Crypto World
Indonesia blocks Polymarket, calling prediction market online gambling in disguise
Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs has blocked access to Polymarket, saying the crypto-based prediction market amounts to online gambling under local law.
The ministry said it had cut access to the platform and was tracing affiliated social media accounts for possible restrictions across other digital channels.
Alexander Sabar, director general of digital space supervision, claimed that platforms that allow users to wager money on uncertain outcomes remain gambling products, even when they use blockchain technology or crypto assets.
Polymarket lets users trade contracts tied to real-world events, including elections, sports, crypto prices and political outcomes. The platform has grown into one of the largest crypto prediction markets, but regulators in several jurisdictions have treated parts of the business as gambling rather than financial-market activity.
Indonesia’s statement did not name Kalshi, a U.S.-regulated prediction market operator, or other platforms but said authorities would restrict similar services that facilitate online gambling.
The order could extend to other prediction-market platforms if Indonesian regulators determine that they allow users to wager money on uncertain real-world events.
Indonesia’s move follows a broader clampdown on prediction markets in Asia. India recently blocked Polymarket after authorities classified such platforms as prohibited online money gaming, with Kalshi also facing potential scrutiny. Polymarket is separately seeking approval in Japan by 2030, where strict gambling rules limit most forms of betting outside state-sanctioned activities.
The Indonesian ministry said Singapore, Brazil and India have blocked Polymarket, while Taiwan, Thailand, China and Japan have imposed restrictions under local law. The prediction market is also blocked in Ukraine, where there’s no legal way for it to come back.
The regulator urged Indonesians not to access or participate in digital betting activity, including markets that use crypto assets, citing potential financial losses and violations of Indonesian law. The ministry said it would keep coordinating with law enforcement and other stakeholders to monitor similar platforms.
Crypto World
AudiA6 Turned Crypto Laundering Into a 5% Service, Until the DOJ Caught Up
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) charged two men over AudiA6, a crypto laundering service tied to over $389 million. Ruslan Tkachuk and Alexander Ledenev were arrested Wednesday in Batumi, Georgia.
Each defendant faces one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and one count of sting money laundering. The US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania will seek their extradition.
AudiA6 Charged up to 5% for Crypto Laundering
US Attorney David Metcalf announced the charges Thursday. The DOJ statement describes Tkachuk, 37, and Ledenev, 25, as senior members of the AudiA6 organization.
The Ukrainian and Russian nationals also allegedly manage Dark2Web, the cybercrime forum where the service advertised.
A Dark2Web advertisement offered to conceal the source of any customer’s cryptocurrency traceable to criminal activity. The service charged fees of up to 5% of the amount laundered.
Blockchain analysis showed AudiA6 wallets received roughly 10,333 Bitcoin (BTC) since 2021. The deposits were worth about $389.7 million at the time of the transactions.
Only 393.39 BTC, worth roughly $19.2 million, arrived directly from darknet markets, major ransomware groups, and cybercrime services.
That is under 4% of all deposits. Additional funds arrived indirectly from illicit sources, suggesting customers layered coins before they ever touched the service.
International Operation Dismantles AudiA6 Infrastructure
The takedown followed parallel investigations by the Secret Service’s Cyber Investigative Section, IRS Criminal Investigation, Europol, and Eurojust. Partners in 10 more countries supported the action.
Authorities targeted servers and domains in the US, Iceland, Germany, and France. They blocked Telegram accounts, froze crypto assets, and seized digital devices.
The AudiA6 and Dark2Web sites now display seizure banners, mirroring earlier darknet marketplace takedowns.
The same playbook hit a crypto mixing service in November. German and Swiss authorities seized three servers and over 25 million euros, Eurojust reported.
The DOJ has meanwhile charged two Russian nationals over a $1 billion laundering operation and pursued a billion-dollar Venezuelan scheme.
Each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted, though the complaint’s allegations remain accusations.
The sting count covers funds that investigators represented as criminal proceeds, hinting at undercover contact with the service.
Extradition proceedings in Georgia will now determine how quickly the case reaches a Philadelphia courtroom.
The post AudiA6 Turned Crypto Laundering Into a 5% Service, Until the DOJ Caught Up appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Crypto World
What is Audiera (BEAT) and why has its price surged more than 1400% in a month?
- Short squeezes and $11 million liquidations fueled the rapid Audiera (BEAT) price spike.
- Weekly burns and $2.9 million revenue added strong narrative support.
- $7.50 support is key, break below risks move toward $6 or lower.
Audiera (BEAT) has become one of the most talked-about tokens in the digital asset market after recording an explosive move that pushed its price from below $1 levels earlier in the month to a recent high near $9.2053 on MEXC.
