Japanese police have arrested two people suspected of helping a fake police fraud group steal cryptocurrency worth approximately 81 million yen from a woman in her 40s.

FNN reported on Sept. 25 that police arrested 31-year-old Saki Okayama and 38-year-old Mitsuki Minamisawa on suspicion of involvement in the scheme. Investigators believe the group operated from Cambodia and impersonated Japanese police officers to pressure victims into transferring assets.

The victim was allegedly told that her bank card had been connected to a large money laundering investigation. According to police information cited by FNN, the group claimed a fraud case had caused 600 billion yen in losses and that around 400 accounts had been used to launder funds.

Fake police allegedly demanded proof of innocence

The scheme began with a telephone call from a man claiming to represent the Osaka Prefectural Police.

FNN reported that the caller told the woman her card appeared among accounts connected with the supposed money laundering investigation. The caller then claimed she was close to being arrested and needed to “prove her innocence.”

Police allege that the false accusation eventually led the victim to transfer cryptocurrency worth around 81 million yen. The assets were valued at approximately $515,000 using the conversion cited in reports on the case.

Investigators have not publicly identified the cryptocurrencies involved or disclosed the wallet addresses that received the assets. Available reporting therefore does not establish how the cryptocurrency was subsequently moved, converted or withdrawn.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department believes Okayama and Minamisawa participated in a larger organization. Known losses from fraud cases involving the two suspects have reached approximately 240 million yen, according to FNN.

Police suspect the group maintained its operational base in Cambodia, more than 4,000 kilometers from Japan. Investigators believe a Chinese national acted as the person directing the operation.

The available FNN report does not state that either suspect has been convicted. Both remain suspects in the investigation, and the allegations concern their suspected involvement in the fraud network.

Japan fake police scams are causing rising losses

The arrests come during a sharp increase in losses from people impersonating police officers throughout Japan.

Japan’sv National Police Agency reported that fake police scams caused 61.71 billion yen in losses during the first seven months of 2026. Authorities recorded 5,422 cases through the end of July.

Although the number of cases fell 6.4% from the same period a year earlier, financial losses increased 25.7%. Fake police schemes therefore remained one of Japan’s most costly forms of special fraud.

The National Police Agency began treating fake police fraud as a separate category in its 2026 statistics because the method had become increasingly common. Its data shows total special-fraud losses reached 210.81 billion yen through July, up 42.9% from a year earlier.

During the first half of the year, fake police scams caused 50.79 billion yen in losses. The average completed case cost victims around 11.64 million yen, according to police statistics.

The 81 million yen allegedly taken in the latest cryptocurrency case was therefore substantially above that first-half average.

Police have documented repeated cases in which impersonators tell victims that they are under investigation, that an arrest warrant exists or that their money must be transferred to establish innocence.

A separate Sept. 25 case involved a man in his 70s who lost approximately 73 million yen after callers claiming to represent the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department asked him to move money to prove he was innocent. Police stressed that investigators do not instruct people to transfer money to designated accounts.

Cryptocurrency is becoming part of Japanese fraud controls

Japanese regulators have been strengthening controls where fraud proceeds move through cryptocurrency exchanges.

Japan’s Financial Services Agency and National Police Agency asked exchanges in August to consider withdrawal delays and stronger checks on newly registered wallet addresses.

The proposed controls include waiting periods before new withdrawal addresses can be used, stronger transaction monitoring and restrictions when account behavior appears inconsistent with a customer’s normal activity.

Authorities have separately asked exchanges to improve phishing-resistant authentication and respond more quickly when police identify suspicious transactions.

The request followed rapidly rising fraud losses. National Police Agency figures showed 18,067 special-fraud cases and 151.47 billion yen in losses through May. Fake police schemes accounted for 40.32 billion yen of that amount.

Japan’s police have warned specifically about cryptocurrency investment scams. An updated Metropolitan Police notice says authorities continue receiving reports from people persuaded through social networks and matching applications to transfer cryptocurrency to fraudulent investment platforms.

