An Australian man from the state of Queensland has forfeited Bitcoin, a waterfront mansion and a Mercedes-Benz car after Australian Federal Police claimed the assets could be linked to the proceeds of crime.
The AFP-led Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce (CACT) said in a May 18 statement that it seized nearly 25 Bitcoin (BTC), alongside the mansion and car, which are together worth a total of 4.5 million Australian dollars ($2.88 million).
The AFP said its investigation began in September 2018 after law enforcement in Luxembourg shared information about suspicious Bitcoin transactions that the agency claimed were connected to the Queensland man, who was previously convicted of hacking a US gaming company.
A waterfront mansion in Queensland was confiscated under the allegation that it’s linked to the theft of 950 Bitcoin. Source: Australian Federal Police
The AFP claimed its investigation also linked the man to the theft of 950 Bitcoin stolen from a French crypto exchange in 2013.
No criminal charges were laid over the Bitcoin theft; however, the AFP obtained a court forfeiture order of the property, car and Bitcoin in April under the claim that they could not be linked with “identifiable legitimate earnings.”
AFP uses “unique powers” to seize assets
Local media outlet 7NEWS reported that the owner of the confiscated assets is Shane Stephen Duffy, who pleaded guilty to fraud and computer hacking in 2016 for selling the personal data of League of Legends players.
A cyberattack on League of Legends developer Riot Games in 2011 saw hackers obtain the details of more than 5 million users; Duffy was not accused of being involved in the hack, with prosecutors saying he got a copy of the data online and sold it for profit.
Duffy was also accused of hacking the X account of Riot Games president Marc Merrill to publicize his data-selling business, which offered to sell access to the accounts of other League of Legends players.
AFP Commander Jason Kennedy said in a statement that the agency has “unique powers” under the Proceeds of Crime Act to “restrain and forfeit” assets it suspects to be proceeds of crime, including cybercrime.
“The profits derived from criminal activities are also often used to fund further criminal acts, which is why the AFP works closely with our partners in the CACT to target the proceeds of crime and ensure they are reinvested in the community,” he said.
The proceeds from selling the assets will be sent to a special purpose fund that supports crime prevention and law enforcement-related measures, the AFP said.
Since July 2019, the CACT has used its power to restrain over $1.2 billion in assets, including houses, cars, yachts, crypto and fine art.
Vladimir Smerkis, a co-founder of the Telegram-based crypto project Blum, has reportedly been arrested in Moscow, Russia, on fraud allegations, amid Blum confirming he is no longer affiliated with the project.
The Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow approved a request from investigators to keep Smerkis in custody while he is being investigated, Russian state-owned news outlet TASS reported on May 18.
Smerkis — who previously ran operations for Binance in Russia — is suspected of committing fraud on a “large scale,” pursuant to Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, violations of which can result in imprisonment ranging from two to 12 years.
It isn’t clear if charges have been filed against Smerkis.
Russian news outlet Mash tied the fraud allegations against Smerkis to his involvement in The Token Fund and Tokenbox crypto ventures that he co-founded in 2017, where investors reportedly suffered combined losses of around $15 million.
Blum, which is not involved in The Token Fund and Tokenbox ventures, wrote to X on May 18 that Smerkis resigned from his role as the firm’s chief marketing officer and would no longer be involved in the project in any capacity.
Blum said its team remains fully committed and focused on its goals and that its day-to-day operations would continue as usual.
Blum is a crypto project that integrates a decentralized exchange into Telegram Mini Apps, enabling users to trade crypto, earn rewards and participate in token airdrops.
No Smerkis, no BLUM token?
The incident sparked concerns that Blum’s token airdrop won’t follow through as planned.
In an April 3 X post, Blum hinted at a potential BLUM token listing in the third quarter of this year.
Blum users could receive BLUM tokens by earning Blum points in its newly launched Drop Game, where users tap on snowflakes falling from their mobile phone screen, and convert those points into tokens during the project’s slated token generation event.
Bitcoin’s rally to $105,980 has traders predicting new all-time highs this week.
Traders lift their end-of-year Bitcoin price targets to $200,000 based on technical factors and institutional investor adoption.
Bitcoin (BTC) has been stuck in a narrow range for the past few days, but the rally above $105,500 on May 18 increases the possibility of an upside breakout. Popular trader Alan said in a post on X that Bitcoin could soar to $116,000 early next week.
Another bullish voice was that of Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan. While speaking to Cointelegraph, Hougan said that a supply shock due to increased institutional demand could propel Bitcoin to $200,000 by the end of 2025. He expects seller exhaustion to occur at the $100,000 level.
Although Bitcoin remains strong, select analysts are shifting their focus to altcoins as they believe an altcoin season could be around the corner. Crypto analyst Javon Marks said in a post on X that altcoins, excluding Ether (ETH), could “deliver one of their most powerful runs since 2017!”