At its current trading range around $9.0708, the token is up more than 61% in a single day and has gained over 1,400% across the monthly timeframe.
The scale and speed of this move have placed BEAT among the strongest-performing crypto assets.
What is Audiera (BEAT)?
Audiera is a blockchain-based entertainment project built around music creation, rhythm gaming, and AI-powered content tools.
The ecosystem is designed to merge interactive gaming experiences with digital music production and on-chain ownership of assets such as NFTs.
The BEAT token acts as the central utility asset within this environment, and it is used for in-game transactions, creator rewards, subscription access, governance voting through staking mechanisms, and participation in platform-driven rewards.
The project also introduces AI agents designed to assist with music generation and user interaction inside the ecosystem.
Why has BEAT surged more than 1400% in a month?
The BEAT price has not been driven by a single factor.
Instead, it has developed through a combination of derivatives activity, market positioning, and ecosystem-related developments that aligned at the same time.
1. A major short squeeze in derivatives markets
One of the strongest drivers behind the price surge has been a large-scale short squeeze.
As BEAT’s price moved sharply higher, over $11 million in short positions were liquidated across derivatives exchanges.
These forced buybacks created additional upward pressure, accelerating the price movement.
During the same period, open interest rose by approximately 35.44% to around $303.5 million.
This indicates that leveraged positions were actively being built even as volatility increased, creating conditions for further liquidation cascades.
The combination of rising open interest and forced liquidations created a feedback loop where buying pressure was not entirely organic but heavily influenced by leveraged market structure.
2. BEAT token burn mechanism
Audiera is currently conducting a weekly token burn of 770,545 BEAT, funded by approximately $2.9 million in platform revenue.
$BEAT Revenue & Burn Update 🔥
Jun 1 – Jun 8, 2026
🔥 770,545 $BEAT burned
📈 772,045 $BEAT weekly revenue (2,866,231 USDT)Total burned: 12,353,034 $BEAT
Over 12.35M $BEAT permanently removed from circulation.1 $BEAT = 3.712 USDT (Jun 8, 2026)
Burn tx:… pic.twitter.com/ttaXnW5uui
— Audiera🟣🎵 (@Audiera_web3) June 8, 2026
This burn mechanism aims at reducing the circulating supply over time and is part of the broader narrative surrounding demand and deflationary pressure within the ecosystem.
Audiera (BEAT) price forecast
BEAT’s current structure shows a market that is still heavily influenced by leverage-driven flows and short-term momentum trading.
The key technical level for traders to watch is $7.50, which previously acted as resistance and has now become an important support zone.
As long as BEAT holds above $7.50, price action may continue consolidating within a wide range while volatility remains elevated.
Sustained stability above this level keeps the structure intact for potential continuation attempts toward the $9.40 region, where previous highs were established.
A breakout above the $9.40–$9.50 zone would place price discovery back into play, with extensions historically projected toward the $15 area based on prior momentum cycles.
However, seeing that the RSI is heavily oversold at 97.16, we could see a pullback as the market cools after the massive rally.
If the pullback happens and $7.50 is breached, we could see forced liquidations, which could accelerate a move toward the $6.00 region.
In a deeper correction scenario, particularly if open interest contracts sharply decline while price declines, extended downside projections have been observed toward the $3.70 area, reflecting a full unwind of the earlier leveraged move.
Crypto World
PI remains bearish as token unlocks threaten recovery
Key takeaways
- Rising supply and weak technical indicators could pressure PI toward key support at $0.1184.
- Around 16 million PI tokens are set to be unlocked on Thursday, with another 14.8 million becoming eligible for mainnet migration on Friday, potentially increasing selling pressure.
Pi Network (PI) traded lower on Thursday after suffering three consecutive days of losses earlier in the week. The token remains locked in a broader downtrend that has persisted since late April.
The recovery faces a significant near-term challenge as millions of new PI tokens are scheduled to enter circulation, potentially increasing selling pressure and limiting upside momentum.
Major token unlocks could increase supply pressure
According to PiScan data, approximately 16 million PI tokens are scheduled to be unlocked on Thursday.
A further 14.8 million PI tokens are expected to become eligible for mainnet migration on Friday, adding to concerns about rising circulating supply.
The newly unlocked tokens can potentially be transferred to centralized exchanges, increasing the likelihood of additional selling activity.
Historically, large token unlock events often create short-term downward pressure as investors gain access to previously restricted holdings.
Network activity also points to notable withdrawals among major wallets. PiScan data shows that three of the five largest transactions recorded over the past 24 hours involved the movement of approximately 255,000 PI tokens.
