from money laundering to kleptocracy: Pardonation of the Bitmex founders by Trump raises dark questions about

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Wird die USA derzeit zur Kleptokratie? Trumps Begnadigung der BitMEX-Gründer Die Bitcoin-Börse BitMEX steht wegen schwerwiegender Verstöße gegen den Bank Secrecy Act im Fokus der öffentlichen Aufmerksamkeit. Im Januar wurde die Plattform mit einer Geldstrafe von 100 Millionen Dollar belegt, weil sie gegen Anti-Geldwäsche-Auflagen verstoßen hatte. Die Gründer von BitMEX – Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo, Samuel Reed und der erste Mitarbeiter Gregory Dwyer – hatten sich zuvor schuldig bekannt und wurden infolgedessen bereits bestraft. Hayes erhielt eine Bewährungsstrafe von zwei Jahren. Die Situation nahm jedoch eine unerwartete Wendung, als US-Präsident Donald Trump die vier Personen begnadigte, ohne weitere Erklärungen abzugeben. …
Will the United States currently become a Kleptocracy? Trump's pardon of Bitmex founders The Bitcoin exchange Bitmex is the focus of public attention due to serious violations of the bank Secrecy Act. In January, the platform was fined $ 100 million because it had violated anti-money laundering requirements. The founders of Bitmex - Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo, Samuel Reed and the first employee Gregory Dwyer - had previously known themselves and were already punished. Hayes received a probation penalty of two years. However, the situation took an unexpected turn when US President Donald Trump pardoned the four people without further explanations. ... (Symbolbild/KNAT)

Does the United States currently become a kileptocracy? Trump's pardon of Bitmex founders

The Bitcoin exchange Bitmex is the focus of public attention due to serious violations of the bank Secrecy Act. In January, the platform was fined $ 100 million because it had violated anti-money laundering requirements. The founders of Bitmex - Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo, Samuel Reed and the first employee Gregory Dwyer - had previously known themselves and were already punished. Hayes received a suspended sentence of two years.

However, the situation took an unexpected turn when US President Donald Trump pardoned the four people without further explanations. Delo expressed that the Ministry of Justice Bitmex and its co -founders had "wrongly targeted". In his part, Hayes confirmed his gratitude through a simple “Thank you” on Twitter.

Bitmex was founded in 2014 and enables users to speculate with a high lever on price movements of cryptocurrencies, with levers of up to 100 used. The stock exchange only accepts bitcoins as security. The New York public prosecutor's office and his co -founders had not charged because of their speculation practices, but because of conscious violations of the bank Secrecy Act.

The allegations include that Bitmex implemented inadequate measures against money laundering and specifically created the opportunity to wash through hacks. It was also criticized that US citizens were able to access the platform with the help of VPNs or the Tor network and often indicate false nationalities in order to bypass the controversial KYC measures (Know your Customer).

Usually the judiciary in the USA reacts strictly to violations of money laundering regulations. The pardon of Trump is therefore remarkable, especially since there was no public campaign for the release of the Bitmex founders, in contrast to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Darknet marketplace Silk Road, who was also pardoned by Trump and is considered a kind of hero under Cypherpunk.

The question remains why Trump has just given these pardons. This raises suspicion of possible bribery, perhaps even in the form of Bitcoin. Arthur Hayes is perceived as a billionaire, and transactions with cryptocurrencies often do not leave any clear traces.

In the past,

Trump has proven that he is ready to convert political power into financial advantages. His Trump token and the high sum of up to five million dollars, which he demands with him for dinner, strengthen this suspicion. The pardon of Trevor Milton, the CEO of Nikola, who was convicted of stock fraud, could also be in connection with an election campaign donation of $ 1.8 million.

In the political landscape of the United States, Trump could possibly be the first Kleptocrat into history - and in a way that is supported by cryptocurrencies, as unpleasant as it may be.