A separate September case in Gifu involved a woman in her 70s who was allegedly told by people posing as police and prosecutors to convert assets into cryptocurrency for an investigation. She lost cryptocurrency worth 39.29 million yen and another 2 million yen in cash, according to police reporting.

Cambodia link points to a larger regional enforcement issue

The suspected Cambodia base in the 81 million yen case fits a pattern authorities throughout Asia have been investigating involving fraud operations run from overseas compounds.

Japan arrested an alleged senior Prince Group figure in June as authorities examined links between the Cambodia-based conglomerate and international fraud networks. Tokyo police arrested Hu Xiaowei over an alleged false residency registration while investigating his activities in Japan.

The current fake police case has not been publicly linked to Prince Group, and available police reporting does not identify the suspected Cambodia location or organization behind the operation.

Other Asian authorities have found Cambodia connections in separate cryptocurrency fraud investigations. South Korean police arrested 23 people in June over an alleged USDT laundering operation serving a Cambodia-based phishing network.

South Korean investigation involved 16.8 billion won in suspected laundering activity and more than 11,000 bank accounts.

Cambodia has meanwhile moved to strengthen criminal penalties targeting online scam operations. Its Senate approved legislation in April covering people involved in scam compounds and related organized fraud activity.

Cambodian legislation as authorities faced increased pressure over fraud centers operating in the country.

Tokyo police continue investigating the organization behind the latest case, including the suspected Chinese director and the group’s Cambodia-based operations. FNN reported that confirmed fraud losses involving the two arrested suspects currently total approximately 240 million yen.

French authorities have placed a woman under formal investigation as they examine whether alleged manipulation of Verasity’s VRA cryptocurrency helped finance tens of millions of euros in Dubai property purchases.

Le Monde reported on Sept. 25 that Svetlana A., a Russian-born French citizen, was arrested in July in the Alpes-Maritimes and later detained following action by a Paris investigating judge. France’s National Financial Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that she was placed under investigation for alleged organized fraud, aggravated laundering of tax-fraud proceeds and criminal conspiracy.

A judicial source told the newspaper that investigators suspect Svetlana A. and her British partner, identified as Robert H., were involved in alleged organized fraud through manipulation of a cryptocurrency’s exchange rate. Authorities are examining whether proceeds from that activity helped finance her Dubai real estate holdings.

VRA price activity forms part of the French investigation

Le Monde identified the cryptocurrency under examination as Verasity’s VRA token, which launched in 2018.

During spring 2021, VRA’s price increased roughly 65-fold over approximately two and a half months before reversing sharply, according to the newspaper’s investigation.

French investigators have not publicly released transaction-level evidence showing how any alleged price manipulation was conducted. Available judicial reporting does not identify specific trades, wallets, exchanges or counterparties allegedly used in the suspected scheme.

CoinGecko data shows VRA later reached an all-time high of $0.08621 on Oct. 31, 2021. The token now trades far below that record.

The token has experienced sharp price moves outside the period being examined by French investigators. VRA climbed as much as 45% in one session in May 2025 and gained more than 250% from its monthly low during that rally.

The French case concerns suspected conduct tied to earlier VRA activity. Investigators have not connected the later market movements to the alleged scheme described by Le Monde.

Dubai property purchases exceeded €50 million in 2022

Investigators are examining the source of funds behind a large Dubai property portfolio linked to Svetlana A. Le Monde reported that she spent more than €50 million during 2022 alone. The purchases covered around 100 apartments and three luxury villas throughout Dubai.

Many of the properties were rented, producing at least €4 million in cumulative income between 2022 and 2025, according to the newspaper’s investigation.

The holdings were spread among roughly 15 buildings, including Burj Royale, Opera Grand, I-Rise Tower and MBL Royal. In several buildings, she owned as many as ten units.

One transaction involved an entire residential building. In June 2022, Svetlana A. paid 68 million dirhams, then worth approximately €17.4 million, for Amara Residences. The five-story property contained 73 apartments and commercial spaces.

Ownership records later changed. Le Monde reported that the building was transferred without payment in February 2024 to Abu Dhabi company Sempios Holdings, which was held through a private foundation.

