Head of Ukrainian Cyber Police Advocates for Regulating Cryptocurrencies

Ukraine’s head of cyber police has raised concerns about the ongoing criminal activity that is taking place within the cryptocurrency sphere and is calling for regulating it. Oleksandr Grinchak stated during an interview with RBC that regulating the crypto industry would significantly help authorities monitor illegal transactions.

The official says that most crimes can be associated with digital assets, such as murders and drug trafficking, due to the anonymous nature of transactions done through blockchain. However, he clarified that it often doesn’t possess a tough hurdle for the police to investigate criminals.

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“We have contact with each liaison officer at the embassies located on the territory of Ukraine. We are as close as possible to the United States, Britain, the countries of the European Union, primarily France and Germany. Now we are trying to establish communication with China. Because a lot of crimes are related to cryptocurrency, and it all came out of China, this is its primary source,” Grinchak said about the origin of most of the crypto-related crimes that hit Ukraine’s citizens.

Difficulties on Investigating Crypto Mining-Related Crimes

He even mentioned during the interview that Ukraine’s parliament, Verkhovna Rada, has supported his office’s advocation to regulate the cryptocurrencies in the country. “The mining sector is not regulated in any way in Ukraine: Not one regulatory document is currently in existence. All we can charge illegal miners with is stealing electricity,” the head of the Ukrainian cyber police added about the hurdles its office face on investigations related to crypto mining.

Still, Grinchak pointed out that the bureau constantly communicates with crypto exchanges through its specialists in blockchain analytics to identify criminals that arrange illegal transactions. The cyber police also stated that many criminals rely on hiding their digital identities behind VPN providers from Russia. Moreover, the office has also been in touch with Telegram to help crack down groups with the illicit trade of goods and services with cryptos.