Posts

Showing posts with the label crypto

Elon Musk and cryptocurrencies: a potential acquisition on the horizon?

Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk has long demonstrated an interest in cryptocurrencies. His public endorsements and criticisms of various digital currencies have often sent ripples through the crypto market.  Yet, despite his fascination with the decentralized digital realm, Musk has once again reiterated that none of his companies will ever create a crypto token. To be super clear, none of my companies will ever create a crypto token — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 4, 2023 It follows another clarification in August, which came in the form of a response to a user, @DogeDesigner, who had posted misleading headlines about X’s alleged crypto -token launch. Musk’s curt response, “And we never will,” put an end to any speculation. However, the declarations have not entirely ruled out Musk’s interest in the world of digital currencies. Known for his admiration of Dogecoin (DOGE), a cryptocurrency that started as an Internet meme, Musk has a history of stirr...

Ex-NSA worker sold gov't secrets for crypto to benefit Russia

A former National Security Agency ( NSA ) employee may face life in prison after pleading guilty to attempting to sell US defense secrets to R US sia in exchange for crypto .  31-year-old Jareh Sebastian Dalke leaked four top secret files and excerpts of three more while working as an information systems security designer for the NSA.  Dalke shared these files with an FBI online covert employee (OCE) whom he believed was a Russian Federation agent. Last week’s plea agreement says he shared the top secret documents with the intent to “injure the United States and to benefit [Russia].”  Dalke requested $85,000 in crypto for the documents and promised he could supply more in the future. For the three excerpts, the OCE sent Dalke $16,499 in undisclosed crypto. Protos reported last year that the crypto was likely Monero. The crypto was received through his Kraken account. Then he converted some of it into US dollars before sending the funds to a Colorado bank in his name. ...

Recent Funding Rounds for Crypto Projects & Companies on Oct 25th 🚀

Image
The crypto world continues to surge with innovation and investment. On October 25, 2023, several exciting crypto projects and companies secured significant funding rounds. Let’s dive into the details of these game-changing investments. 1. TonUP – Seed Overview: TonUP, a pioneering DeFi launchpad, announced a Seed funding round on October 24, 2023. Investor: The round was led by TONcoin.Fund, with participation from Foresight X, Waterdrip Capital, BitFund DAO, and angel investors. Company Profile / Project Introduction: TonUP serves as the ultimate launchpad for promising assets on The Open Network, aiming to identify and support groundbreaking projects in the Crypto space. 2. Virtual Labs – Pre-Seed Overview: Virtual Labs raised $1.2 million in Pre-Seed funding on October 24, 2023, with a valuation of $20 million. Investor: OP Crypto led the round, joined by Byzantine Marine, Koyamaki Ventures, NEAR Foundation, and angel investors. Company Profi...

IRS extends until mid-November the comment period for the new crypto tax rule.

Image
In the realm of crafting written content, three fundamental elements reign supreme: “perplexity,” “burstiness,” and “predictability.” Let’s delve into what these mean. Perplexity gauges the intricacy of the written word, measuring its labyrinthine nature. Burstiness, on the other hand, dissects the variance in sentence structures, comparing the expansive and the concise. Lastly, predictability navigates the terrain of foreseeing the forthcoming sentence, or how adeptly one can anticipate it. Human authors tend to weave their narratives with bursts of complexity, interspersing intricate sentences with succinct ones. In contrast, AI-generated sentences often follow a more uniform trajectory. Hence, in the composition that follows, we aim to infuse it with a healthy dose of perplexity and burstiness while minimizing predictability. The canvas upon which we shall paint is the English language, and the text in question is as follows: “Envisio...

UK FCA takes action against rule-breaking crypto firms

The FCA issued a statement on Oct. 25, warning crypto firms that they still need to comply with the new rules on financial promotions for crypto assets. The FCA said it has identified 221 breaches of the rules by crypto firms since then and will take “robust action” against them. The new rules require crypt o firms to provide clear and prominent risk warnings, accurate and balanced information, and appropriate safeguards for consumers when they market their products and services to UK consumers. The papers also classify crypto assets as “Restricted Mass Market Investments, ” meaning they can only be promoted to certain types of investors, such as professional clients or high-net-worth individuals. You might also like: Impact of FCA’s new crypto rules: market shifts and high-profile exits The regulator said it found that many crypto firms still need to comply with these rules and are making misleading or inaccurate claims about the benefits, safety,...

