Andy Greenberg
Writer for WIRED. Author of SANDWORM. New book, TRACERS IN THE DARK: The Global Hunt for the Crime Lords of Cryptocurrency, out now. agreenberg@wired.com. Andy.01 on Signal.
- The biggest-ever online black market, Haowang Guarantee, just shut down. The move follows Telegram's decision to ban thousands of accounts that hosted crypto scam markets after WIRED asked about new research on them from blockchain analysis firm Elliptic. www.wired.com/story/the-in...
- This is a huge crackdown on Chinese crypto crime markets. After our inquiry, Telegram banned not only Xinbi but also Huione Guarantee, a MUCH bigger market Elliptic exposed (and WIRED has reported on since) last year—the biggest digital black market ever by some measures.
- Crypto-tracing firm Elliptic found Telegram-based Xinbi Guarantee, a market for Chinese crypto scammers and money launderers, had done $8.4 billion in sales—all while registered in the US. After WIRED asked Telegram about it, Telegram banned thousands of accounts. www.wired.com/story/xinbi-...
- Aside from cashing out crypto scams and North Korean thefts, Xinbi Guarantee merchants offered some truly dark services: harassment for hire (including throwing feces at someone or surrounding their home with AIDS patients) as well as what looks like sex trafficking of teens.
- Crypto-tracing firm Elliptic found Telegram-based Xinbi Guarantee, a market for Chinese crypto scammers and money launderers, had done $8.4 billion in sales—all while registered in the US. After WIRED asked Telegram about it, Telegram banned thousands of accounts. www.wired.com/story/xinbi-...
