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German and US Authorities Seize Bitcoin Mixer ChipMixer, Seizing 1909.4 Bitcoins and 7 TB Data

German and US authorities, with the support of Europol, have shut down ChipMixer, a cryptocurrency mixer that is widely used by cybercriminals for money laundering. The operation also involved authorities from Belgium, Poland, and Switzerland.

The platform, which had been operational since mid-2017, allowed criminals to mix or cut the trail of virtual currency assets, making it difficult to trace the origin of the funds.

According to reports, the investigation into ChipMixer suggests that the platform may have facilitated the laundering of 152,000 Bitcoins, worth approximately EUR 2.73 billion in current estimates. Criminals reportedly used the platform to launder funds obtained from illegal activities such as drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, ransomware attacks, and payment card fraud. The ChipMixer software anonymized all trails to where the initial funds originated, making it attractive to cybercriminals looking to launder their ill-gotten gains.

The takedown of ChipMixer’s infrastructure resulted in the seizure of four servers, 1909.4 Bitcoins, and 7 TB of data. The operation also revealed that the platform had been used by dark web markets, ransomware groups, and those involved in the procurement of child sexual exploitation material.

Europol played a crucial role in the operation, facilitating the exchange of information between national authorities and coordinating the takedown of the platform. The Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce (J-CAT) at Europol also supported the operation. This standing operational team comprises cybercrime liaison officers from different countries who work on high-profile cybercrime investigations.

The operation highlights the increasing use of cryptocurrencies by cybercriminals for illicit activities, and the need for authorities to work together to combat these crimes. It also serves as a warning to those involved in money laundering activities that they will not go unpunished, and that their activities will be exposed and prosecuted.

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