By Tom Wilson

LONDON, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Crime involving cryptocurrencies hit an all-time high of $14 billion last year, dark markets 2022 blockchain researcher Chainalysis said on Thursday, a record that comes as regulators call for dark market more powers over the fast-growing sector.

BERLIN (AP) - German investigators on Tuesday shut down a Russian-language darknet market marketplace that they say specialized in drug dealing, seizing bitcoin worth 23 million euros ($25.3 million).

Prosecutors in Frankfurt described the "Hydra darknet market" platform as the world's biggest illegal darknet market marketplace.

They said they seized its server infrastructure in Germany.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - A federal judge rejected a plea agreement on Wednesday that called for 15 to 21 years in prison for a man authorities described as the world´s largest purveyor alphabay darknet of child pornography.

Eric Eoin Marques is entitled to withdraw his guilty plea from last year if the judge departs from the sentencing range prosecutors and defense attorneys recommended.

But U.S.

District Judge Theodore Chuang isn't bound by the terms of the Justice Department´s plea deal.

By Tom Wilson

LONDON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - The kingpin or kingpins of the world's biggest illicit credit card marketplace have retired after making an estimated fortune of over $1 billion in cryptocurrency, according to research by blockchain analysis firm Elliptic shared with Reuters.

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Two of the three largest dark web markets are closed for business.

An alleged fraudster dubbed The Crocodile of Wall Street over claims she laundered $4.5 billion in Bitcoin has been freed on bail  - but her husband has been ordered to stay in jail.  

An Australian man is accused of running a $220million illegal darkweb marketplace which has been called the biggest in the world and 'eBay for criminals'. 

It appears the self-proclaimed 'Crocodile of Wall Street', Heather Rhiannon Morgan, 31, who was granted $3million bail on Wednesday, led a second life a hipster New York rapper who performs under the street name Razzlekhan.

Footage has emerged of the inside of a five-storey abandoned underground NATO bunker built with 31inch thick concrete walls in Germany allegedly converted by criminal gangs into a high tech data centre to host darknet market websites. 

Footage has emerged of the inside of a five-storey abandoned underground NATO bunker built with 31inch thick concrete walls in Germany allegedly converted by criminal gangs into a high tech data centre to host darknet websites.