Could Bitcoin and altcoins continue their move higher? Let’s look at the cryptocurrencies that are showing strength on the charts.
Bitcoin price prediction
Bitcoin remains stuck in a range, but the bulls are trying to overcome the overhead resistance at $105,820.
Both moving averages are sloping up, and the relative strength index (RSI) is in the overbought zone, signaling that the buyers hold the edge. A break and close above $105,820 increases the likelihood of a retest of the $109,588 level. Sellers will try to defend the $109,588 resistance, but if the bulls prevail, the BTC/USDT pair could skyrocket to $130,000.
Alternatively, a sharp drop below $100,000 signals that the bears have seized control. That may tempt several short-term bulls to book profits, pulling the pair toward the 50-day simple moving average ($91,447).
The pair has broken out of the symmetrical triangle pattern on the 4-hour chart, indicating that buyers are in control. There is resistance at $105,820, but it is likely to be crossed. If that happens, the pair could march toward the all-time high of $109,588 and thereafter to the pattern target of $110,922.
Sellers are likely to have other plans. They will try to pull the price back into the triangle. If that happens, the aggressive bulls may get trapped, pulling the pair to $100,000. If this level also cracks, the drop could extend to the target objective of $95,616.
Ether price prediction
Ether dipped back below the breakout level of $2,550, but the bears are struggling to sustain the lower levels.
The upsloping 20-day exponential moving average ($2,275) and the RSI near the overbought zone suggest the path of least resistance is to the upside. If the price closes above $2,550, the bulls will try to strengthen their position by pushing the ETH/USDT pair above $2,739. If they manage to do that, the pair could surge toward $3,000.
The first sign of weakness will be a break below the $2,400 level. That could pull the pair to the 20-day EMA, which is a critical level to watch out for. A break below the 20-day EMA suggests the bulls are losing their grip.
The bulls pushed the price above the moving averages, indicating demand at lower levels. If buyers pierce the downtrend line, the up move could reach $2,739. A break and close above $2,739 could resume the uptrend.
Contrary to this assumption, if the price turns down from the downtrend line and breaks below $2,400, it signals that the bulls are rushing to the exit. That could start a deeper correction to $2,270 and then to $2,111.
Hyperliquid price prediction
Hyperliquid (HYPE) is facing resistance at $28.50, but a positive sign is that the bulls have not ceded much ground to the bears.
The upsloping moving averages and the RSI in the overbought zone indicate that the buyers are in command. A break and close above $28.50 could catapult the HYPE/USDT pair toward $35.73.
If the price turns down sharply from $28.50, it signals that the bears are aggressively defending the level. The pair could then slide to the 20-day EMA ($23.52), which is likely to attract buyers. If the price rebounds off the 20-day EMA, the bulls will strive to clear the overhead resistance.
The pair is finding support at the 50-SMA on the 4-hour chart, indicating buying on dips. The bulls will try to strengthen their position by pushing the price above the $28.50 level. If they do that, the pair could rally to $31.33.
Instead, if the price turns down and breaks below the 50-SMA, it implies that the bulls are booking profits in a hurry. That could sink the pair to $24 and later to the solid support at $23.
The shallow pullback of the past few days shows that the bulls are hanging onto their positions as they anticipate another leg higher. If the price continues higher and breaks above $353, the XMR/USDT pair could skyrocket to $391 and then to the target objective of $422.
The immediate support on the downside is at $331. A break and close below $331 could pull the pair down to the 20-day EMA ($308). If the price rebounds off the 20-day EMA, the bulls will again try to resume the uptrend.
The pair is finding support at the 50-SMA, but the bulls are struggling to push the price above the overhead resistance at $353. If the price turns down and breaks below the 50-SMA, the pair could start a deeper correction to $317 and then to $300.
On the contrary, a break and close above $353 signals the resumption of the uptrend. The pair could march toward $391, where the bears are expected to step in.
Aave price prediction
Aave (AAVE) is facing resistance at the $240 level, but a positive sign is that the bulls have not allowed the price to dip to the 20-day EMA ($206). That suggests buying on every minor dip.
If the price closes above $240, the AAVE/USDT pair could start the next leg of the up move. The pair could rise to $280, which may act as a resistance, but if the bulls persist, the next stop could be $300.
Sellers will have to drag the price below the 20-day EMA to prevent the upside. If they can pull it off, the pair could tumble to the crucial support at $196. Buyers are expected to vigorously defend the $196 level.
The pair has been consolidating between $217 and $240 for some time. The 20-EMA has started to turn up, and the RSI has risen into the positive zone, signaling an advantage to buyers. A break and close above $240 could drive the pair to $267.
On the other hand, if the price turns down from $240, it suggests that the bears are fiercely defending the level. That could keep the pair stuck between $240 and $217 for some time. Sellers will have to tug the price below $217 to signal a comeback.
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
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