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UK Police Seize Cryptocurrency Worth Almost $160M in Money Laundering Probe

The seizure was made based on intel regarding the transfer of criminal assets, a statement from the police read.

Updated Dec 10, 2022, 9:15 p.m. Published Jun 24, 2021, 7:35 p.m.
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Detectives investigating money laundering in the U.K. seized £114 million (US$158.8 million) in cryptocurrency, the largest seizure of crypto ever in the U.K. and one of the largest in the world.

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  • The seizure was carried out by detectives from the Metropolitan Police's Economic Crime Command based on intelligence received about the transfer of criminal assets, according to a press releasehttps://news.met.police.uk/news/met-makes-one-of-worlds-largest-cryptocurrency-seizures-430249 issued by the Met, which serves as the police force of Greater London, excluding the City of London.
  • The investigation is ongoing, the Met statement said. Further details weren't immediately available.
  • "Cash remains king, but as technology and online platforms develop, some are moving to more sophisticated methods of laundering their profits," Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner Graham McNulty said in the statement.

Read more: UK Police Raid Suspected Cannabis Factory, Find Bitcoin Mining Operation

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Mike McGlone softens bitcoin downside target to $28,000 after backlash over $10,000 call

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Market analysts said the extreme downside scenario risked influencing real capital flows, prompting a heated public debate over bitcoin’s macro outlook.

What to know:

  • Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Mike McGlone has shifted his bitcoin downside target from $10,000 to about $28,000 after criticism that his earlier call was alarmist and risky for investors.
  • McGlone now argues that $28,000 is a more probable level based on historical price distribution and maintains that his analysis shows why investors should avoid bitcoin and other risk assets.
  • Critics including Jason Fernandes and Mati Greenspan say the revised $28,000 target is still unlikely or overly deterministic, warning that such stark forecasts can distort positioning and put real capital at risk in reflexive crypto markets.