ChainCatcher news, according to The Standard, a 16-year-old boy in the UK has been charged by Westminster Magistrates' Court with offenses including fundraising for terrorism, providing training, and possessing documents useful for terrorist purposes. Under the bail conditions, the boy must adhere to a curfew, avoid using social media, and limit the use of his laptop to educational purposes. A hearing regarding his case will take place on November 2 at the Central Criminal Court in the UK.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov has been arrested in France and detained by agents of the French National Anti-Fraud Office. Durov was apprehended after arriving at Paris Bourget Airport, which is dedicated to private jets, with a woman and his bodyguard from Azerbaijan.Reports indicate that, according to preliminary investigations, the French agency OFMIN, which combats child sexual exploitation, issued a search warrant for him. It is said that Durov rarely travels in Europe, possibly to avoid being detained in this manner, as his arrest warrant is only valid on French territory.Durov may meet with an investigating judge on Saturday night and could be charged on Sunday with multiple offenses, including: terrorism, drug offenses, conspiracy, fraud, money laundering, receiving stolen goods, and child pornography. An investigator from the French National Anti-Fraud Office stated, "Pavel Durov will ultimately be placed in pre-trial detention, that is certain. On Telegram, he has allowed countless crimes and offenses to be committed, and he has taken no measures to mitigate or cooperate."

ChainCatcher News, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (Democrat from Massachusetts) stated in a letter to the Blockchain Association that the lobbying efforts of the cryptocurrency industry "undermine" the federal government's anti-terrorism efforts, claiming that cryptocurrencies are used by terrorist organizations, including Hamas, to evade sanctions. Warren accused the Blockchain Association and "other cryptocurrency interest groups" of lobbying efforts that "focus on delaying and denying new rules to restrict the use of cryptocurrencies by terrorists and criminals."

ChainCatcher news, Binance's senior anti-terrorism officer Jennifer Hicks has left Binance. Jennifer Hicks joined Binance in December 2021, serving as Senior Manager of Intelligence and Investigations, Senior Investigator of Sanctions and Terrorism Financing Risk, and Senior Anti-Terrorism Officer. Prior to joining Binance, Jennifer Hicks worked as a Senior Cybercrime Investigator at Chainalysis.

ChainCatcher news, according to DL News, to prevent Hamas from using digital assets to fund terrorist actions against Israel, European lawmakers may instruct cryptocurrency companies to conduct additional verification for transactions below 1,000 euros. European lawmakers discussed potential measures in a closed-door meeting on Tuesday to ensure that authorities can identify individuals conducting transactions with any amount of cryptocurrency, but no conclusions were reached.EU officials familiar with the relevant procedures indicated that officials are concerned that terrorism could occur not only in large transactions but also in several smaller transactions.

ChainCatcher news, Coinbase stated that no type of currency, whether fiat, gold, or cryptocurrency, should be used to support Hamas or any other terrorist organization. Coinbase is focused on rooting out bad actors seeking to use cryptocurrency for illegal purposes, with a total of 400 compliance, legal, and investigative personnel across the company.Coinbase stated that blockchain is a tool to combat terrorist financing, and reports regarding Hamas's funding related to digital assets are associated with offshore entities that are not subject to U.S. laws (including anti-money laundering and sanctions regulations), making it easier for them to engage in such activities. This is why we need clear regulation in the United States.

ChainCatcher news, according to a report by Reuters, the Central Bank of the UAE has issued anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing guidelines for virtual assets. The statement noted that the new guidelines discuss the due diligence required for licensed financial institutions when cooperating with virtual assets and virtual asset service providers.It is reported that the guidelines will take effect within a month and apply to banks, financial companies, exchanges, payment service providers, insurance companies, agents, and brokers. The Central Bank of the UAE stated that the guidelines take into account the standards of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). (Source link)

ChainCatcher news, in response to a previous report by Reuters questioning Binance's compliance policies for preventing and handling terrorist financing, Binance stated that the same reporter from Reuters deliberately omitted key facts, and that Binance's policies and processes comply with AMLD5/6 anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing requirements.Binance stated that once a transaction is verified on the blockchain, it is impossible for the cryptocurrency exchange to block or reverse digital asset deposits. The true measure of a cryptocurrency exchange's compliance is the steps taken to identify suspicious deposits and respond to them. Malicious actors do not register accounts in the name of their criminal enterprises. Exchanges need to cooperate with law enforcement and utilize information available only to them to identify individuals operating accounts for illegal organizations.According to Reuters, since 2021, Israel has seized approximately 190 crypto accounts on Binance, including two accounts allegedly linked to the Islamic State, as well as dozens of accounts reportedly owned by Palestinian companies associated with the Islamic Hamas organization. (Source link)