BTC-e May be Connected to Bitcoin Laundering

The cryptocurrency exchange BTC-e went down two days ago at around 4 AM GMT, releasing a status on twitter saying they are having issues with their data centres. However, there has been very little communication from the Russia-based exchange. Rumours of BTC-e cold wallets being emptied and mixed are spreading on Reddit although no proof of a connection is available.

The news comes at a time when Bitmixer has suddenly shut down and a Russian man in Greece has been arrested on charges of money laundering the equivalent of $4 Billion in BTC since 2011. Recently, two sources close to the exchange told Reuters that the man arrested in Greece is a key person behind the BTC-e crypto-currency exchange.

In the past, there have been rumours of malpractice within the exchange which, coupled with the lack of clear ownership, led to BTCe trading at a discount relative to other exchanges.

Read more here http://www.reuters.com/article/us-greece-russia-arrest-bitcoin-idUSKBN1AB27W