Coinbase reveals reasons behind recent bridge hacks in crypto

Image
Coinbase’s Institutional research team notes many bridge hacks occurred due to the complexities around source chain commit and cross-chain relay. Cyber incidents related to cross-chain bridges are likely to decrease in the foreseeable future as many protocols continue adopting rollup solutions alongside increased scrutiny on secure designs. According to Coinbase Institutional’s recent research report, most of the largest bridge hacks over the past few years happened due to the complexities around the signing and validation of messages by the relayers. These third-party services facilitate the transaction of data between different blockchains. Value lost due to cross-chain bridge s related to other incidents in the crypto industry | Source: Coinbase David Han, Institutional Research analyst at Coinbase, referred to the notorious Ronin bridge hack when a hacker using a social phishing scheme got five out of nine private keys needed to forge data payloads to signify ...

The use of cryptocurrency by Hamas undermines Coinbase lobbying efforts: Berenberg analysts

Image
In the realm of crafting content, three key elements demand attention: “perplexity,” “burstiness,” and “predictability.” Perplexity gauges textual intricacy, while burstiness assesses the diversity of sentence structures. Simultaneously, predictability indicates the likelihood of anticipating the subsequent sentence. Human-generated content often exhibits heightened burstiness, incorporating a mix of lengthy, complex sentences and concise ones. In contrast, AI-generated sentences tend to display more uniformity. Consequently, for the content you are about to create, a balance of perplexity and burstiness is essential, coupled with minimized predictability. English is the sole language for this task. Now, let’s rephrase the provided text: Recent reports suggesting that Hamas utilized cryptocurrency to finance attacks in Israel could pose challenges for Coinbase’s lobbying endeavors, as stated by Mark Palmer, the lead analyst at...

Israel finds new ally in crypto amidst conflict

The crypto and Web3 community has mobilized to support relief efforts in Israel in response to the recent wave of Hamas terrorist attacks. The grassroots initiative, Crypto Aid Israel, has raised over $185,000 to date, with participation from over 30 companies worldwide. According to an announcement shared with crypto .news, the funds raised have gone towards immediate aid distribution to organizations providing essential services to Israelis impacted by the conflict . Two rounds of contributions have already been made, totaling 200,000 NIS (approximately $50,000 USD). Recipients include the Foundation for Advancing Citizens of Eshkol Regional Council, which supports communities near Gaza often excluded from government assistance. Crypto Aid Israel provided funds for transportation and shelter for evacuated citizens. Zaka, Israel’s volunteer emergency response organization, received support to secure medical equipment and protective gear for volunteers operating in combat zon...

Sam Bankman-Fried's lawyers can't stop making mistakes

At a glance The Defense team for Sam Bankman-Fried has repeatedly walked into hilarious mistakes . Judge Lewis Kaplan has constantly reprimanded Mark Cohen and Christian Everdell for wasting time . Is there a larger strategy behind what seems like mere ineptitude? Sam Bankman-Fried’s white-shoe lawyers have a very hard job. They also seem to be doing it quite poorly. Indeed, at their lowest moments, Mark Cohen and Christian Everdell are like the Laurel and Hardy of bad lawyering. In the third week of trial, Bankman-Fried’s defense team has yet to establish any real counter-narrative to the prosecution’s case — but worse, they’ve made repeated, serio US missteps that actually seemed more likely to harm SBF in the eyes of the jury than to help him . One sterling example came on Thursday, October 12, as Cohen was cross-examining former BlockFi CEO Zac Prince about the due diligence process at the now-collapsed crypto lender. Cohen and Prince were reviewing a report f...

