How global sanctions are reshaping illicit crypto activity

Chainalysis recorded $154 billion in illicit inflows, driven largely by sanctioned entities. Russia’s ruble-backed A7A5 token processed over $93.3 billion in transactions within a year. Illicit transactions remain under 1% of total on-chain activity despite rapid growth.

Illicit cryptocurrency activity expanded rapidly in 2025, not because of a sudden spike in everyday crypto crime, but due to a structural shift in how sanctioned states and entities are moving money.

As global financial restrictions widened, blockchain networks increasingly became an alternative channel for cross-border transfers that are harder to block or monitor through traditional systems.

A new report from Chainalysis shows that this change is altering...

Friday Squid Blogging: The Chinese Squid-Fishing Fleet off the Argentine Coast

The latest article on this topic.

As usual, you can also use this squid post to talk about the security stories in the news that I haven’t covered.

Blog moderation policy.

BugTraq.Ru: Китайский прорыв из ESXi

Не сказать, чтобы уязвимости в VMware ESXi были чем-то из ряда вон выходящим. В 2024 году, например, был обход аутентификации с получением прав администратора, в прошлом году несколько уязвимостей, потенциально дающих выйти за границы виртуальной машины. Но одно дело потенциальная возможность, другое — выявленный полноценный тулкит, да еще созданный за год до обнародования уязвимости. Исследователи из Huntress сообщили о выявленной в декабре атаке, следы которой ведут в Китай (судя по оставшимся в бинарниках именам каталогов на китайском). Первичное проникновение произошло с помощью скомпрометированного приложения SonicWall VPN, после чего атакующие получили доступ к администрированию домена и загрузили собственно тулкит, использующий ряд уязвимостей...

Dogecoin eyes $0.15 amid whale accumulation, ETF flows, and Japan expansion

Dogecoin whale accumulation spikes signal confidence and reduce sell pressure. Dogecoin ETF inflows show growing institutional interest in DOGE. Japan partnerships expand Dogecoin’s real-world use and adoption potential.

Dogecoin (DOGE) has shown signs of stabilisation around $0.14 as the new year begins.

The DOGE price has increased by 1.18% over the past 24 hours, slightly outperforming the broader cryptocurrency market.

This modest gain results from multiple bullish catalysts converging as the memecoin market sees a resurgence in investor interest.

On-chain data shows a 300% surge in large DOGE transactions, with whales accumulating 218 million DOGE ($31 million) in 12 hours.

Such accumulation by major...

Bitcoin extends consolidation amid ETF outflows, echoing pre‑2025 surge patterns

Bitcoin currently trades in a tight range near $90K amid a 3-day streak of ETF outflows. The current market consolidation mirrors pre‑2025 surge patterns with low volatility. The key levels to watch include the support at $90K, the immediate resistance at $95K, and $100k in case of a breakout.

Bitcoin (BTC) price has remained stuck in a narrow trading range around $90,000.

The cryptocurrency is showing signs of consolidation after a volatile start to 2026.

Bitcoin ETF flows and macroeconomic uncertainties are playing a key role in the price movement.

In early January, Bitcoin spot ETFs initially attracted strong inflows,...

Zcash price rebounds 10% after dip below $400 amid developer turmoil

Zcash (ZEC) has staged a notable intraday recovery in the volatile world of privacy-focused cryptocurrencies. The token pumped following a sharp sell-off triggered by governance uncertainties at the Electric Coin Company (ECC). ZEC price has rebounded more than 10% in the last 24 hours, up from lows of $396.

The price of Zcash (ZEC), the privacy-focused cryptocurrency that staged a notable surge in 2025, has rebounded from its latest dip under $400 with an impressive 10% uptick in the past 24 hours.

Zcash (ZEC)  traded around $436 at the time of writing, posting a double-digit recovery after the token dipped to around $396 amid...

UK’s FCA grants regulatory approval to Ripple

The approval allows limited crypto-related activities but not full financial services authorisation. Registration confirms compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing rules. The approval supports Ripple’s expansion in regulated international markets.

Ripple has taken a formal step into the regulated UK crypto market after securing approval from the country’s financial watchdog.

The development places Ripple among a limited group of digital asset firms that have met the UK’s compliance standards, at a time when regulators are tightening supervision of the sector.

The move reflects how crypto companies are increasingly navigating jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction rules to maintain access to key financial centres.

Coinjournal

Posted at 2026-01-09 13:44:24 | Tech | read on

Sky token slides over 5% as altcoin weakness deepens

Sky token price dropped over 5% as altcoins struggled. The token could fall further amid broader market weakness. Anchorage Digital has reportedly transferred over 69 million SKY tokens.

Sky (SKY), the governance asset of the decentralized Sky Protocol (formerly MakerDAO), has dropped by over 5% in the past 24 hours as major cryptocurrencies face downward pressure.

After renewed uptrends in early 2026, Bitcoin has retreated to support at $90,000, Ethereum to $3,000 and XRP to around $2.15.

Increased trading volume as the token faces significant downward pressure suggests there could be further downside movement.

SKY’s price declining nearly 6% to...

Palo Alto Crosswalk Signals Had Default Passwords

Palo Alto’s crosswalk signals were hacked last year. Turns out the city never changed the default passwords.

Evernorth, Doppler Finance collaborate to power institutional XRP infrastructure

Evernorth and Doppler partner to explore institutional liquidity on XRP Ledger.

Collaboration aims to deploy XRP capital and improve treasury management strategies.

Strategic alliance focuses on bridging traditional finance with XRPL-native systems.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – January 9, 2026 – Evernorth, an XRP digital asset treasury company supported by Ripple and SBI Holdings, and Doppler Finance (“Doppler”), a leading XRPfi infrastructure provider, have entered into a strategic relationship to explore potential collaboration in support of the XRP Ledger (“XRPL”), including the design and pilot of institutional liquidity and treasury use cases on XRPL.

The collaboration highlights a deepening integration between one...