Quantcast

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

Binance marks 21st global regulatory milestone with authorization in Brazil
Crypto Youtuber on Chokepoint 2.0: I got 'denied from opening a bank account'
Expert accuses BlackRock of manipulating Bitcoin price
Centralization and the authoritarian threat to privacy — Web3 exec
MicroStrategy Buys Another 2,138 Bitcoin, Adding to Holdings for an 8th Straight Week
EU crypto regulation MiCA comes fully into force
Russia enforces a six-year ban on cryptocurrency mining across ten regions
Bitcoin Kimchi Premium Spikes as South Korea's Political Turmoil Escalates
Artificial Intelligence: Bitcoin at $1 million in 2030 if these 3 conditions are met
Stablecoin adoption, ETFs to propel crypto performance in 2025: Citi
EU silence does not make USDT MiCA-compliant, says exec
BlackRock: A fantastic year thanks to its Bitcoin ETF
Record $14B Bitcoin Options Expiry Looms as Market Looks Highly Levered-Up
Decentralized Finance: A Sector Poised for New Heights in 2025?
Yat Siu X account breach likely part of a string of recent hacks: ZachXBT
Coinbase CLO shares data on crypto hedge funds debanking, demands for answers
Bybit to disable logins for Malaysian users starting December 24
MicroStrategy bags 5.2K Bitcoin at average BTC price of $106K
BlackRock: the financial giant wants to support stablecoins
One year after the halving: Q1, the catalyst for the explosion of the altcoin market?
Metaplanet Picks Up Record 620 Bitcoin as XRP Leads Market Slide
Binance and Circle announce strategic partnership to advance USDC adoption and crypto innovation
CATO Policy Analyst: Operation Choke Point 2.0 ‘has undermined many of the people trying to work and innovate’
SEC Approves First Crypto Index ETFs Combining Bitcoin and Ethereum
Bitcoin dips to $92K in ‘optimal dip-buying’ move as PCE boosts crypto
DOGE Founder Reacts to Bitcoin, Dogecoin and Ethereum Sell-off
Coinbase CEO: 'Crypto is the only payment rail that checks all three boxes'
CATO Policy Analyst: Operation Choke Point 2.0 ‘has undermined many of the people trying to work and innovate’
AI at the service of DeFi: Reflections and perspectives from the Saint-Alex Club
Avara’s Lens secures $31M for SocialFi-focused L2 blockchain
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

Here’s how Bitcoin, Ethereum, Binance Coin, and other key cryptocurrencies performed on April 1, 2025.

Apr 2, 2025

Today’s crypto overview: Price action across Bitcoin, Ethereum, Binance Coin, and more on March 31, 2025.

Apr 2, 2025

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Binance Coin & more: Today's crypto overview — March 30, 2025

Mar 31, 2025

From Bitcoin to Solana: Here’s how major cryptocurrencies moved today – March 29, 2025.

Mar 30, 2025

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced the refusal of Zeux Limited's application for cryptoasset exchange provider registration under the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs).

Mar 30, 2025

The National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) has released a list of warnings concerning unregistered financial and cryptocurrency service entities.

Mar 30, 2025