US imposes sanctions on cryptocurrency mixer that allegedly laundered over $7 billion

The US is ramping up its efforts to crack down on shady cryptocurrency mixers. The Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on Tornado Cash, a mixer that allegedly helped launder more than $7 billion in stolen crypto funds since its inception in 2019. Like a previous sanctions target, Blender, Tornado Cash is accused of “indiscriminately” helping thieves by hiding transaction details while failing to institute meaningful anti-laundering safeguards. North Korea’s state-sponsored Lazarus Group hackers are believed to have funneled $455 million through the mixer.

The sanctions block transactions with or for the benefit of Tornado Cash-related individuals and entities, whether they’re located in the US or controlled by Americans. Anyone who detects banned activity is required to inform the Treasury’s Offices of Foreign Assets Control.

Tornado Cash runs on the Ethereum blockchain. Officials said the mixer played a role in other large-scale thefts, including the Harmony Bridge heist (where it laundered $96 million) from June and this month’s Nomad attack (involving “at least” $7.8 million).

The government has taken legal action against crypto mixers for years. Federal law enforcement charged an Ohio man in 2020 for running a darknet mixer that helped criminals launder $300 million. The Treasury only started sanctioning mixers when it blocked Blender this May, however. The US now believes criminal-friendly mixers are a national security threat, and hopes efforts like these will curb both terrorism as well as attempts to dodge conventional sanctions.

Less than 1 percent of Netflix’s subscribers are playing its games

Netflix’s entry into the gaming market is off to a slow start. According to an analysis performed by Apptopia on behalf of CNBC, the streaming giant’s games have been downloaded a total of 23.3 million times and average about 1.7 million daily users. Put another way, less than one percent of Netflix’s 221 million customers are taking advantage of the games included in their subscriptions.

Netflix did not immediately respond to Engadget’s request for comment. In the past, the company indicated it did not expect its gaming division to be profitable immediately. “We’re going to be experimental and try a bunch of things,” Netflix COO Greg Peters told investors during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings calls last year.

Still, the question that’s probably on everyone’s mind is how long Netflix is willing to wait to see if it made the right bet, especially after it lost nearly one million subscribers during its most recent quarter. Other lofty bets — like the company’s in-house fan blog, Tudum — were the subject of cutbacks after only a few months of spending.

The company has shared precious few details on how much it has spent expanding its portfolio beyond TV shows and movies, but most signs point to a significant investment. Earlier this year, the company paid $72 million to acquire Next Games, the studio behind Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales. More recently, it secured exclusive mobile rights to beloved indie titles like Spiritfarer and Into The Breach. The company is unlikely to make similar investments in the future if its current ones don’t pan out.

What we bought: This LED desk lamp gave me the best lighting for video calls

Over the past two years, my work-from-home situation morphed from temporary to permanent, and I’ve had to reconfigure my home office as a result. I purchased a standing desk, a monitor, and spent countless hours rearranging my furniture. One of my prim…

Nintendo will dedicate a 30-minute Direct stream to ‘Splatoon 3’

Splatoon 3 will arrive on September 9th and Nintendo is setting the table with a dedicated Direct showcase. The stream will get underway at 9AM ET on August 10th and will contain around 30 minutes of updates. It’s likely to be a deep dive into one of Nintendo’s tentpole Switch releases for this year. You’ll be able to watch the presentation on Nintendo’s YouTube channel.

Nintendo often holds dedicated Direct events for its core games in the lead up to their release. It’s a smart way for the company to get more eyes on those titles and give folks who are undecided whether to buy them some more insight. Meanwhile, Nintendo will release a Splatoon 3-themed Switch OLED later this month, with a Pro Controller and carrying case featuring designs from the game arriving on September 9th.

Steam Deck 動手玩｜Engadget Update EP148

最強掌機 Steam Deck 正式開放香港預訂，相信不少遊戲玩家都已經登記了吧。不過對於這款能遊玩多款 Steam 版 AAA 大作的手提遊戲機，於手感、實際操作上的體驗是如何呢？我們 Engadget Update 就花了九牛二虎之力去借了一台動手玩，有興趣的大家記緊收看節目！…

SNK is making its first new Fatal Fury game in 23 years

Many classic fighting game series have a reasonably consistent stream of sequels, but not Fatal Fury — the last title (Garou: Mark of the Wolves) made its appearance on the Neo Geo in 1999. SNK is ready to make amends after 23 years, however. The developer has confirmed work on a new Fatal Fury game. The teaser trailer below reveals nothing about the gameplay, plot, platform support or release date, but the company claimed the sequel would represent a “new turning point” in fighters — don’t expect much humility, then. 

The franchise played an important role in SNK’s history, and by extension fighting games as a whole. The first game, 1991’s Fatal Fury: King of Fighters, made a splash at a time when Street Fighter II dominated the genre. It was designed by the original Street Fighter‘s Takashi Nishiyama, and focused more on story and special moves than SF2‘s combos. It showed that there was room for multiple games in the upper pantheon of fighting games, and ultimately spawned the still-active King of Fighters series.

The challenge, of course, is persuading gamers to revisit Fatal Fury. The fighting game world has evolved considerably in the past two decades, ranging from 3D series like Tekken through to many-character extravaganzas like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It’s a crowded arena, and there’s no certainty that nostalgia will give SNK an edge.