NEWS: US and UK divided on crypto oversight

Regulatory Watch News

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  Global phishing-as-a-service platform taken down in coordinated public-private action

  Europol

  March 4, 2026

  A major phishing-as-a-service platform used to bypass multi-factor authentication (MFA) and enable large-scale account compromise has been disrupted following a coordinated international operation supported by Europol. The service, known as Tycoon 2FA, provided cybercriminals with a subscription-based toolkit designed to intercept live authentication sessions and gain unauthorised access to online accounts, including those protected by additional security layers.

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  Investigation Emily: EPPO strikes against criminal network behind multimillion VAT fraud involving sales of luxury cars

  European Public Prosecutor's Office

  March 4, 2026

    (Luxembourg, 4 March 2026) – The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Berlin and Cologne (Germany) and Prague (Czechia) are leading an EU-wide strike against a suspected criminal organisation, believed to have orchestrated cross-border VAT fraud schemes with an estimated tax damage of over €103 million through the sale of luxury cars. Nine suspects were detained in Czechia (5) and Germany (4) and over 150 searches were carried out in nine countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovakia). Over 1100 tax and police investigators are supporting the investigative measures and managed to seize luxury cars, cash, art and other assets worth over €13.5 million so far.

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  Targeted report on Stablecoins and Unhosted Wallets – Peer-to-Peer Transactions

  FATF

  March 4, 2026

  A new report from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) highlights illicit finance risks linked to criminals' misuse of stablecoins, particularly through peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions via unhosted wallets, and sets out recommended actions for countries and the private sector to strengthen controls to protect the integrity of the financial system. The FATF's Targeted Report on Stablecoins and Unhosted Wallets, highlights that stablecoins have expanded rapidly, with over 250 in circulation by mid-2025 and a market capitalisation exceeding USD 300 billion. Chainalysis has indicated that stablecoins accounted for 84 percent of illicit virtual asset transaction volume in 2025, often involving unhosted wallets and complex laundering techniques designed to obscure fund origins.