PI technical outlook remains bearish
At the time of writing, PI is trading above $0.1250, but the broader technical picture remains weak.
The token continues to trade below key moving averages (50-day, 100-day, and 200-day) on the four-hour chart.
The clustering of these indicators above the current price suggests that sellers continue to control the broader trend.
Technical momentum signals offer little evidence of a strong recovery. The RSI is hovering near 43, indicating weak buying pressure and a lack of strong bullish momentum.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) and signal line remain slightly below zero, reflecting ongoing bearish conditions despite the recent rebound.
Together, these indicators suggest that any short-term rallies could face difficulty sustaining momentum.
If the rally resumes, PI would need to overcome the $0.1299 resistance to enable it to target the higher supply zones at $0.1360 (100-period EMA) and $0.1400.
However, if the bearish trend persists, the bulls will need to defend the core support levels at $0.1184 and $0.1000.
A break below $0.1184 could expose PI to further downside and potentially trigger a move toward the $0.1000 region.
While Pi Network has managed to stabilize after several days of losses, the combination of weak technical momentum and substantial upcoming token unlocks continues to favor the bears.
Unless demand strengthens enough to absorb the incoming supply, the current rebound risks becoming a temporary relief rally, with the recently established $0.1184 support level remaining the critical line to watch in the days ahead.
Crypto World
Brian Armstrong Says Coinbase Processes $1T in Stablecoin Payments Annually

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong disclosed three platform-scale figures on Thursday, giving the most detailed public accounting to date of how deeply stablecoins and agentic payments have embedded in the exchange's operations. Armstrong's post on X quoted an article by Alec Lovett, Coinbase's Head of… Read the full story at The Defiant
Crypto World
U.S. House bill would erect crypto-theft task force across law enforcement agencies
Crypto theft from criminal fraud and hacking would be the jurisdiction of a new U.S. cross-agency task force contemplated in a bipartisan bill introduced on Thursday, backed by well-placed lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Federal Cryptocurrency Theft Task Force would be led by the U.S. attorney general, according to bill text reviewed by CoinDesk, and it would involve the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security and the Treasury Department, among others.
The legislation is sponsored by Representative Lance Gooden, a Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, and by a Democrat on House Financial Services Committee, Representative Josh Gottheimer.
“Crypto criminals are stealing billions from Americans, and Washington lacks a coordinated strategy to stop them,” Gooden, a Texas Republican, said in a statement to CoinDesk. “As digital assets shape the future of finance, this bill protects consumers, cracks down on thieves, and strengthens trust in the crypto ecosystem.”
The task force would become the main point of coordination for preventing and investigating the theft of cryptocurrency, which is a problem that plagues the young industry. From fraud and so-called pig butchering by complex criminal networks to state-backed attacks from hackers, digital assets have long been a target. Many of the sector’s most vocal political opponents often cite that undercurrent of criminal abuse as proof the sector is risky for consumers.
Despite $11 billion in thefts and scams last year, “victims have nowhere to turn,” Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, argued. This change would provide “a single federal point of contact.”
This legislative effort suggests that the responses to theft cases have been inconsistent across the jurisdictions, including federal agencies and down through state and local law enforcement.
“By housing a coordinating task force at the Justice Department, this bill gives victims, investigators and local law enforcement the unified federal response they have been missing, all on a voluntary basis that respects local control,” said Dannis Porter, co-founder and CEO of the Satoshi Action Fund that advocates for digital assets policy, in a statement.
Before the arrival of the pro-crypto administration of President Donald Trump, the DOJ had maintained its own National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, but the agency quickly disbanded it during the new administration, with new leaders arguing it was regulating the industry through enforcement.
In 2021 — during the administration of President Joe Biden — the Joint Ransomware Task Force was established to coordinate across federal agencies in a similar fashion and in a related vein, because ransomware attacks are often associated with crypto payments.
And last year, the Treasury Department set up a Scam Center Strike Force to work with other law enforcement agencies to deal with overseas scams that seek to trick people into sending crypto. The group, led by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, says it seized more than $700 million in crypto from the scams, often backed by Chinese organized crime groups through intermediaries in Southeast Asia.
It’s not yet clear whether the new task force legislation will find an avenue for passage in the busy congressional session. Bills need to either find a track through a House committee or get attached to a must-move legislative package.
The Digital Chamber, a Washington group supporting crypto policy, said in a statement about this legislative effort that it’s “critical that law enforcement agencies have the tools, training and coordination necessary to investigate theft, trace illicit activity, support victims and pursue bad actors.”