The newspaper said checks of UAE corporate registers still showed Svetlana A. holding signing authority connected with the company that owned the assets.

Dubai has become a major center for digital-asset businesses and financial services. In separate coverage, crypto.news reported on a UAE-Sweden investigation involving an alleged $7.1 million international crypto laundering network. No public evidence links that separate investigation to Svetlana A., Robert H. or Verasity.

Patent records connect the pair to Verasity technology

Public patent records provide documented links between Svetlana Astakhova and Verasity-related technology.

A U.S. patent record for a rewarded video-viewing system names Robert James Mark Hain and Svetlana Astakhova as inventors and lists Verasity Limited as the assignee.

Another Verasity patent identifies Robert James Mark Hain as inventor of technology connected with the company’s Proof of View system.

Verasity’s own materials identify RJ Mark as its founder. Its company information page says RJ Mark remains the company’s sole founder after stepping away from the public-facing CEO role.

Le Monde refers to Svetlana A.’s partner as Robert H. and says he used their research to launch Verasity in 2018. Public patent records identify Robert James Mark Hain in connection with Verasity’s technology.

UK corporate filings provide another documented link. Companies House records show Svetlana Astakhova ceased being a person with significant control of Veraviews Limited on July 5, 2023, when Verasity Limited S.R.L. became the controlling entity.

Le Monde separately reported that she had previously been the sole shareholder of Veraviews Limited before the shares were transferred to Verasity Limited S.R.L.

VeraViews remains part of the Verasity ecosystem and provides advertising technology using Proof of View. Crypto.news reported in earlier coverage that VeraViews partnered with Alkimi Exchange to integrate fraud-detection and verified-audience technology.

Svetlana A. denies wrongdoing and property link

The allegations remain under judicial investigation, and no conviction has been reported. Under French procedure, a “mise en examen” is a formal judicial status used when an investigating judge finds serious or consistent indications that justify investigating a person’s possible involvement in an offense.

France’s official justice portal states that being placed under formal investigation does not amount to a finding of guilt. The case can later be dismissed or referred for trial depending on the evidence gathered.

Her former lawyer, Olivier Bluche, told Le Monde in April 2025 there was “no link” between her property assets and Verasity’s activities. He said she held no VRA tokens, had given up patent rights and had never held a position within the Verasity group.

Le Monde said its own review of corporate records subsequently found links involving Veraviews Limited and companies associated with Verasity. The newspaper reported that three law firms acting for Verasity later sent formal notices concerning the confidential nature of documents obtained from Abu Dhabi corporate records.

The Sept. 25 report said Svetlana A.’s new lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The National Financial Prosecutor’s Office investigation has been assigned to France’s National Brigade for the Repression of Tax Fraud. Investigators are examining allegations covering organized fraud, aggravated money laundering linked to tax fraud and criminal conspiracy.

Ethereum has begun moving toward what Vitalik Buterin calls a “cryptographic world computer,” with major changes planned to verification, consensus, privacy and state management after Hegotá.

Buterin wrote in his Sept. 27 essay, The Cryptographic World Computer, that Ethereum is approaching a point where describing it simply as a blockchain becomes increasingly incomplete.

He expects future Ethereum architecture to combine blockchain consensus with zero-knowledge proofs, data sampling, privacy technology and decentralized off-chain computation.

“Hegota — the fork planned for next year — is likely to be Ethereum’s last ‘normal’ fork,” Buterin wrote, referring to an upgrade whose technology would remain recognizable to developers familiar with Ethereum in 2015.

Hegotá could close Ethereum’s conventional upgrade era

Ethereum’s official roadmap currently places Hegotá in 2027, following Glamsterdam in the fourth quarter of 2026.

The Hegotá upgrade remains in planning, and its complete scope has not been finalized. Two proposals are already scheduled.

FOCIL, or EIP-7805, is the consensus-layer headliner. It lets a committee of validators create inclusion lists containing transactions that block builders must include.

The mechanism is designed to reduce the ability of a single builder to exclude valid transactions. Ethereum’s Hegotá roadmap says the feature can strengthen censorship resistance and improve Layer 2 settlement guarantees.

