Quantcast

Crypto lawyer: 'I have a little bit of beef with traditional financial institutions'

Nexo acquitted of money laundering and tax fraud
The fortune of the former CEO of Binance increased by 25 billion in 2023
PSAN: the challenges of Circle and Coinbase's arrival in France
El Salvador Offers Citizenship to Bitcoin “Donors”
Coinbase Lands PSAN Registration in France
EXCLUSIVE: Swift makes progress on a blockchain settlement system
Shares, Trade Republic, Robinhood: the growing appetite of investment apps for cryptos
Banks, Tech, Crypto: The Biggest Winners and Losers in Congress
Stablecoin Push Unleashes Flood of Crypto Lobbying Cash in US Congress
Fiat Republic raises $7M to connect banks and crypto exchanges
Crypto startup Fideum wins Mastercard Lighthouse incubator prize
La Belgique souhaite soutenir une initiative blockchain européenne
Bitcoin Development Platform Tap Protocol Secures $4.2 Million in Funding
Binance Crackdown Unleashes Unprecedented Scrutiny on Crypto Transactions
Galaxy Digital targets more crypto bankruptcy asset sales after FTX deal
Super PAC Raises $78 Million From Crypto Who’s Who
Private Credit Rebounds in the Crypto Sector With a 55% Jump in 2023
The Countdown for a Bitcoin ETF Decision Is Approaching a Critical Deadline
Exclusive. Binance leaves Adan's Board of Directors
Goldman Sachs anticipates surge in security token trading
The French Red Cross launches its first NFT donation collection with TheSandbox
According to JPMorgan, Ether will outperform Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in 2024
Obligate launches tokenized structured products for institutional investors
Ex-Credit Suisse Executive Debuts Crypto Trading Venue for Banks
GAC: Jack Dorsey Invests $6.2M in the “Ocean” Project
Bitstamp and Flowdesk 1st step for the EURCV stablecoin
The Blockchain Group: receivership raises a number of questions
Marwan Alzarouni (Dubai): "Our regulation will be strengthened as the ecosystem develops".
Coinbase to Offer Spot Crypto Trading Outside US in Global Expansion
DWS, Flow Traders and Galaxy Are Forming a Firm to Issue an Euro Stablecoin
Crypto lawyer: 'I have a little bit of beef with traditional financial institutions'
Web3/Crypto
Webp irena
Irina Heaver, crypto lawyer at NeosLegal | Crypto Republique

Irina Heaver, a crypto lawyer at NeosLegal, said that banks have incurred over "$400 billion" in fines for compliance breaches and "caused the 2008 financial crisis," yet cryptocurrency is often labeled as a "scam." Heaver made this statement during her talk at Binance Blockchain Week.

"I have a little bit of beef with traditional financial institutions," said Heaver. "Banks have been breaching compliance rules and regulations for years. Just in the last 20 years, more than $400 billion of fines were imposed on banks throughout every jurisdiction. Banks caused the 2008 global financial crisis, right? And people are calling crypto projects scams or trying to give us a bad name."

According to data collected from Chainalysis and the United Nations, traditional finance accounts for over 99.97% of global money laundering activities, while cryptocurrency makes up only 0.03%.

Get the Newsletter
Sign-up to receive weekly round up of news from Crypto Republique
By submitting, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By providing your phone number you are opting in and consenting to receive recurring SMS/MMS messages, including automated texts, to that number from our short code. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to end. SMS opt-in will not be sold, rented, or shared.

A report indicates that $300 billion is laundered annually through the United States, accounting for 15-30% of all global money laundering. In 2020 alone, approximately $227.8 million was laundered in the U.S. Furthermore, the most prominent money laundering case in the U.S. involved Wachovia Bank, which facilitated illicit transactions totaling $380 billion under the guise of a drug cartel.

The report highlights enforcement challenges, noting that only 990 offenders were recorded out of 76,538 cases, illustrating significant gaps in the prosecution and tracking of money laundering activities.

Heaver is a lawyer and partner at NeosLegal with over 20 years of experience. Since 2016, she has advised more than 250 Bitcoin, crypto, and Web3 projects, focusing on token launches, fundraising, and market expansion in Dubai/UAE. She has worked with venture capitalists (VCs), investors, governments, and regulators.

Binance Blockchain Week is a conference that brings together innovators, founders, investors, regulators, and officials to discuss the future of blockchain and Web3. The theme of this year's conference is "Momentum." According to the event's website: "Momentum propels our industry, not only taking us through challenges but also leading us to our biggest achievements."

Organizations Included in this History
More News

Marina Markezic, co-founder of the European Crypto Initiative, said that increased regulatory attention on Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) necessitates counter-measures to protect users and maintain market integrity while ensuring blockchain...

Jul 16, 2025

Changpeng Zhao, founder of Binance, has said that a Bloomberg article contained multiple factual errors and suggested that legal action for defamation could be considered again.

Jul 16, 2025

Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, has emphasized the importance of robust privacy protections for security.

Jul 16, 2025

Charlie Bilello, Chief Market Strategist at Creative Planning, said that the S&P 500's strong rebound from a steep early-year loss to a year-to-date gain illustrates the unpredictability and resilience of markets.

Jul 16, 2025

Binance has announced the launch of Sharia Earn, a multi-token staking product designed to comply with Islamic finance principles.

Jul 16, 2025

Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, said that the company enables global financial institutions to enhance cross-border payments and efficiency through digital technology.

Jul 9, 2025