Crypto World
Ethereum Whales Mask a 2022 Bear Market Warning
Ethereum (ETH) price rebounded by almost 2% to near $1,650 after holding a key support level. Yet the recovery rests on a weak footing as whale behavior repeats a pattern that preceded the last leg down. The bounce follows a sharp drop from May highs.
The current rebound move looks slightly bullish on the surface. Below it, a whale setup that played out weeks ago appears to be forming again.
Ethereum Whales Are Repeating a Pre-Crash Pattern
Whale positioning is the first warning, and the danger is in the pattern, not the level. Ethereum whale supply, excluding exchanges, has ticked up since June 9, from about 124.75 million to 125.12 million ETH, a move that looks like steady accumulation.
Want more token insights like this? Sign up for Editor Harsh Notariya’s Daily Crypto Newsletter here.
It is not steady. The same choppy pick-up-and-drop played out between May 20 and May 28, when supply looked like it was climbing but was really churning.
What came next is the warning. Whales began cutting their stash on May 28 and kept selling through May 30. Price then broke down hard from May 31 with no rebound. The current June 9 to June 11 churn mirrors that exact setup.
A bounce built on this pattern lacks a strong base. The next flow metric shows whether longer-term holders are increasing risk.
Hodlers Walking Away Deepen the Pessimism
Longer-term holders are not stepping in either. ETH hodler net position change turned negative in early June, after months of steady accumulation. This cohort holds ETH for at least 155 days.
This compounds the whale signal.
Buying from the hodlers dominated from late February through May, as holders added supply. The flip means the same group began selling into the decline.
The two signals stack in a worrying way. Whales are showing the same fragile, churn-and-drop pattern that led the last breakdown, while hodlers are now actively selling.
That mix points to real pessimism, not a passing dip. With one cohort unstable and the other heading for the exit, a rebound has little support beneath it. Smart-money flows confirm the caution.
Smart Money Index Rolls Over as Price Bounces
The Smart Money Index deepens the divergence. The index tracks how informed ETH traders position near the close versus the open, with a falling line pointing to smart-money selling.
The reading rolled over sharply in June, when the biggest chunk of the price dip surfaced. The index now sits below its signal line. So while price bounced off the lows, the smart-money proxy kept falling.
Also, the ETH price correction since the highs of $2,424 to the near-term bottom of $1,503, resembles a pole of the bearish pole-and-flag pattern.
If that pattern holds, the price chart shows how far ETH could move in the flag.
Ethereum Price Levels to Watch as Support Decides the Trend
ETH fell 38% from the May high before finding support at $1,503, then carved a V-shaped recovery into a rising channel. Ethereum price trades near $1,650, climbing back toward the channel.
The bullish case needs a clean break above $1,717, the level that caps the recovery range. Above it, the channel opens room back toward the $2,424 high lost in May.
The bearish case is heavier and tied to the flow data. A daily close below $1,600 would invalidate the bounce and expose the downside Fibonacci ladder at $1,365, then $1,256 and $1,147. These levels also align with Claude Fable 5 price prediction for ETH.
The Fibonacci retracement marks the proportional pullback from the prior swing. A full breakdown puts $992 in play, a level ETH has not traded below since the 2022 bear market. Precisely, June 2022.
The pattern carries a caveat. The V-recovery and channel are bullish shapes, but a repeating whale pattern, hodler exits, and a falling Smart Money Index argue the bounce is a relief bounce inside a downtrend, not a reversal.
The $1,600 level separates a channel-driven recovery toward $2,424 from a flow-driven breakdown toward $992.
The post Ethereum Whales Mask a 2022 Bear Market Warning appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Crypto World
2026 guide to day trading platforms for Canadian traders
Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.
This guide reviews leading Canadian day trading platforms, focusing on commissions, execution quality, and investor protection.
Summary
- A 2026 review names SaintQuant the top automated trading platform for Canadian traders seeking AI-driven execution.
- SaintQuant leads a Canadian day-trading platform ranking with no-code automation, while IBKR and Moomoo serve active traders.
- Canadian traders in 2026 are weighing automated platforms like SaintQuant against active-trading options such as Interactive Brokers.
Choosing a day trading platform in Canada comes down to more than a feature checklist. Commissions eat into intraday margins. Slow execution on a fast-moving stock is the difference between a clean fill and a bad one. And regulatory standing determines whether capital is actually protected.
This guide covers the platforms worth considering in 2026, what each one is genuinely best at, and the factors that should drive a decision.
What to look for in a Canadian day trading platform
Day traders evaluate platforms differently from long-term investors. Here are the criteria that carry real weight:
- Regulation and investor protection. In Canada, look for platforms regulated by the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) and backed by Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF) coverage. CIPF protects eligible accounts up to $1 million if a member firm becomes insolvent.
