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Alleged Huione Group Money Laundering Boss Extradited to China

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People Against Genocide once again target Elbit's insurers

Li Xiong, 41, the former chairman of Huione Group and a core member of what Chinese authorities call the Chen Zhi criminal syndicate, was escorted off a China Southern Airlines flight in Beijing on April 1 – shaven-headed, handcuffed, flanked by officers from China’s Ministry of Public Security.

The real story is what his extradition confirms: Beijing is systematically dismantling the leadership layer of what the US Treasury identified as the world’s largest illicit crypto marketplace, and Cambodia is cooperating.

Huione Group processed over $89 billion in cryptoassets through what Elliptic researchers described as the largest illicit online marketplace ever identified – a number that dwarfs most legitimate crypto exchanges by transaction volume.

Key Takeaways:
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  • Who Was Extradited: Li Xiong, 41, former chairman of Huione Group, extradited from Phnom Penh to Beijing on April 1, 2026, at China’s request following a joint Sino-Cambodian investigation.
  • Alleged Role: Li is accused of multiple crimes as a core figure in the Chen Zhi syndicate, which allegedly ran cross-border gambling, fraud, and crypto laundering operations across Southeast Asia.
  • Network Scale: Huione Group’s marketplace processed over $89 billion in cryptoassets, serving pig-butchering scam centers and facilitating laundering linked to North Korean state-sponsored cyber heists.
  • Enforcement Context: Li’s extradition follows Chen Zhi’s arrest in January 2026 and the US Treasury’s May 2025 designation of Huione as a primary money-laundering concern – part of a coordinated multi-jurisdiction squeeze.
  • Compliance Signal: FinCEN directed US banks to sever all accounts and payments tied to Huione Group in October 2025; the extradition reinforces active enforcement risk for any institution with residual Huione exposure.
  • What to Watch: Chinese authorities have indicated ongoing investigations and additional syndicate arrests – further asset seizures and indictments targeting Prince Group subsidiaries are the next likely enforcement move.

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What the Huione Extradition Actually Covers – and Why the Sequencing Matters

China’s Ministry of Public Security confirmed the operation via WeChat, describing Li as a “core key member” of the Chen Zhi syndicate suspected of “multiple crimes” tied to a “major cross-border gambling and fraud syndicate.”

Cambodian authorities arrested Li separately at Beijing’s formal request before transferring custody – a distinction that matters, because it signals Cambodia is now acting on specific Chinese extradition requests rather than conducting broad regional sweeps.

Photo: Li Xiong

Huione Group operated as a subsidiary of Prince Group, the holding entity controlled by Chen Zhi. The structure was deliberate: Prince Group provided corporate legitimacy while Huione ran the payment infrastructure that funneled proceeds from pig-butchering scams – elaborate long-con investment frauds targeting victims globally – into the broader financial system via crypto.

The US Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network designated Huione a “primary money-laundering concern” in May 2025, citing its role processing over $4 billion in traceable illicit transactions between August 2021 and January 2025 – including proceeds from North Korean cyber heists.

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That North Korea connection is not incidental. It elevated Huione from a regional enforcement problem to a sanctions-tier national security concern, which accelerated US pressure on Cambodia to act. Li’s extradition, three months after Chen Zhi’s, follows the pattern: leadership arrests are running top-down through the syndicate hierarchy.

Explore: Best Crypto Projects With High Growth Potential in 2026

The post Alleged Huione Group Money Laundering Boss Extradited to China appeared first on Cryptonews.

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XRP Transactions on Binance Hit 2025 Low as Withdrawals Continue to Outpace Deposits

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XRP Transactions on Binance Hit 2025 Low as Withdrawals Continue to Outpace Deposits

TLDR:

  • XRP deposit transactions on Binance totaled 310,500 over the past 30 days, a yearly low figure.
  • Withdrawals reached 329,400, creating a net negative transaction balance of roughly -18,900 in total.
  • Transaction volumes once exceeded 6 million in a 30-day window before sharply declining in mid-2025.
  • Steady XRP outflows from Binance may reflect cold wallet transfers and long-term accumulation behavior.

XRP transaction activity on Binance has dropped to its lowest point this year. Over the past 30 days, deposit transactions totaled around 310,500, while withdrawals reached approximately 329,400.

This resulted in a net negative count of roughly -18,900 transactions. The data reflects a clear decline in trader and investor activity, pointing to a period of visible market stagnation.

Transaction Volumes Reach Year-Long Lows on Binance

XRP deposits and withdrawals on Binance were considerably higher earlier in the year. At certain points in 2025, total transactions exceeded 6 million within a single 30-day window.

A sharp decline began in mid-2025, and volumes have remained subdued since then. The current figures mark the lowest activity levels recorded since that earlier peak.

Source: Cryptoquant

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This drop in volume reflects reduced short-term trading interest across the platform. Fewer transactions generally correspond to lower speculative activity in the market.