Frame Transactions, or EIP-8141, is the second scheduled feature. It lets Ethereum accounts decide how their transactions are authorized instead of requiring the same fixed signature structure for every user.

The design can support social recovery, spending controls, sponsored gas and future quantum-resistant signature systems directly at the protocol level.

Ethereum developers have begun treating Hegotá as part of a longer sequence leading toward post-quantum infrastructure and redesigned consensus.

Buterin’s latest essay goes further by describing Hegotá as a dividing line between Ethereum’s existing architecture and the cryptographic systems expected to follow.

Ethereum verification could move toward proofs and sampling

One of the largest changes concerns how network participants verify blocks. Traditional blockchain verification requires nodes to download blockchain data and execute transactions themselves. Buterin expects Ethereum to rely increasingly on SNARK verification and PeerDAS data sampling. His comparison of blockchain designs describes the transition as moving from “full re-download and recompute” toward “SNARK verification + PeerDAS for data availability.”

PeerDAS has already entered Ethereum through Fusaka. The system lets nodes verify data availability by sampling parts of the dataset instead of requiring each node to download every blob. The Ethereum Foundation has since moved its development focus toward the next stages of proof-based verification. As crypto.news previously reported on Ethereum’s Lean rebuild, recursive STARKs sit at the center of plans to reduce repeated execution while keeping verification trustless.

Buterin describes the eventual verification model more simply as a move from “download and re-execute” toward sampling data and verifying cryptographic proofs. The approach could reduce the hardware requirements for users seeking strong verification guarantees. His 2030 comparison says nodes should still obtain consensus and validity guarantees while storing less history and performing less redundant computation.

EIP-8288 could aggregate signatures inside the mempool

Buterin specifically mentioned EIP-8288 among the technologies that could change how Ethereum processes transactions before they enter blocks.

EIP-8288 is currently a draft proposal authored by Buterin and Thomas Coratger. It introduces in-mempool aggregation for cryptographic signatures and STARK proofs. The design extends Frame Transactions and lets transactions declare cryptographic dependencies.

Mempool nodes could combine many signatures and proofs into a single recursive STARK before passing them onward to block builders. The builder could then include an aggregated proof instead of processing every large proof independently. The proposal is designed partly around future quantum-resistant signatures, which can require considerably more data and computation than Ethereum’s current signature system.

EIP-8288 proposes aggregating LeanSPHINCS signatures and LeanSTARK proofs so that these larger cryptographic objects do not create the same level of bandwidth and gas overhead when used at scale. The EIP remains in draft status and has not been assigned to a confirmed network upgrade.

Buterin’s essay presents it as part of a longer technical direction where cryptographic work can happen earlier in the transaction pipeline, including inside the mempool. His 2030 model envisions signatures and proofs being processed in parallel before final block inclusion.

FOCIL and private mempools could change transaction inclusion

Ethereum’s future transaction journey could look very different from the familiar sequence of user, mempool, miner and block. Buterin describes a model where transactions enter a mempool with stronger privacy properties before moving through FOCIL participants or builders.

The Ethereum Foundation’s security roadmap confirms that research into encrypted mempools remains active alongside FOCIL development. FOCIL is already scheduled for Hegotá.

Under the proposal, multiple validators can submit lists of transactions that should appear in a block. A builder cannot independently ignore eligible transactions appearing on those lists without violating protocol rules. Buterin expects network privacy to develop in parallel.

His 2030 comparison includes onion routing, mixnets and other network privacy methods alongside zero-knowledge proofs for transaction and account privacy. As crypto.news reported in August, Buterin has moved privacy and quantum security higher in Ethereum’s roadmap as cryptographic tools mature.

Lean consensus targets faster and simpler finality

Consensus itself is expected to change. Ethereum currently uses proof-of-stake with finality occurring over several epochs. Researchers are working toward a more streamlined consensus model capable of reaching finality much faster.

Ethereum’s security roadmap says research that began around single-slot finality later developed into three-slot finality and is now progressing through Minimmit, a one-round consensus design under the Lean Ethereum program.

