Just on the laundering of crypto, this is a massive bug bear for me, i've read quite a few Civil/Criminal (everyone) cases in the US to try and assertion their position and what their 'clarity' is in regulations within crypto.
I've seen in docs, moving ETH from one wallet to another wallet = layering.
I've also seen the use of 'chain hopping' concealing assets.
It's such a shame the Justice department is abusing the fact that Judges, and Juries don't understand the technology.
1) Moving x from y wallet to z wallet can't be layering because its on-chain - public - there's systems out there that track, and score addresses based on clean and up-to 18 or even more moves backwards.
2) Chain Hopping uses either decentralised (data is on-chain) or 3rd party counter-party which has the records in their internal systems - so obfuscation perhaps if intent (facts and circumstances) but hiding the source - no, because the companies retain the records and the data feeds into the analytics companies for their wallet verification processes.
So IMHO its not laundering...
I don't believe moving funds from some dodgy online deal into Barclays then to wise then to
revolut (banks/
emi's off the top of my head) isn't 'laundering because they all pass the information along with them and have compliance processes - until such time as a alleged crime is stated it's clean money if it passes the source of wealth smell test (will soon be having these for 10 pounds).
Laundering to me, is basically what this guy is trying to do if he was real..but i suspect its authorities... trying to do their entrapment processes (low hanging fruit), good media spin, etc.
Rant over.
For example : this was a case that dropped today.
Now for a human that would arguably need a chain sleuth... but even they utilise technology...
For the systems analysing this is a piece of cake, so obfuscation (not illegal) - but layering/laundering no because its all on-chain and all recorded there or via counterparties which pass the information up the chain.
or direct to the exit point...
Over the past few years the meaning laundering has been watered down to mean anything.
There's also very valid reasons to break funds apart.
:- Security [not a year goes by where you don't get phished as a company, 50k last year i think we had phished then converted to
tether then exited through FTX].
:- Hacks [you have s/w issues, but also h/w issues having funds spread out commercially/corporate is part of risk management.
:-
Privacy [ironic, but commercially companies buy into projects and don't want to spook the market - i.e TMG buying 2m$ of XTP before it became public].
etc.