UK passes bill to enable authorities to seize Bitcoin used for crime

Lawmakers in the UK have handed laws permitting authorities to grab and freeze cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) if used for illicit functions.

Based on official knowledge on the U.Okay.’s parliamentary acts web site, the Financial Crime and Company Transparency Invoice is anticipated to obtain royal assent on Oct. 26, which means the invoice would full all of the parliamentary phases in each homes of parliament.

Launched in September 2022, the handed laws goals to develop authorities’ skill to crack down on using cryptocurrency in crimes like cybercrime, scams and drug trafficking.

One of many provisions of the Financial Crime and Company Transparency Invoice permits the restoration of crypto property utilized in crimes with out conviction, as some people might keep away from conviction by remaining distant. The laws additionally goals to fight using digital property “for the needs of terrorism” or associated causes.

The most recent crypto-related authorized growth within the U.Okay. aligns with the federal government’s plans to “robustly” regulate crypto to battle the illicit use of digital property as a part of its financial crime plan from 2023 to 2026. In March, U.Okay. lawmakers mentioned they focused to move the Financial Crime and Company Transparency Invoice by the fourth quarter of 2023, along with adopting the Monetary Motion Activity Drive’s Journey Rule.

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Because the U.Okay. authorities has been cracking down on crypto-related crimes, the nation has emerged as a serious cryptocurrency financial system. Based on an October 2023 report by blockchain analytics agency Chainalysis, the U.Okay. is the largest crypto nation by way of uncooked transaction quantity in Central, Northern and Western Europe.

In February 2023, the crypto tax platform Recap additionally reported that London was the world’s most crypto-ready metropolis for enterprise, coming in forward of Dubai and New York.

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