zlacker

While I do partially agree that some of it may be grandstanding. The whole:

"Thanks to the meticulous work of law enforcement, the department once again showed how it can and will follow the money, no matter what form it takes.”

and suggesting AEC and chain hopping is futile is an effective propaganda tool. I mean its possible something major changed, but I think your thoughts are closer to reality.

If true, this is interesting, because apparently fake identity accounts on exchanges are cheap ( partially 'thanks' to all the breaches over the years ).

edit: added '' to thanks

>>A4ET8a+(OP)
I agree. Propaganda is very effective here. And it's actually good - it deters potential criminals.

But if someone who knew how crypto works wanted to commit a crime, they can. That's scary.

>>A4ET8a+(OP)
...any system appropriate for shluffing around value by definition comes with being able to trace things with enough attention to detail.

>>Alexan+G6
Sorry, yes. I used the term propaganda, but I briefly forgot its negative connotation. In this particular instance, I meant it more along the lines of 'shock and awe' your adversaries. I am hardly cheering on an alleged hacker/thief/launderer. The point stands, but thank you for pointing the perception issue out.

>>A4ET8a+(OP)
At the same time this crime shows the weakness of crypto: with an ever appreciating linked asset with no ability to truly "gap" transfers, you can always trace where the money goes, even with a mixer (you just then need to track many more targets, but eventually the money re-concentrate somewhere you can see), transfering just once with someone who knows your name instantly gives you traceback ability to all the transaction (can't fund a wallet without tracing back to the first ever source of fund on chain), and the fact it appreciate is the greatest enemy of money laundering: where a Mexican kingpin would understand that there's value in losing 40% of their money rather than have it stashed in USD bills in a warehouse, crypto is tempting to keep, this guy couldn't realistically forfeit a large majority of the fund by for instance randomly giving it to 5000 honest wallets with 1 being his for instance.

It's great for us non criminals, but it's one more utility of crypto going down the drain. What is it good for, if not even crime.