In 2024, Kazakhstan shut down 36 unauthorized cryptocurrency exchanges as part of its continued efforts to fight money laundering in the area, marking a 96% decrease from 2023.
Here are the latest updates from the crypto world
In 2024, Kazakhstan shut down 36 unauthorized cryptocurrency exchanges as part of its continued efforts to fight money laundering in the area, marking a 96% decrease from 2023.
On January 6, the Financial Monitoring Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan declared the closure of 36 unauthorized crypto exchanges in 2024.
The agency observed that unauthorized cryptocurrency exchanges contribute to money laundering by enabling unchecked fiat-to-crypto and crypto-to-fiat transactions. According to a translated statement from the agency:
“Such entities (illegal crypto exchanges) do not identify their clients and do not identify suspicious transactions. Therefore, their services are often used by cyber crooks and drug traffickers.”
According to the notice, 36 cryptocurrency exchanges with a combined turnover of around 60 billion Kazakhstani tenge ($112.8 million) were dismantled. Furthermore, authorities seized assets valued at roughly 2.5 billion tenge ($4.8 million).
Telegram, the messaging app, responded to 900 requests from the US for user personal information, most of which were made following the arrest of CEO Pavel Durov in France.
As reported by 404 Media on January 7, Telegram complied with 14 requests for 'IP addresses and/or phone numbers' from the US between January 1 and September 30, 2024. However, the platform reportedly addressed a total of 900 inquiries from the US throughout the year, impacting 2,253 users, indicating that the number of requests increased after October.
On August 24, French officials detained Durov on accusations that Telegram was involved in aiding criminal activities. In October, the CEO revealed that since 2018, the platform has been supplying IP addresses and phone numbers of suspected criminals to authorities in various countries upon request, as outlined in Telegram's privacy policy.
French officials have prohibited Durov from exiting the country due to the ongoing legal proceedings at the time of reporting. In September, the CEO announced that Telegram boasted over 950 million monthly active users, with numerous individuals in the cryptocurrency sector expressing a preference for the app.
As artificial intelligence becomes a transformative force in finance, many investors are starting to see the potential of this technology in shaping their portfolios.
A recent survey found that 54% of investment managers are already using AI in their investment research, and another 37% plan to start using it soon.
Here is what ChatGPT, Perplexity and Microsoft Copilot predict about Crypto;
Bitcoin (BTC)
ChatGPT: $175,000–$350,000
Perplexity: $75,500–$200,000
Copilot: $175,000–$350,000
2. Ether (ETH)
ChatGPT: Above $6,000
Perplexity: $2,670–$10,000
Microsoft Copilot: $5,000–$10,000
3. Solana (SOL)
ChatGPT: $500–$725
Perplexity: $166–$555
Copilot: $400–$500
4. XRP
ChatGPT: $5–$7
Perplexity: $1.44–$4.44, with an extended target of $5.25
Microsoft Copilot: $4.45 by mid-2025 and up to $27.50 by the end of 2025
5. Cardano (ADA)
ChatGPT: $2.42–$3.20.
Perplexity: $2.50–$3.00
Copilot: Expressed optimism for surpassing the $1 mark, with no specific upper limit provided.