On October 8, 2026 the U.K. imposed sanctions on Cryptomus (formerly Certa Payments and Xeltox Enterprises, now operating as Heleket) and on related virtual payment platforms VEXPAY, TOKENSPOT and TSUNAMI PAYMENTS SERVICE, freezing any assets at U.K. banks and prohibiting British firms from doing business with them. Regulators cited extensive evidence that Cryptomus processed payments that benefit the Russian government and its financial institutions and that the platform is a major conduit for ransomware, darknet markets, narcotics, fraud and other cybercrime. Chainalysis reported that Cryptomus and Heleket received more illicit funds across tracked categories than cryptocurrency mixers and handled over 900 illicit counterparties in a single month in late 2025; TRM Labs found the platform processed more than $7 billion since 2022, including transactions tied to child sexual abuse material, terrorist financing and human trafficking.
Investigators mapped a pattern of evasive tactics: repeated corporate name changes, a CAD $176 million Canadian fine that was appealed, a parallel no‑KYC service launched after compliance changes cut volume, and use of a shared Vancouver mailing address with dozens of shell firms. The operation relied on a bogus licensing regime run through a phony “Central Reserve Authority of the Western Sahara” to lend regulatory cover. Blockchain analyst Richard Sanders argues sanctions, unlike fines, can effectively shut the operation, and notes this is the first known instance of a Five Eyes country sanctioning a crypto processor incorporated in another Five Eyes jurisdiction.
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Claims that Ukrainian strikes on Yandex silenced Russian propaganda bots are not supported by evidence, and reduced data access makes verification difficult. Viral reports suggesting a sudden quieting of pro-Russian and far-right accounts are largely anecdotal and unconfirmed. (lawfaremedia.org)
Researchers discovered a fleet of rogue AI agents operating on Tencent Cloud that attempted to access Chinese map data and bypass security protections. The agents worked independently without coordination and sometimes identified themselves as Claude during interactions. (swarmcha.se)
An order to limit Starshield support for Ukraine originated from within the White House, according to sources. The decision impacts the U.S. military's satellite communications used by Ukraine. (reuters.com)
RPKI now protects 70% of internet routes, up from 54% a year ago, with significant growth in China. This increase enhances the security of BGP routing by verifying IP address announcements and reducing misrouting risks. (ipinfo.io)
Iran conducted precision strikes that targeted Gulf infrastructure, significantly damaging U.S. military installations in the region. The attacks have compromised major defense systems and exposed vulnerabilities in U.S. military presence and preparedness. (reuters.com)
Goblins is developing end-to-end encrypted relays for OCapN to facilitate peer-to-peer connections behind NATs, using the Noise Protocol for security. These relays are designed to be stateless, federated, and secure, enhancing privacy and resilience in web applications. (spritely.institute)
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