U.S. Seizes Huione Cloud Account in Billions-Dollar Crypto Laundering Probe
Updated
Updated · FinanceFeeds · Jun 23
U.S. Seizes Huione Cloud Account in Billions-Dollar Crypto Laundering Probe
3 articles · Updated · FinanceFeeds · Jun 23
Summary
The Justice Department seized a cloud computing account used by Huione Group subsidiaries, saying it formed part of the technical backbone for moving and concealing billions in illicit crypto proceeds.
Authorities said Huione-linked entities helped launder funds from investment scams, cyber heists and other blockchain thefts into the banking system, with much of the theft allegedly tied to North Korea and Southeast Asian scam centers.
The action targets infrastructure rather than a wallet or exchange account, widening Operation Riptide beyond transaction tracing to hosting, escrow, payment rails and other services that keep criminal crypto markets running.
Huione Guarantee allegedly used Telegram channels to market stolen data, malware proceeds and laundering services, while Elliptic previously said the group launched USDH stablecoin and other blockchain tools to build alternative payment rails.
The seizure follows FinCEN's 2025 designation of Huione as a primary money-laundering concern and comes as the FBI said Americans lost more than $7.2 billion to crypto investment fraud in 2025.
As criminals build their own crypto ecosystems, what is the next target for law enforcement beyond exchanges?
With political elites linked to a crypto laundering hub, can sanctions alone stop Cambodia's 'scam-state'?
If nations don't join cybercrime treaties, are global efforts to stop crypto laundering doomed to fail?
U.S. Seizes Huione Group’s $4 Billion Crypto Laundering Network: Operation Riptide and the Global Crackdown on Southeast Asia’s Scam Industry
Overview
On June 23, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice seized a key cloud computing account used by Cambodia-based Huione Group, as part of Operation Riptide, an FBI campaign targeting cybercriminals and their financial networks. This action followed the U.S. Treasury’s FinCEN designating Huione as a primary money laundering concern in 2025, which led to its removal from U.S. networks. Huione Group played a central role in laundering billions from cyber heists and scams, often working with groups like the Prince Group. The coordinated crackdown aims to disrupt global illicit finance and protect victims of cyber-enabled crime.