As buying and selling pressures ease in tandem, price volatility tends to follow suit. The overall environment points to a quieter phase in XRP trading.

Earlier in 2025, stronger engagement from retail and institutional traders drove higher transaction counts. The mid-year reversal was swift, pulling volume down within a short timeframe.

Since then, no notable recovery has appeared in the available data. This extended period of low activity is consistent with the broader market slowdown.

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Fewer deposit transactions also suggest a reduced appetite for exchange-based trading. When assets enter platforms at a lower rate, traders are typically less active in short-term positioning.

This aligns with the declining engagement trend observed on Binance. Together, these factors suggest the market has entered a consolidation phase.

Net Negative Transactions Reflect Steady XRP Outflows From Binance

With withdrawals consistently outpacing deposits, a net negative transaction balance has formed. The -18,900 gap reflects a steady movement of XRP away from the Binance platform.

This outflow pattern has persisted throughout the 30-day observation period. Even at low volumes, sustained outflows carry relevance when tracked over time.

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This behavior is sometimes linked to accumulation strategies among longer-term holders. Some traders may be shifting XRP into cold wallets or private storage.

This is a common pattern during quieter market periods when speculation recedes. It does not signal selling pressure but rather a shift in asset management approach.

Moving assets off exchanges during calm periods is a recognized risk management strategy. It gradually reduces exchange-held supply, which is a measurable data point.

This trend does not indicate distress but rather deliberate repositioning by holders. Tracking this movement in the coming weeks will provide additional market clarity.

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The current XRP data shows reduced activity and steady outflows on Binance. Volumes remain at yearly lows, and assets continue moving off the platform.

These trends reflect observable exchange data. The market is in a low-momentum phase as traders await clearer direction.

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Polymarket Introduces Equity and Commodity Markets Powered by Pyth

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United Kingdom, Stocks, Tesla, Chainlink, Polymarket, Kalshi, Prediction Markets

Polymarket has added markets tied to equities, commodities and exchange-traded funds, using price data from blockchain oracle provider Pyth Network as the resolution source to determine outcomes for daily contracts.

The new markets include daily up-or-down and closing price contracts for major equity indexes, commodities such as gold and oil, and a range of US-listed stocks, with outcomes settled automatically based on Pyth’s real-time price feeds. The contracts reset at the end of each trading session.

According to the announcement, the offering includes more than a dozen US-listed stocks, including Tesla, Nvidia and Apple, alongside commodities and equity indices.

United Kingdom, Stocks, Tesla, Chainlink, Polymarket, Kalshi, Prediction Markets
Source: Pyth Network

By making Pyth the resolution layer for these markets, Polymarket is supplanting manual or exchange-specific references with a standardized data source aggregated from trading firms and market makers.

Zug, Switzerland-based Pyth said it also launched a data interface called Pyth Terminal, where users can track live price feeds and the reference values used to settle markets on Polymarket. Traders can follow a live “price to beat” that updates continuously as markets move.

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Polymarket allows users to take positions on the outcomes of real-world events, such as sports, elections, financial markets and weather, with contracts resolving based on whether specific conditions are met.

Last week, Intercontinental Exchange, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, said it had completed a $600 million cash investment in Polymarket and plans to acquire up to an additional $40 million in shares from existing holders as part of a broader multibillion-dollar commitment to the platform.

United Kingdom, Stocks, Tesla, Chainlink, Polymarket, Kalshi, Prediction Markets
Event contracts on Polymarket. Source: Polymarket

Related: Polymarket fee expansion boosts revenue amid regulatory pressure

Oracles expand beyond crypto into real-world data infrastructure

Oracle networks, which bring offchain data such as prices, foreign exchange rates and commodities onto blockchains, are expanding beyond crypto into financial, government and prediction-based applications.

Their role has begun to extend into official data systems, with Chainlink and Pyth Network selected by US government agencies to publish economic data onchain, including GDP and inflation metrics. The announcement sent the PYTH (PYTH) token up more than 70% on the day, lifting its market capitalization past $1 billion.

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The announcement comes as oracle providers are being used to power prediction markets and real-world event data, with RedStone integrating data from the CFTC-regulated platform Kalshi across more than 110 blockchains in October.

They are also playing a growing role in connecting crypto platforms to traditional financial markets. In January, Chainlink said it would roll out 24/5 price data for US equities and ETFs to crypto platforms, enabling trading, lending and derivatives tied to tokenized stocks beyond standard market hours.

The following month, Ondo Finance said it had integrated Chainlink as the data provider for tokenized US equities on its Ondo Global Markets platform, where the feeds are used to support lending and collateralization.

Data from DeFiLlama shows a highly concentrated oracle market, with Chainlink accounting for around 64% of total value secured. Other providers, including RedStone and Pyth Network, hold much smaller shares at around 5% each.

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Source: DefiLlama

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