Crypto-market infrastructure creaks amid volatility test

REUTERS

Worries over the economic hit from the coronavirus outbreak spread from stocks, oil and bonds to cryptocurrencies late last week, bitcoin crashed to its worst day in seven years. But plummeting prices weren’t the only problem for investors. read more »

Swedbank hit with record $386 million fine over Baltic money-laundering breaches

REUTERS

Sweden’s oldest retail bank saw its share price collapse by a third last year after details of the dirty money scandal — which also engulfed Danish peer Danske Bank. read more »

Former London bankers convicted after Germany's 'greatest tax robbery'

THE GUARDIAN

First case of its kind sheds light on complex fraud known as cum-ex trading

Known as “cum-ex”, the scheme involved trading shares at high speed on or just before the dividend record date – the day the company checks its records to identify shareholders – and then claiming two or more refunds for capital gains tax which had in fact only been paid to the state once. read more » 

Israel's Hapoalim will pay $870 million to end U.S. tax probe

YAHOO FINANCE

The bank said in a regulatory filing it will increase its provision for the tax probe in the fourth quarter to $259 million, in addition to $611 million it had already set aside.

For several years, U.S. authorities, including the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the New York Department of Financial Services, have been investigating accusations that the Israeli bank helped U.S. clients evade taxes. read more »