Roman Sterlingov, the creator of the darknet's oldest cryptocurrency mixer 'Bitcoin Fog,' has been sentenced to 12.5 years in prison as part of the US government's crackdown on crypto mixers. Despite prosecutors initially seeking a 20- to 30-year sentence, Sterlingov was convicted of money laundering, operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business, and more. The Department of Justice stated that Bitcoin Fog was a popular money laundering service for criminals, processing transactions involving over 1.2 million Bitcoin. Sterlingov must pay a forfeiture judgment of over $395 million and forfeit seized crypto and funds worth $1.76 million. While claiming to be just a user, critics argue the case is unjust and part of the government's attack on financial privacy. The crackdown extends to other mixer founders, with trials and charges against individuals like Roman Storm and Keonne Rodriguez. The future of crypto mixers under US authority remains uncertain. Read more AI-generated news on: https://app.chaingpt.org/news