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Money laundering is rampant with bitcoin

People take pictures as illuminated drones form figures inspired by the bitcoin logo at a reception hosted by American cryptocurrency developer and billionaire Brock Pierce on the first day of bitcoin’s implementation as a currency in El Salvador, in El Sunzal Beach on September 7, 2021.
People take pictures as illuminated drones form figures inspired by the bitcoin logo at a reception hosted by American cryptocurrency developer and billionaire Brock Pierce on the first day of bitcoin’s implementation as a currency in El Salvador, in El Sunzal Beach on September 7, 2021. Photo: Marvin Recinos/AFP (Getty Images)

International regulators are concerned about El Salvador’s adoption of bitcoin as legal tender for a number of reasons, most pressingly the fact that the country could become a place where people flock to launder money. Bitcoin is also the payment method of choice for cybercriminals trying to cover their tracks during ransomware attacks.