- Execution quality. Order fill quality and execution speed directly affect profitability. Platforms with direct market access (DMA) generally provide faster, more reliable fills than those routing through third parties.
- Real-time data and Level 2 quotes. Intraday strategies depend on seeing the full order book. Some platforms charge separately for Level 2 data; others include it free.
- Commissions and total cost per trade. The headline rate is rarely the full story. Factor in ECN fees, currency conversion spreads on US equities, inactivity fees, and data subscription costs when calculating real cost per trade.
- Charting and order types. Serious day trading requires more than basic candlestick charts — look for broad indicator libraries, customizable layouts, and order types beyond market and limit.
The best day trading platforms in Canada for 2026
1. SaintQuant — Best for automated trading without the complexity
For Canadian traders who want systematic, algorithmic exposure to crypto, stock, and futures markets without the operational burden of managing a manual day trading setup, SaintQuant is the standout choice in 2026.
SaintQuant is a no-code AI automated trading platform that provides one-click quantitative strategies, ready to run from the moment a user signs up. There is no configuration, no coding, and no manual setup of any kind. The platform’s AI algorithms analyze market conditions and execute trades 24/7, with built-in risk management controls embedded in every strategy — designed to pursue consistent returns through disciplined quantitative models rather than high-volatility speculation.
Where every other platform on this list requires active involvement — reading charts, timing entries, managing positions — SaintQuant handles execution entirely on a user’s behalf.
New user offer: A $99 free starter trial credit to experience live strategy execution with no initial deposit, plus a $7 instant cash bonus upon registration with no conditions or hidden requirements.
2. Interactive Brokers (IBKR) — Best for experienced active traders
Interactive Brokers is the platform most professional and semi-professional day traders in Canada gravitate toward. Its Trader Workstation (TWS) offers over 100 order types, direct market access, institutional-grade charting, and coverage across Canadian and US exchanges.
Margin rates at IBKR are among the lowest available to retail traders — a meaningful advantage for active traders who use leverage regularly. Global market access across TSX, NYSE, NASDAQ, and international exchanges makes it the default choice for traders who want both breadth and depth.
The trade-off is a steep learning curve. TWS is not designed for beginners, and account setup is more involved than on consumer-facing platforms.
Best for: Experienced traders who prioritize execution quality, low margin rates, and global market access.
3. Moomoo — Best for active traders who want data without the cost
Moomoo has established a strong position in the Canadian active trading market by offering tools most platforms charge extra for — free Level 2 market data with full order book depth, advanced charting, stock screeners, and a comprehensive set of order types — all within a single interface.
For traders whose edge depends on reading order flow and reacting to market depth changes, free Level 2 access is a material advantage. The platform is app-first with a capable desktop version, well suited to traders who split time between mobile and desktop environments.
Best for: Active traders who want institutional data tools without institutional-tier fees.
4. Questrade — Best for options-focused traders
Questrade is one of the most established independent brokerages in Canada, with a solid options platform and competitive stock trading costs. For traders whose primary strategy involves equity options — spreads, covered calls, or directional plays — Questrade’s interface is among the better retail offerings in the Canadian market. For strategies that don’t rely heavily on Level 2 data, the absence of free depth tools is rarely a deciding factor.
Best for: Options traders and mid-volume equity traders who want a well-established Canadian brokerage.
5. TD Direct Investing (TD Active Trader) — Best for high-volume traders
TD’s Active Trader platform is designed for traders who execute at high frequency. Qualifying accounts receive discounted commissions based on trade volume, making it cost-effective for traders placing 150+ trades per month. The platform offers advanced charting, real-time data, and direct access to Canadian and US markets. Account minimums and the volume threshold for discounted commissions make it less accessible for lower-volume traders.
Best for: High-frequency traders who consistently execute at volumes that unlock the discounted commission tiers.
6. Wealthsimple — Best entry point for beginners
Wealthsimple isn’t a day trading platform in the traditional sense — it lacks Level 2 data, direct routing, and advanced order types. What it offers is the smoothest onboarding experience in the Canadian market, zero commissions on stocks and ETFs, fractional shares from $1, and the only direct crypto trading integration alongside equities at a major Canadian broker.
For traders just learning the mechanics, it removes infrastructure friction. It is not a platform to scale a serious intraday strategy on.
Best for: Beginners testing their first strategies before migrating to a more capable platform.
