Canadian platform

Just between July 2020 and June 2021, ransomware activity soared by a whopping 1,070%, according to a recent Fortinet (NASDAQ:FTNT) report, with other researchers confirming the proliferation of this mode of extortion. Mimicking the prevalent business model of the legitimate tech world, ransomware-as-a-service portals popped up in the darker corners of the web, institutionalizing the shadow industry and slashing the skill ceiling for wannabe-criminals. The trend should be ringing a warning bell through the crypto ecosystem, particularly since ransomware attackers do have a knack for payments in crypto.

That said, the industry that was once a Wild Wild West is now assuming a more orderly setting. Slowly but surely infiltrating the mainstream, it is now at the point where some of the largest centralized exchanges (CEXs) are hiring top-notch financial crime investigators to oversee their efforts against money laundering.

Aarika Rhodes, an elementary school teacher-turned congressional candidate, recently featured in the Bitcoin Day Sacramento 2022 event to discuss the impact of Bitcoin (BTC) in local politics.

Speaking to Cointelegraph, Rhodes highlighted the difficulty for grassroots candidates like herself to compete against established members of the US Congress