Today in Crypto: Prosecutors Impose Travel Ban on Haru Execs, US Retailers Hit with Bomb Threats & Bitcoin Demands, Gemini Allows Withdrawals for Voyager Users

Get your daily, bite-sized digest of cryptoasset and blockchain-related news – investigating the stories flying under the radar of today’s crypto news.
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Legal news

• Prosecutors banned key officials from Haru Investment, Delio, and B&S Holdings from leaving South Korea in connection with “the criminal complaint of digital asset managers for “serial suspending withdrawals” fraud,” Digital Asset reported. The ban has been imposed as a preemptive measure to prevent the executives from leaving the country, while the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office allegedly investigates a potential fraud. 

Security news

• Law-enforcement officials and retailers are investigating a recent wave of bomb threats across the USA targeting grocery operators and other stores, asking for $5,000 in bitcoin (BTC), as well as gift cards, The Wall Street Journal reported. The caller threatened to detonate bombs if payments were not made. The affected retail firms allegedly included Kroger, Walmart, Amazon’s Whole Foods Market, and others. 

Exchange news

• Gemini has allowed withdrawals to victims of the Voyager Digital bankruptcy case. Per the announcement, through July 23, Voyager customers can create a Gemini account to withdraw their crypto in-kind, pursuant to the claims of the distribution process. There is also a promotional welcome for the US Voyager customers, who will receive $5 in BTC after they sign up and become verified within 30 days of opening their accounts.
• Binance withdrew the license application from the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA) “some time ago”, according to Finance Forward, citing people familiar with the matter. It is alleged that “the authority exerted pressure in the background.” A Binance spokesperson was quoted as saying that the company is “unable to provide details from our discussions with regulators, but we will continue to act in accordance with our commitments wherever Binance operates.”
• Binance decided to reverse its plan to delist several privacy coins in Europe after revising operations to comply with local regulations, CoinDesk reported. A comment from the exchange said that “after carefully considering feedback from our community and several projects, we have revised how we classify privacy coins on our platform to comply with EU-wide regulatory requirements.”
• Bitget announced the launch of Bitget TR to provide localized services for users in Turkey. Bitget TR enables Turkish users to access Bitget’s products and services through a portal tailored to their language and specific needs, said the announcement. Local users have the ability to trade using the Turkish Lira (TRY) with the addition of a fiat gateway.
• Bybit obtained a license from the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) that will allow it to operate as a crypto exchange and provide custody services, it said. The new license will allow the company to offer a full suite of services, including trading between crypto and fiat pairs, crypto-related financial services, and custody solutions.

Tax news

• Japan’s National Tax Agency said that crypto issuers will not have to pay capital gains taxes on unrealized gains, according to a notice. The tax exemption will also apply to unrealized gains from holding certain cryptocurrencies continuously from the date of issuance, or from taking technical measures to prevent the transfer of that crypto to others. 

Career news

• The Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) head of digital assets Binu Paul has left the organization, according to LinkedIn. The profile shows that Paul worked for the UK regulator for nine months, from October 2022 until June 2023. Currently, he is a self-employed consultant.