitting business, and money laundering.
In the realms of U.S. law enforcement and cybercrime, the cases of Changpeng Zhao (CZ) and Gery Shalon present intriguing insights into the strategic cooperation between convicted cybercriminals and U.S. authorities. The disparity in the sentences against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) and CZ raises fundamental questions about the nature of their offenses and the benefits of their cooperation. Here are our insights.