The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed its opposition to Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm's motion to reconsider the dismissal of criminal charges against the developers, doubling down on its stance against the software’s user interface (UI) and its alleged role in facilitating money laundering and sanctions evasion.

Office workers may soon face an increase in surveillance as emerging technology is being developed to continuously monitor them at their desks. While companies are seeking to strengthen cybersecurity, this heightened level of observation raises concerns around privacy, autonomy, and mental health.

Riot Platforms and Bitfarms have reached a settlement in Riot’s hostile takeover attempt, ending a contentious chapter in the Bitcoin mining sector. The agreement comes ahead of Bitfarms’ special shareholder meeting on November 6 and follows Riot’s acquisition of 19.9% of Bitfarms shares, valued at $180 million as of August.

LinkedIn has halted the processing of U.K. users' data for training artificial intelligence (AI) models after privacy concerns were raised by the U.K.'s Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The suspension follows LinkedIn’s admission of using user data for AI training without obtaining explicit consent, as part of its privacy policy update on September 18, 2024.

The German government has shut down 47 cryptocurrency exchanges, citing their involvement in illegal activities such as money laundering. The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) and the Central Office for Combating Cybercrime announced that these platforms failed to meet the required Know Your Customer (KYC) standards, essential for preventing financial crime by verifying users’ identities and monitoring transactions.

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has issued a global advisory warning of an increasing threat from clipper malware, also known as ClipBankers. The malware is specifically targeting cryptocurrency users, with the aim of facilitating financial fraud by redirecting digital asset transfers to rogue wallets. The advisory, issued on September 13, 2024, highlights the growing risk of clipper malware, which monitors clipboard activity on a compromised system to replace copied cryptocurrency addresses with those controlled by attackers.

A recent survey conducted by Deutsche Bank reveals that a portion of consumers are hesitant to adopt Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), favouring traditional forms of payment like cash and debit or credit cards instead. Despite growing interest from central banks globally, consumer sentiment suggests that CBDCs have a long way to go before becoming mainstream.

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has announced the launch of the design phase of Project Agorá, an initiative aimed at enhancing the efficiency of international payments and developing programmable financial platforms. The project, which began in April, involves 41 private companies from the financial sector and collaboration with seven central banks. Among the companies participating are major players such as Visa, Mastercard, SWIFT, JPMorgan Chase, HSBC, SIX Digital Exchange, and Monex.

Meta has announced plans to use public content from adult users on Facebook and Instagram in the U.K. to train its artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The social media giant stated that this initiative will help its generative AI models reflect British culture, history, and language, while providing U.K. businesses and institutions access to advanced AI technology.

Following the controversial July 2024 presidential elections in Venezuela, a severe crackdown on protests and dissent has unfolded, with technology playing a central role in facilitating state repression. Thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets to demand transparency after the election results, which claimed the re-election of Nicolás Maduro. These results have been widely contested both within Venezuela and by international bodies like the Organization of American States (OAS).

UK data centre’s have been officially designated as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), a move intended to strengthen national cyber defences and enhance the country's data resilience. This announcement, made by Technology Secretary Peter Kyle on Thursday, marks the first CNI designation since 2015, when the Space and Defence sectors received the status.

Big Brother Watch highlighted three new policies under the Labour government that could have huge implications for free speech in Britain. As these policies begin to take shape, critics warn that they could roll back civil liberties by decades.

Kraken, a centralized cryptocurrency exchange (CEX), has recently halted Bitcoin Lightning Network withdrawals for its German customers, citing regulatory changes. The Lightning Network, a layer-2 scaling solution for Bitcoin, has been lauded for its low-cost, instant transactions. This shift is a downgrade in service for German users who have relied on Lightning withdrawals since Kraken introduced the feature in April 2022.

The Bank of Russia has announced that by July 1, 2025, the country's largest banks must enable their customers to open, replenish, and transfer digital rubles, signalling the widespread introduction of the national digital currency. This effort is aimed at making the digital ruble accessible for both citizens and businesses, alongside existing cash and non-cash payment systems.

The Ministry of Justice and Heidi Alexander MP introduced the Property (Digital Assets etc) Bill in Parliament, aiming to clarify the legal status of digital assets, including Bitcoin, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and carbon credits. This new legislation will classify these digital holdings as personal property, ensuring increased legal protection for owners and companies in England and Wales.

Venezuela’s Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), in coordination with the Public Ministry, conducted a raid that resulted in the seizure of 35 cryptocurrency mining machines and other equipment. The operation took place at a residence in the El Mirador sector of Juan Germán Roscio Nieves municipality, Guárico state, under a search warrant issued by the 3rd Control Court of San Juan de los Morros on September 6, 2024.

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has taken legal action against a London-based man, charging him with illegally operating a network of unregistered crypto ATMs. This marks the first case of its kind in the UK, as authorities continue to crack down on unlawful crypto-related activities.

Australia’s government is poised to invoke provisions of the controversial Assistance and Access Act of 2018, potentially forcing technology companies to break their own encryption in order to aid law enforcement and national security investigations. The law, which has drawn criticism for its potential impact on privacy and cybersecurity, grants the government broad powers to compel companies to assist in accessing encrypted data.

Binance CEO Richard Teng has confirmed that Changpeng Zhao (CZ), the founder of Binance, is subject to a lifetime ban from managing or operating the cryptocurrency exchange. This revelation, reported by Axios on September 5, 2024, has clarified that the restriction is permanent, not limited to the previously reported three years.

CB Payments Limited (CBPL), a British unit of Coinbase, has been fined £3.5 million ($4.5 million) for failing to comply with regulatory requirements designed to enhance its defences against financial crime. This marks the first sanction of its kind within the UK's crypto assets sector.