The founder of Hydra, the notorious dark web drug marketplace, has been sentenced to life in prison by a Moscow court. Stanislav Moiseyev, along with 15 accomplices, faced charges of running a criminal drug enterprise. Their sentences include hefty fines and the confiscation of assets, marking a major crackdown on the dark web's illicit economy.
Before Western sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine invasion began in February 2022, U.S. authorities were cracking down on the Russian crypto scene. Since the beginning of the new sanctions in 2022, the American approach against the Russian crypto scene, which is under general suspicion of money laundering and sanctions violations, has intensified and is bringing charges against Russian crypto schemes and their masterminds.