Will Bitcoin or Russia Be Blamed for the Latest Ransomware Attacks?

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On this extended-brief style episode of “The Breakdown,” NLW discusses recent news, FUD and policy in the world of crypto, including:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">The ransomware group behind the Colonial Pipeline attack strikes again</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">An increasing list of regulatory actions against Binance</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">The China crackdown on crypto trading</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The attack against Colonial Pipeline pushed ransomware fears to a new level. REvil, the same group behind the Colonial attack, stuck once again. Kaseya, a company providing network-management services, was the most recent victim. With one million machines infected, the media and regulators look for an easy target to blame for the increase in ransomware attacks. Who will take the fall: Russia or Bitcoin?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Binance continues to fall under increased regulatory scrutiny. Barclays Bank, one of the U.K.’s biggest, has stopped card payments to Binance. At the same time, Thailand filed a criminal complaint against the company, and the Cayman Islands said Binance would not be allowed to do business there. Though Binance is the current target, do these actions suggest a shift in sentiment from banks and regulators on crypto?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">China’s crackdown on crypto continues, this time with an emphasis on trading. The business administration department of the People's Bank of China and the Beijing Financial Supervision and Administration bureau issued yet another warning about crypto trading. This warning was joined by an enforcement action against Beijing Qudao Cultural Development Limited, as well as Didi, a popular ride hailing app. Is China banning itself from crypto?</span></p> <div data-pm-sl