- Europol and partners have closed Cryptomixer.io, a large cryptocurrency mixing service
- The operation seized servers, a domain, 12 TB of data and $29 million in crypto assets.
- Mixers often help cybercriminals; previous removals included Bestmixer, ChipMixer and Sinbad.
Authorities in Germany and Switzerland, together with Europol, Eurojust and US law enforcement agencies, blocked Cryptomixer.io, supposedly one of the largest cryptocurrency mixing services in existence.
As the name suggests, this is a service that “mixes” cryptocurrencies. Thanks to transparency and pseudonymity, most cryptocurrency transactions can be tracked quite easily, and if a user reveals their identity at any time (for example, spending some cryptocurrency in a cafe covered with surveillance cameras), their entire transaction history can be tracked.
Since cryptocurrency is the currency of choice for many cybercriminals, this is a problem. This is where “mixers” come to the rescue. Fraudsters can send stolen money to a service where it is “mixed” (combined or split) with other tokens and then returned (at a random time to a random, newly generated address).
Servers, domains, data and money are all confiscated.
While most mixer developers will say that their idea is not to promote crime but to protect privacy, it is common knowledge that many mixer users use the service for less-than-legal reasons.
This is why these services are constantly under attack from law enforcement agencies. Before Cryptomixer.io, the police dismantled Bestmixer.io (2019), ChipMixer (2023) and Sinbad.io (2023).
Earlier this week, Europol issued a new press release confirming that the service had been closed on Monday. It has been operating since 2016 and is “one of the largest Bitcoin mixers with billions of euros in revenue, much of it derived from criminal activity.”
The operation was carried out by law enforcement in Zurich and resulted in the confiscation of three servers in Switzerland, the internet domain cryptomixer.io and 12 terabytes of data that would later be used in subsequent investigations, as well as the possible doxxing of numerous criminals.
In addition, the police also confiscated about $29 million in cryptocurrency from the service.
“The results will also contribute to the investigation of further cybercrimes,” said the BKA, Germany’s federal investigative agency.
By using Reuters
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