Platform comparison at a glance
| Platform | Best For | Level 2 Data | Commissions | Automated Trading |
| SaintQuant | Automated/passive | Built-in | N/A | ✅ Full automation |
| Interactive Brokers | Experienced traders | Yes (fee-based) | Very low | Partial (API) |
| Moomoo | Active / data tools | Free | Competitive | No |
| Questrade | Options traders | Available | Low | No |
| TD Active Trader | High-volume traders | Yes | Volume-tiered | No |
| Wealthsimple | Beginners | No | $0 | No |
Canada-specific considerations
No PDT Rule. The US Pattern Day Trader rule — requiring a $25,000 minimum balance to place more than three intraday trades in five days — does not apply to Canadian traders using Canadian brokerages. This is a meaningful structural advantage for traders with smaller accounts.
Currency conversion costs. Most Canadian day traders actively trade US equities. The FX conversion spread on USD/CAD transactions can be a hidden cost that erodes edge, particularly on platforms without a USD account option. IBKR and Questrade both offer mechanisms to mitigate this cost.
Tax treatment. The CRA generally treats day trading profits as business income rather than capital gains — taxed at full marginal rate. This doesn’t change platform choice, but it’s worth factoring into net return expectations.
Final verdict
For most Canadian traders in 2026, the decision comes down to one key question: trade actively, let capital work systematically in the markets without managing personally?
If it’s the latter, SaintQuant is the clear answer — one-click automated strategies, built-in risk management, and a $99 free trial to evaluate it without depositing money first.
For those who want to trade actively, Interactive Brokers leads on execution and margin rates for experienced traders, while Moomoo delivers the best combination of free data tools and accessible onboarding for active traders who don’t need the full depth of IBKR.
The platform is a tool. Choose the one that matches how to actually want to engage with the markets.
Try SaintQuant Free: New users receive a $99 free starter trial credit and a $7 instant cash bonus upon registration — no deposit required.
Disclosure: This content is provided by a third party. Neither crypto.news nor the author of this article endorses any product mentioned on this page. Users should conduct their own research before taking any action related to the company.
Crypto World
AudiA6 operators charged in U.S. over alleged $389m crypto laundering network
Federal prosecutors have charged two alleged operators of a cryptocurrency laundering service that processed more than $389 million in transactions and received over 10,000 Bitcoin since launching in 2021.
Summary
- U.S. prosecutors charged two alleged AudiA6 operators after tracing more than $389 million in cryptocurrency transactions through the laundering service.
- Authorities said the network received over 10,000 Bitcoin since 2021, including funds linked to darknet markets, ransomware groups and cybercrime services.
- An international operation led to arrests in Georgia, server seizures across multiple countries, and the freezing of cryptocurrency assets.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Ukrainian national Ruslan Igorevich Tkachuk, 37, and Russian national Alexander Vladimirovich Ledenev, 25, were arrested in Batumi, Georgia, on Wednesday and are awaiting extradition to the United States.
The criminal complaint accuses the pair of serving as senior members of AudiA6, a cryptocurrency laundering network that prosecutors say helped customers conceal the origins of digital assets linked to criminal activity. Prosecutors also allege that both men managed the Dark2Web cybercrime forum, where AudiA6 promoted its services to users seeking to move illicit funds through cryptocurrency.
Court documents cited by the U.S. Attorney’s Office state that an advertisement posted on Dark2Web offered to disguise the source of traceable cryptocurrency in exchange for fees of up to 5% of the amount being laundered.
Blockchain analysis conducted during the investigation found that approximately 10,333 Bitcoin had been deposited into wallets controlled by AudiA6 since 2021, according to prosecutors.
Authorities said about 393.39 BTC came directly from known darknet marketplaces, ransomware groups, cybercrime services and other identified illicit sources, while the remaining deposits were traced indirectly to criminal activity.
International operation targets laundering infrastructure
Details released by prosecutors show the arrests formed part of a coordinated operation involving the U.S. Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Europol and Eurojust, alongside law enforcement agencies from Australia, Canada, France, Georgia, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Poland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Investigators carried out searches at three properties and targeted servers and domains located across the United States, Iceland, Germany and France. Authorities also blocked Telegram accounts allegedly used by the network, froze cryptocurrency assets and seized electronic devices linked to the investigation.
At the same time, law enforcement agencies replaced both the clear web and dark web infrastructure connected to AudiA6 and the Dark2Web forum with seizure notices.
For Tkachuk and Ledenev, prosecutors have filed one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and one count of sting money laundering. The charges remain allegations, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The case adds to a series of enforcement actions targeting cryptocurrency laundering services and darknet-linked funds. In May, the U.S. Department of Justice charged German citizen Owe Martin Andresen over an alleged laundering scheme tied to Dream Market, a darknet marketplace that ceased operations in 2019.
