Turkish customs enforcements brought down an illegal smuggling operation in what is said to be a record bust against illegal Bitcoin (BTC) mining equipment in the country. After receiving a tip, Turkey’s Customs Protection’s anti-smuggling and intelligence teams raided a warehouse earlier this week in Karabağlar, İzmir, where they found 501 ASIC Bitcoin mining rigs in closed cardboard boxes. Customs enforcement reported the estimated value of the seized equipment at 5 million Turkish liras, or $600,000. Four suspects were detained as part of the investigation. Reports claim that law enforcement is carrying out another active operation in İstanbul, the biggest …

The Spanish national soccer team will launch the world’s first national soccer team fan token thanks to a partnership between the Royal Spanish Football Federation and the Turkish blockchain platform Bitci Technology. The token will launch on Bitcichain, and all tech infrastructure will be provided by Bitci Technology. According to a recent announcement, Bitci Technology will be the exclusive blockchain partner of the team during the initial three-year partnership, followed by an optional two-year period. The partnership also makes Bitci a jersey logo sponsor of the Spanish national team. World-famous football players such as Sergio Ramos, David de Gea, and …

Crypto exchanges with a presence in Turkey must now inform the Financial Crimes Investigation Board, or MASAK, about any crypto transactions over 10,000 Turkish liras ($1,200). Turkish Minister of Treasury and Finance Lütfi Elvan announced the new policy on a CNN Turk live broadcast last night. Two weeks after a $150-million fraud involving a major crypto exchange in Turkey, Elvan shared updates on the government’s draft crypto regulation on live TV. Turkey’s central bank has defined crypto as a nonmonetary asset and banned the use of cryptocurrency as a form of payment. Elvan noted that the second step was to …

Turkish authorities are progressing with an investigation into local cryptocurrency exchange Thodex, which abruptly halted trading last week. On Thursday, a Turkish court jailed six suspects pending trial, including siblings of the missing CEO and senior company employees, Reuters reported. As part of the probe, Interpol reportedly issued a red notice for Thodex CEO and founder Faruk Fatih Özer, who had reportedly flown to Albania. “When he is caught with the red notice, we have extradition agreements with a large part of these countries. God willing he will be caught and he will be returned,” interior minister Süleyman Soylu said. …

Following the arrests of several employees at Turkey-based crypto exchanges Thodex and Vebitcoin last week, government officials are reportedly planning to establish a central bank authority that could custody digital assets. According to a Bloomberg report, an unnamed senior official in the Turkish government said local authorities may be creating a central custodian bank aimed at eliminating counterparty risk for dealing in cryptocurrencies. The same source claimed that the government was also looking at instituting a capital threshold for exchanges and requiring executives at crypto firms to have a certain foundational knowledge of digital currencies. The report comes as Thodex …

As a countrywide cryptocurrency ban looms, multiple Turkish exchanges have now come under investigation with four employees of the recently-shuttered Vebitcoin exchange arrested this morning for allegations of fraud. Last night, Vebitcoin announced it would be ceasing operations in a short statement posted on its website, claiming that unspecified financial strain led to the decision — possibly caused by an unusually high number of withdrawals leading up to Turkey’s forthcoming cryptocurrency ban. “We have decided to cease our activities in order to fulfill all regulations and claims,” the announcement read in part. The exchange was among the largest in Turkey …

Turkish police have detained 62 people as they continue to investigate an alleged exit scam potentially affecting 391,000 crypto exchange users and roughly $2 billion in investments. On Thursday, Cointelegraph reported that major Turkish crypto exchange Thodex had abruptly halted trading and withdrawals amid reports of police raids. On Friday, in addition to the 62 already detained across eight Turkish provinces, police issued detention warrants for a further 16 people, according to the Associated Press. Istanbul’s chief prosecutor’s office yesterday announced it was opening a probe into the case following complaints from Thodex users who had lost access to their …

Buying something with Bitcoin (BTC) in Turkey will soon be illegal, and the topic of crypto payments has become a political debate since the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey’s April 16 announcement that it will forbid the use of cryptocurrency as a payment method. The regulation, which will go into effect on April 30, also bans the use of digital wallet providers as fiat on-ramps for crypto exchanges. Cointelegraph Turkey reached out to local blockchain and crypto industry participants for commentary. Ahmet Usta, chief editor of Blockchain Turkey Platform and co-author of Blockchain 101, described Turkey’s first crypto …

Shortly after a Friday morning “diktat” from Turkey’s freshly-appointed central bank governor that effectively banned any and all use of cryptocurrency in the country, Bitcoin (BTC) now appears caught in a partisan dustup as a Turkish opposition party leader has voiced support for the digital currency. As reported by Cointelegraph, Turkey’s central bank announced on Friday that starting April 30, any cryptocurrency payments and fiat-to-crypto onramp transactions will be rendered illegal. Additionally, “Any direct or indirect usage of crypto assets in payment services and electronic money issuance” will be prohibited. In a response to the drastic announcement, Turkish opposition party …

A new ban in Turkey will prohibit crypto holders from using their digital assets for payments in addition to preventing payments providers from providing fiat onramps for crypto exchanges. According to a Friday announcement by the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey, the ban will come into effect on April 30, rendering any crypto payments solutions and partnerships illegal. The bank stated that “any direct or indirect usage of crypto assets in payment services and electronic money issuance” will be forbidden. While banks are excluded from the regulation, which means users can still deposit Turkish lira on crypto exchanges …

Google searches for Bitcoin (BTC) emanating from Turkey exploded in the past 24 hours, after the value of the Turkish lira dropped 14% following the firing of a central bank governor. According to data from Google Trends, the number of searches for Bitcoin spiked 566% in the hours immediately following news of the lira’s demise. The lira’s value dropped 14% in a flash dip after Turkey's President Erdogan fired the governor of the country’s central bank. Former governor Naci Agbal had been credited with pulling the lira out of historic lows, partly by raising interest rates to fight inflation. His …

Turkey made itself a name as a crypto-friendly country with a "wait and see" approach to digital assets, but that could be about to change, as the government is now ready to take things in hand. The Turkish Ministry of Treasury and Finance went to Twitter to express concerns about cryptocurrencies and to announce collaborative work on the topic with several local regulators on Monday. According to the announcement, the ministry is working with the central bank alongside two financial regulatory agencies: "We share the rising concerns about crypto with the rest of the world. The developments (on crypto around …