Crypto mixers

Policy Regula

2026-10-07 07:10:59

DOJ cites Bitcoin Fog appeal ruling to fight Roman Storm acquittal bid in New York

Federal prosecutors have added a recent Bitcoin Fog appellate ruling to their case against Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm, saying it backs their argument that activity tied to Tornado Cash in Manhattan was enough to establish venue in the Southern District of New York for parts of the case. In a Monday filing, the Department of Justice pointed to a Sept. 25 decision that upheld the conviction and sentence of Bitcoin Fog operator Roman Sterlingov. According to prosecutors, that ruling supports venue for both money-laundering and unlicensed money-transmission charges where the service was used in the relevant district. Prosecutors linked that reasoning to testimony from Shakeeb Ahmed, who said he used Tornado Cash from his Manhattan apartment. Storm has argued that Ahmed’s use of the protocol did not advance the alleged conspiracy and therefore could not establish venue in New York. Judge Katherine Polk Failla heard arguments on Storm’s acquittal motion in April 2026 and has not ruled yet. A retrial on the money-laundering and sanctions-conspiracy counts, where the jury deadlocked, is set for April 26, 2027 if those charges remain active.

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U.S. Treasury

2026-10-06 17:30:37

U.S. Treasury acknowledges lawful uses for Bitcoin and crypto mixers

Techub News, citing Crypto Briefing, reported that the U.S. Treasury has acknowledged that Bitcoin and crypto mixing services have legitimate uses. The note is brief, but its policy significance is clear: the position could shape how future privacy rules are drafted in the United States. At the center of that debate is a familiar tension in crypto policy. Regulators and lawmakers are trying to weigh financial privacy concerns against anti-money laundering obligations, and the Treasury’s recognition of lawful use cases adds an important point to that discussion. The report does not provide added detail on specific rulemaking steps, agencies, or timelines. Even so, the statement stands out because it frames Bitcoin and mixers not only through an enforcement lens, but also as tools that can serve legal purposes depending on context. That distinction may matter as U.S. officials continue to debate the limits of privacy-preserving technologies in digital asset markets.

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U.S. Treasury

2026-10-05 20:19:38

Treasury Withdraws Proposed Surveillance Rules for Unhosted Wallets and Crypto Mixers

The U.S. Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network has formally withdrawn two crypto proposals that had drawn years of opposition from privacy advocates and industry groups. One was FinCEN's December 2020 proposal on so-called unhosted, or self-custodial, wallets. It would have required banks and money services businesses to keep records on customer transactions with those wallets above $3,000 and report transactions over $10,000, including information on counterparties. The other was a 2023 Biden-era proposal that sought to classify international crypto mixing as a category of transactions of primary money laundering concern under the USA PATRIOT Act, which would have triggered reporting on wallet addresses, transaction hashes, and IP addresses linked to suspected mixing activity. FinCEN said comments on the mixer proposal warned that its broad definition of mixing could chill lawful use. Both withdrawals cite the White House's July 2025 digital asset report. Coin Center, which had fought both measures for years, welcomed the move, though Executive Director Peter Van Valkenburgh said the legal authority to propose similar rules still remains.

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FinCEN

2026-10-05 16:56:32

U.S. Treasury withdraws personal crypto wallet tracking proposal as FinCEN ends 2020 rulemaking

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, said it will no longer move forward with a 2020 proposal aimed at tracking transfers involving personal crypto wallets. Under that proposal, banks and exchanges would have been required to keep records for transfers involving unhosted wallets above $3,000 and file reports with FinCEN for transfers above $10,000. FinCEN said in a filing that the withdrawal is intended to make digital asset rules “fit for purpose,” citing a White House crypto report from July 2025. The filing also said the Trump administration supports the ability of lawful digital asset users to make private transactions on public blockchains. The decision will take effect after publication in the Federal Register on Oct. 6. On the same day, FinCEN also withdrew a separate 2023 proposal targeting cryptocurrency mixers, while saying it may still take action on that issue in the future. The item cited BeInCrypto as the source.

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FinCEN

2026-10-05 14:37:59

FinCEN Withdraws Proposed Reporting Rules for Crypto Mixers and Unhosted Wallets

The U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network has withdrawn two proposed crypto rules that would have expanded reporting and recordkeeping requirements for banks, money services businesses, and crypto exchanges. One proposal targeted transactions linked to crypto mixers and followed FinCEN’s 2023 finding that international crypto mixing was a class of transactions of primary money laundering concern under Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act. The other, first proposed in December 2020, would have required reports on customer transactions with unhosted wallets above $10,000, including aggregated transfers within 24 hours, and recordkeeping for transactions above $3,000. Both withdrawal notices were filed Monday and are scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on Oct. 6. FinCEN said the move was informed in part by the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets report from July 2025, while also noting continued concerns that criminals use mixers to slow investigations. Coin Center, which opposed both proposals, called the formal withdrawal a major win for financial privacy.

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crypto mixers

2026-07-23 11:10:15

US Treasury Acknowledges Legitimate Privacy Use of Crypto Mixers, Warns on Decentralized Platforms

The US Treasury recognized crypto mixers serve legitimate privacy purposes in a report to Congress, while cautioning decentralized mixers are high-risk for money laundering by North Korean hackers. Custodial mixers offer oversight; CLARITY bill and CBDCs raise further monitoring concerns.

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US Treasury

2026-07-23 05:40:14

US Treasury Acknowledges Crypto Mixers' Legitimate Use, Pushes 'Hold Law' for Exchanges

In a 32-page report to Congress, the US Treasury admitted crypto mixers have lawful privacy uses for the first time, but revealed over $1.6B in mixed funds flowed into bridges since 2020, with $900M tied to North Korean hackers. It also proposed a new "hold law" to let exchanges freeze suspicious assets temporarily.

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China

2026-07-14 19:47:38

Chinese prosecutors propose treating crypto mixer use as evidence of laundering intent

A policy paper published in China’s official Procuratorial Daily lays out a tougher framework for handling cryptocurrency-related money laundering cases, including a proposal to treat the use of mixers and privacy coins as evidence of criminal intent. The article was written by two prosecutors from Yuhu District in Hunan Province and an associate law professor at Xiangtan University, and was highlighted by Bitcoin Magazine. The authors argue that virtual currencies’ decentralized, pseudonymous and cross-border features have moved faster than China’s legal framework. They identify three main pressure points: how offenses are defined, how evidence is collected, and how seized assets are recovered. The paper also points to a statutory mismatch, saying China’s Anti-Money Laundering Law no longer limits predicate offenses, while Article 191 of the Criminal Law still restricts money laundering charges to seven categories. In practice, the authors say, many crypto cases are instead handled under Article 312 as concealment of criminal proceeds. The paper recommends broader use of the money laundering statute, a “one case, two checks” principle for major criminal probes, greater weight for blockchain records from public explorers, a burden shift after prosecutors submit transaction-chain analysis reports, and a national platform to store, value and dispose of confiscated crypto. The recommendations are not legally binding, but they point to a possible direction for Chinese courts as crypto-related laundering cases continue to grow.

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