According to the DOJ, Andresen allegedly moved funds from dormant Dream Market administrator wallets before converting part of the proceeds into gold bars.
Prosecutors in that case said more than $2 million was laundered between August 2023 and April 2025, while searches uncovered approximately $1.7 million in gold bars and information linked to crypto wallets and bank accounts holding another $1.2 million in suspected proceeds.
Crypto World
May Breakdown and What’s Next
In today’s newsletter, Joshua de Vos, from CoinDesk Research, analyzes May’s crypto outflows to explain what current market signals mean.
Then, in “Ask an Expert,” Bryan Courchesne from DAiM addresses how investors can navigate the current market environment.
Crypto ETFs: May Breakdown and What’s Next
May ended two consecutive months of net inflows, with global crypto ETP flows swinging back to heavy redemptions. According to TrackInsight data, global digital-asset investment products recorded $2.39 billion in net outflows, against $1.79 billion of net inflows in April, as total assets under management fell to $141.1 billion from $158.7 billion a month earlier. U.S.-listed vehicles accounted for almost the entire redemption, while flows outside the U.S., which had already cooled in April, turned modestly negative.
The CoinDesk 20 Index (CD20), which captures a diversified cross-section of the top 20 digital assets, fell 1.11% in May after gaining 5.45% in April. The more concentrated CoinDesk 5 Index (CD5) declined 3.73% and bitcoin itself fell 3.56%, a sharp reversal from April, when bitcoin (up 11.87%) and the CD5 (up 9.91%) led a broad rally. The return hierarchy also inverted: large caps led in April, whereas in May the broad index outperformed, indicating that large-cap assets bore the brunt of the decline while diversified exposure offered relative shelter.
According to data from TrackInsight, outflows were concentrated in bitcoin — and ether-linked instruments globally, while parts of the altcoin market, led by XRP, Hyperliquid and Solana, drew net inflows, a divergence that widened over the month.
Largest ETF Gainers, Globally (by May Net Flows)
- NEOS Bitcoin High Income ETF (BTCI): +$141.8 million; $1.24 billion AUM
- Bitwise Solana Staking ETF (BSOL): +$79.3 million; $672.2 million AUM
- Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust (MSBT): +$73.9 million; $260.1 million AUM
- Bitwise Hyperliquid ETF (BHYP): +$62.0 million; $71.1 million AUM
- iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHB): +$56.1 million; $584.3 million AUM
- 21Shares Hyperliquid ETF (THYP): +$49.7 million; $61.6 million AUM
- NEOS Boosted Bitcoin High Income ETF (XBCI): +$42.8 million; $71.8 million AUM
- Franklin XRP ETF (XRPZ): +$38.7 ,million; $273.8 million AUM
- iShares Bitcoin ETP (IB1T): +$33.1 million; $1.06 billion AUM
U.S.-listed products continued to dominate the global crypto ETF market in May. Despite net outflows of $2.37 billion, American-domiciled ETFs closed the month with $119.2 billion in AUM, retaining roughly 84.5% of the $141.1 billion global market, broadly in line with April’s 85.1%.
May’s headline outflow ended two months of inflows and was overwhelmingly a U.S., large-cap reversal. The gainers list, by contrast, was dominated by income, staking and newly launched products. With the CoinDesk 20 down just 1.11% against a 3.73% fall in the large-cap CD5, diversified and altcoin exposures showed a relative resilience that the flow data corroborated. That resilience has since been overwhelmed: by early June, Bitcoin had fallen to around $62,000, and the major indices were down a further 15% or more, leaving no sign that May’s outflows marked a bottom and pointing to intensifying pressure into June.
Read more: May’s global ETP recap and May’s U.S.-focused ETF recap.
– Joshua de Vos, research team lead, CoinDesk
Ask an Expert
Q: Bitcoin’s RSI recently dropped into the low 40s. Why is that significant?
Bitcoin’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) has fallen into the low 40s on key timeframes, which is a relatively rare occurrence. Similar readings were seen in February 2020 and during the March 2020 COVID crash. In both cases, those oversold conditions preceded powerful recoveries and substantial long-term gains. While no indicator guarantees future performance, historically these periods have often represented attractive accumulation opportunities for long-term investors.
Q: Does this signal present an opportunity today?
Potentially, yes. For investors who remain focused on bitcoin and have a long-term time horizon, periods of market pessimism have historically offered some of the best entry points. The challenge is that buying often feels hardest when sentiment is negative, which is exactly why many investors miss these opportunities.
Q: What advice would you give investors who struggle to evaluate crypto projects?