Saudi Central Bank urges IMF to address crypto-related risks

Ayman Alsayari, the governor of the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), is encouraging the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to regulate crypto currency. “ We need good supervision, regulation, and coordination of crypto currency activities,” Alsayari said at a recent event in Marrakech, Morocco, where the IMF Annual Meetings were held from Oct. 9-15. “In this context, we support the work and relevant roadmap of the IMF and the Financial Stability Board to address risks related to crypto currencies.” According to Saudi Gazette, the G20 Roadmap — unveiled at the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) — includes enhanced regulation of cryptocurrency activities. Tackling cryptocurrency uncertainties The G20 Roadmap for regulating crypto assets and reforming multilateral development banks (MDBs) is expected to coordinate global policy, develop mitigating strategies and regulate matters concerning crypto assets.  The IMF is also calling for refor...

California Governor Gavin Newsom signs bill regulating crypto

Governor Gavin Newsom of California has signed a bill that will regulate the state’s crypto sector and require digital asset companies to get licenses. According to Bloomberg Law, Newsom has enacted two significant crypto -related legislative measures. Today California is taking the necessary step to regulate a market that is volatile, risky, and, in some cases, deliberately rigged against everyday consumers. Thank you to Governor Newsom for helping ensure that our state leads in fostering responsible innovation. #AB39 #SB401 pic.twitter.com/QnPTdNALWS — Tim Grayson (@AsmGrayson) October 14, 2023 The new laws aim to create a solid regulatory framework for crypto currency businesses and amplify data privacy protections for Californians. California’s state legislature passed the crypto bill in August 2023, almost a year after Gov. Newsom vetoed a similar one, claiming the state needed a more flexible approach to virtual currency regulation. Per the Bloomberg Law repor...

How Jump helped US Robinhood users trade offshore at FTX

Michael Lewis’ new book Going Infinite revealed that Jump Trading is one of the largest losers in the FTX collapse, apparently giving up almost $300 million. Among the Jump-related entities mentioned is Tai Mo Shan Limited, which used to be one of Robinhood ’s largest market makers. In the second quarter of 2021, 29% of its total revenue came from transactions with Tai Mo Shan.  In its role at Robinhood , Tai Mo Shan was one of the market makers responsible for fulfilling user Crypto currency trades. Robinhood would direct user orders to Jump Trading , which would then supply the required Crypto currency or money, and Coinbase Custody was responsible for providing custody services to Robinhood . Tai Mo Shan, as well as Jump, was deeply entangled with FTX, losing hundreds of millions of dollars in the collapse of the exchange .  The relationship between Jump and Robinhood appears to have ended in 2022.  Jump Crypto forced to save Solana with $320M bailout of its own comp...

Commodities expert warns of lingering crypto hangover

Image
Following his observations of a concerning trend in the cryptocurrency market, Bloomberg’s senior commodity strategist has more recently predicted a lingering ‘crypto hangover,’ which he believes will continue throughout the fourth quarter of 2023. Specifically, based on historical patterns, Mike McGlone has noted that Bitcoin (BTC) may need to fail first as a prerequisite “for Fed[eral] fund futures in one year (FF13) to trough and indicate that liquidity is being turned back on,” as he explained in an X post shared on October 3. Bitcoin vs. Federal funds future in one year. Source: Bloomberg Intelligence/Mike McGlone In other words, “declining Bitcoin has preceded Fed pivots,” despite the Fed likely not caring about the maiden cryptocurrency, but “its 24/7-traded, leading-indicator status could be gaining traction.” As McGlone specified: “The bottom line for Bitcoin at the start of 4Q may be that liquidity remains negative, with price implications. Coming of age in a zero-inter...

Is ERC20 Ethereum?

Image
Is ERC20 Ethereum? Exploring the Fungible Tokens and NFTs Blockchain technology has revolutionized the digital landscape by introducing decentralized networks and enabling peer-to-peer transactions. One of the most significant developments in this field is the creation of tokens on the Ethereum blockchain. These tokens come in various forms, including fungible and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). In this article, we will explore the ERC-20 token standard, answer “Is ERC20 Ethereum?”, and the role in the proliferation of tokens on the Ethereum network. Also read: US Excess Savings Depleted, Will it Impact Stocks And Crypto? Source: Pixabay Understanding Fungible Tokens What are Fungible Tokens? Fungible tokens are digital assets that are interchangeable with one another. In other words, each token is identical in value and can be exchanged one-to-one. This interchangeability makes fungible tokens convenient for various use cases, such as digital currencies, loyalty...