An Arizona woman was sentenced to 8.5 years for aiding DPRK hackers in infiltrating over 300 US crypto and tech firms, generating $17 million of illicit gains. An Arizona woman was sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison for helping North Korean operatives infiltrate US cryptocurrency and tech firms using stolen identities and fraudulent documents. According to a Thursday announcement by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Christina Marie Chapman was convicted of wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft and money laundering conspiracy. She was sentenced to 102 months, or about 8.5 years in prison. Prosecutors said Chapman worked with operatives tied to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to obtain remote IT positions at more than 300 US-based companies. The North Korean workers posed as US citizens and residents, and the scheme generated over $17 million in illicit revenue. Read more
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs rejected bills to establish a state Bitcoin reserve and accept crypto payments, but signed a bill regulating crypto ATMs. Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed two key cryptocurrency-related bills that aimed to expand the state’s involvement in digital assets while signing a strict regulatory measure targeting Bitcoin ATMs. On May 12, Hobbs rejected Senate Bill 1373, which sought to establish a Digital Assets Strategic Reserve Fund. The fund would have allowed Arizona to hold crypto assets obtained through seizures or legislative allocations. “Current volatility in cryptocurrency markets does not make a prudent fit for general fund dollars,” she stated in her veto letter. “I have already signed legislation this session which allows the state to utilize cryptocurrency without placing general fund dollars at risk,” she added. Read more
Arizona state senator and Bitcoin advocate Wendy Rogers said, “Bitcoin doesn’t need Arizona, Arizona needs Bitcoin." Bitcoiners and United States government officials have criticized Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs’ decision to veto a bill that would have allowed the state to hold Bitcoin as part of its official reserves. “This will age poorly,” Casa co-founder and cypherpunk Jameson Lopp said in a May 3 X post. Bitcoin (BTC) entrepreneur Anthony Pompliano said, “Imagine the ignorance of a politician to believe they can make investment decisions.” “If she can’t outperform Bitcoin, she must buy it,” Pompliano said. Crypto lawyer Andrew Gordon said, “We need more elected officials who understand that Bitcoin and crypto are the future.” Read more
Arizona’s plan to invest in Bitcoin has ended in a veto, with Governor Katie Hobbs citing concerns over using public funds for "untested assets." Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed a bill that would have allowed the state to hold Bitcoin as part of its official reserves, effectively ending efforts to make Arizona the first US state to adopt such a policy. The Digital Assets Strategic Reserve bill, which would have permitted Arizona to invest seized funds into Bitcoin (BTC) and create a reserve managed by state officials, was formally struck down on Friday, according to an update on the Arizona State Legislature’s website. “Today, I vetoed Senate Bill 1025. The Arizona State Retirement System is one of the strongest in the nation because it makes sound and informed investments,” Hobbs wrote in a statement aimed at Warren Petersen, the President of the Arizona Senate. Read more