Last month, China said that it will crack down on bitcoin mining and trading activities in an effort to fend off financial risks. Three Chinese industry bodies also tightened the ban on banks and payment companies providing crypto-related services.
Now, Chinese police have arrested more than 1,000 people who are suspected of using cryptocurrency to launder money from telephone and internet scams. The public security ministry said that the police busted more than 170 criminal groups involved in using cryptocurrencies to launder money.
This is the fifth round of a nationwide crackdown on money-laundering activities related to telecom fraud in China, dubbed “Operation Card Breaking.” So far, as a part of Operation Card Breaking, the Chinese police have arrested more than 311,000 people and eliminated 15,000 criminal organizations.
Telecom criminals tend to use fake or stolen SIM cards and compromised bank accounts to launder their money through the traditional banking system. This has become more difficult since the Chinese police tightened surveillance on commercial banks and black markets.
According to the official statement by the ministry, the money launderers charged their criminal clients a commission of 1.5 percent to 5 percent for converting illegal proceeds into virtual currencies via crypto exchanges.
China’s Payment & Clearing Association claims that nearly 13 percent of gambling sites support the use of virtual currencies, and blockchain technology has made it more difficult for authorities to track the money.
Meanwhile, El Salvador has become the first country in the world to adopt bitcoin as legal tender. With 62 out of 84 votes, lawmakers voted to create a law to adopt bitcoin, despite concern. It said that the U.S. dollar will also continue as legal tender. It’s noteworthy that in practice, El Salvador does not have its own currency.
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