Finality measured in seconds remains a long-range research target around 2029, but no specific upgrade has yet been assigned to deploy the final design. Buterin’s 2030 comparison estimates slots of roughly four to eight seconds and finality around eight to 32 seconds. The current Ethereum roadmap cautions that these plans remain research goals and may change.

Crypto.news described the Lean Ethereum program in July as the network’s largest technical overhaul since The Merge, with new consensus, proof systems, storage and privacy mechanisms planned over several years.

Ethereum targets quantum resistance by December 2029

Quantum security has become one of Ethereum’s most clearly dated long-term targets. The Ethereum Foundation Protocol Cluster said on Sept. 7 that it is targeting quantum resistance across the execution, consensus and data layers by December 2029.

The Foundation describes the date as deliberately aggressive. Its planning assumes that cryptographically relevant quantum machines could appear as early as 2030, while acknowledging most estimates put that possibility later.

Ethereum is working on replacing cryptography vulnerable to sufficiently powerful quantum computers. Areas under review include BLS validator signatures, ECDSA account signatures, KZG commitments used in data availability and some zero-knowledge proof systems.

Frame Transactions could help with the account side by allowing wallets to choose quantum-resistant verification methods without requiring every account to migrate through the same protocol-level mechanism. EIP-8288 could reduce the cost of aggregating some of those larger post-quantum signatures.

As crypto.news reported in its quantum roadmap analysis, recursive STARK aggregation and hash-based signatures form part of Ethereum’s proposed defense against future quantum attacks. Buterin expects recursive STARKs, formal verification and quantum-resistant cryptography to become increasingly central after Hegotá.

Ethereum could rely more on decentralized off-chain components

Buterin’s “world computer” description does not mean Ethereum would move everything onto Layer 1. His essay instead describes an architecture where the blockchain focuses on data and state changes that require ordering, while other work happens in parallel outside the main execution path. “Structuring computation lets the blockchain more effectively focus on its job,” he wrote.

Under that model, signatures and proofs could be aggregated before entering a block, historical data could be distributed between participants and specialized computation could happen outside the base execution layer.

The network would then verify the output cryptographically. Buterin argues that modern proof systems allow Ethereum to distribute computation without requiring every participant to trust whoever performed each piece of work. His longer-term architecture includes distributed history and state storage, proof-based verification, parallel computation and decentralized systems sitting between users and Ethereum itself.

A more speculative technology appears further out. Buterin said indistinguishability obfuscation, or iO, could eventually allow generalized encrypted computation involving many asynchronous participants. He described it as a possible later development, not a technology required for the architecture outlined in his post.

Ethereum’s next scheduled milestone remains Glamsterdam, with Hegotá planned to follow in 2027. Crypto.news reported on Glamsterdam testing risks as developers prepared the upgrade for its next test phases.

Hegotá’s scheduled features currently include FOCIL and Frame Transactions, while additional proposals continue through Ethereum’s research, testing and governance process.

Computers could then work on different tasks at the same time, giving Ethereum more capacity as well as more independent checks.

However, Ethereum would still need to settle questions where the order matters, such as which of two payments spending the same funds came first. Buterin suggested that more of the work behind those payments could be completed beforehand, with proofs combined to reduce the information recorded on the blockchain.

Meanwhile, his privacy plans also cover information people reveal simply by using a wallet.

Checking a balance often involves asking an outside server about an address. Its operator can learn which accounts a person follows, even if the payments themselves are private. Buterin envisages hiding those requests alongside payment details and the rules an account uses to approve spending.

A business could then keep its payments confidential without revealing its accounts whenever an employee checked a balance.

How privacy is becoming key

Other crypto developers are pursuing similar goals.

Zcash already lets users send payments with encrypted addresses and amounts. About 4.9 million ZEC sat in its shielded pools on Friday, according to CoinDesk’s earlier analysis of ZecStats data, while the token traded around $1,660 earlier Sunday after gaining about 15% over the week.

Researchers behind the Shielded Bitcoin paper published Thursday have proposed borrowing Zcash’s payment design for BTC. Their specification leaves the mechanism for depositing and withdrawing actual bitcoin to separate research.