If you cannot confidently assess factors such as real-world usage, security, tokenomics, decentralization and adoption metrics, simplifying your approach may be the best option. Bitcoin remains the most established digital asset, with the strongest network effects, the clearest store-of-value thesis, institutional support through ETFs and a proven ability to survive multiple market cycles.
Q: How can investors separate credible advice from noise?
A: Look for analysts and advisors with verifiable experience, a track record of being right more often than not, and a history of evidence-based commentary. Be skeptical of anonymous influencers, paid promoters and personalities whose primary business model appears to be generating engagement. In many cases, the difference between successful investing and costly mistakes comes down to ignoring the attention machine.
Q: What’s the key takeaway from today’s market environment?
This RSI setup could prove to be another important moment in bitcoin’s history. While no outcome is guaranteed, bitcoin has repeatedly rewarded patience, discipline and long-term conviction. Investors focused on fundamentals may view current conditions as an opportunity, while those still waiting for unrealistic altcoin narratives to play out risk missing another bitcoin-led recovery.
– Bryan Courchesne, founder, DAiM
Keep Reading
- Japan’s three largest banks, MUFG, SMBC and Mizuho, plan to jointly issue a stablecoin by March 2027.
- The stablecoin market cap hit a new all-time high of $320 billion while the total market cap of tokenized real-world assets reached $28.9 billion: read the latest research.
Looking for more? Receive the latest crypto news from coindesk.com and market updates from coindesk.com/institutions.
Crypto World
KuCoin launches Crypto Cup with up to 1.4M USDT in rewards
- KuCoin launches Crypto Cup with up to 1.4 million USDT rewards.
- The campaign spans trading, payments, earning, and mining products.
- Event follows PROOF campaign’s 1.8 billion USDT trading success.
KuCoin has launched a new global football-themed cryptocurrency campaign, offering users the chance to compete for a reward pool of up to 1.4 million USDT across its ecosystem.
The campaign, called KuCoin Crypto Cup, runs from June 11 to July 20, 2026, and is designed to connect multiple areas of the platform, including trading, payments, asset management, and mining rewards.
The initiative comes as cryptocurrency platforms increasingly seek to expand digital asset use cases beyond trading and into broader financial and everyday applications.
According to KuCoin, the campaign is inspired by the energy and competition of the global football season and aims to provide users with multiple participation paths across different products and services.
Building on the momentum of PROOF
KuCoin Crypto Cup follows the company’s recent PROOF campaign, which generated more than 1.8 billion USDT in total trading volume and attracted over 120,000 participants.
One of the most notable elements of that campaign was the Tomorrowland Grand Raffle Draw.
KuCoin said the promotion attracted more than 47,000 participants and generated over 1 billion USDT in trading volume.
The exchange said the campaign demonstrated how digital asset engagement could be linked to globally recognized cultural events.
By combining cryptocurrency participation with access to exclusive Tomorrowland experiences, the initiative sought to create deeper engagement among users.
KuCoin is now applying a similar approach to its latest football-themed promotion.
The company described the initiative as being built around the message: “One Trophy on the Field. Up to 1,400,000 USDT for Every Type of Trader.”
A multi-product ecosystem campaign
Unlike campaigns focused solely on trading activity, KuCoin Crypto Cup integrates several products across the platform into a single user journey.
The campaign includes participation opportunities through Futures, VIP Premier +, KuCoin Pay, KuCard, Spot, Margin, Earn and KuMining.
KuCoin said the initiative is designed to bring together market access, trading opportunities, real-world crypto utility, asset management tools and mining-related rewards under one campaign structure.
The company added that the program is intended to support different types of users rather than focusing exclusively on high-volume traders.
Participation opportunities span active trading, everyday spending, asset management and mining-related activities.
According to KuCoin, the campaign reflects its broader objective of making digital assets more accessible, useful and rewarding for users around the world.
Rewards across the football season
The campaign will follow a football-inspired structure, progressing through stages ranging from the Group Stage to the Final Whistle.
During the event, users can participate in team trading competitions, individual challenges, lucky draws, spending activities, milestone tasks and KuMining reward programs.
The largest reward categories include a 500,000 USDT Futures main tournament and a 500,000 USDT VIP Premier + reward pool.
Additional incentives include up to 150,000 USDT in Spot and Margin rewards, Earn rate-up coupons, cash rewards, KuMining hardware incentives, hashrate rewards and purchase-based rewards.
Users can also access cashback opportunities through KuCoin Pay and KuCard.
Eligible users can participate in KuCoin Crypto Cup through the platform during the campaign period, with detailed reward rules and eligibility requirements available through the exchange.
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