cryptocurrencies
Elon Musk-crypto video played on S. Korean govt’s hacked YouTube channel
A YouTube channel owned by the government of South Korea was reportedly hacked and renamed SpaceX Invest, following which the channel uploaded fabricated videos of Elon Musk discussing cryptocurrencies. On Sept 3, the South Korean government’s YouTube channel was momentarily hacked and renamed for sharing live broadcasts of crypto-related videos. However, the account was soon restored within four hours following a proactive intervention, confirmed a local report from Yonhap News Agency (YNA). The above screenshot was provided to YNA by a locale that shows the compromised channel being renamed to SpaceX Invest and streaming videos depicting SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. The compromised ID and password of the YouTube channel were identified as the root cause of the hack. Google, too, reportedl...
Can the government track Bitcoin?
Apart from data analysis done alone or in cooperation with private companies, authorities may request information from centralized exchanges. Due to regulation, centralized exchanges may also be obligated to share such information. However, not all cryptocurrency exchanges collaborate with authorities. A centralized exchange is a cryptocurrency exchange that is run by a single entity, such as Coinbase. To become a licensed operator in a certain country or territory, centralized exchanges need to comply with regulations. For instance, to decrease cryptocurrency anonymity and the illicit use of cryptocurrencies, most centralized exchanges have incorporated Know Your Customer (KYC) checks. KYC is meant to verify customers’ identities alongside helping authorities to analyze activity...
The Bitcoin bottom — Are we there yet? Analysts discuss the factors impacting BTC price
When Bitcoin was trading above $60,000, the smartest analysts and financial-minded folk told investors that BTC price would never fall below its previous all time high. These same individuals also said $50,000 was a buy the dip opportunity, and then they said $35,000 was a generational buy opportunity. Later on, they also suggested that BTC would never fall under $20,000. Of course, “now” is a great time to buy the dip, and one would think that buying BTC at or under $10,000 would also be the purchase of a lifetime. But by now, all the so-called “experts” have fallen quiet and are nowhere to be seen or heard. So, investors are left to their own devices and thoughts to contemplate whether or not the bottom is in. Should one be patient and wait for the forecast “drop to $10,000” ...
Experts weigh in on the Ethereum vulnerabilities after Merge: Finance Redefined
Welcome to Finance Redefined, your weekly dose of essential decentralized finance (DeFi) insights — a newsletter crafted to bring you significant developments over the last week. The past week in the DeFi ecosystem saw major developments centered around the Ethereum Merge. Aave (AAVE) community proposed temporarily suspending Ether (ETH) lending before the Merge, citing the potential issue of high ETH utilization that may result in liquidations being hard or impossible and annual percentage yields (APYs) reaching negative figures. An industry expert shared his opinion on possible censorship vulnerabilities that the Ethereum network could eventually face in the wake of its transition to a proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchain. Moving ahead of the Ethereum Merge developments, some other major even...
More than 50% of reported Bitcoin trading volume is ‘likely to be fake or non-economic’ — Report
Bitcoin trading data from 157 exchanges reportedly did not match up to what companies claimed. According to an Aug. 26 report from Forbes, Javier Pax of the news outlet’s digital asset arm said there was a mismatch between the Bitcoin (BTC) trading data reported by crypto exchanges and the actual numbers. The Forbes contributor found that a group of small exchanges had BTC trading volumes roughly 95% less than those reported, while those operating “with little or no regulatory oversight” — including Binance and Bybit — claimed to have more than double the analyzed volume: $217 billion as opposed to $89 billion. “More than half of all reported trading volume is likely to be fake or non-economic,” said Pax. “The global daily Bitcoin volume for the industry was $128 billion on June 14. That i...
3 ways to trade Bitcoin and altcoins during a bear market
Markets are scary right now, and while the situation is likely to worsen, it doesn’t mean investors need to sit out and watch from the sidelines. In fact, history has proven that one of the best times to buy Bitcoin (BTC) is when no one is talking about Bitcoin. Remember the 2018–2020 crypto winter? I do. Hardly anyone, including mainstream media, was talking about crypto in a positive or negative way. It was during this time of prolonged downtrend and lengthy sideways chop that smart investors were accumulating in preparation for the next bull trend. Of course, nobody knew “when” this parabolic advance would take place, but the example is purely meant to illustrate that crypto might be in a crab market, but there are still great strategies for investing in Bitcoin. Let’s take a look at th...
Former blockchain skeptic David Rubenstein discloses investments in crypto companies
Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein acknowledged on Sept. 2 that he has invested personally in a number of crypto companies, and is optimistic about the industry’s path to regulation in the United States. Speaking with CNBC’S Squawk Box on Thursday, the billionaire said he believes that government regulation will be positive for the industry, and that the U.S. Congress will tak a collaborative approach to boost an innovation environment in the country. “The crypto constituency is very strong in congress [and] they tend to be very Republican [or] very libertarian,” he noted. “The industry is not likely to be soft when dealing with members of Congress.” Previously skeptical about cryptocurrencies, Rubenstein reportedly changed his mind ...
Mayo Clinic taps into blockchain technology for clinical trial design
On Thursday, Dutch blockchain startup Triall announced that it has partnered with American nonprofit medical center Mayo Clinic to optimize clinical trial design and the management of study data. Starting this September, Triall’s eClinical platform will support a two-year multi-center pulmonary arterial hypertension clinical trial that includes 10 research sites and more than 500 patients across the United States. The software will support activities such as data capture, document management, study monitoring and consent. As told by Triall, the purpose of the collaboration is to demonstrate an immutable public ledger audit trail through its blockchain technology to boost the integrity of clinical trials. Investigators, regulators and stakeholders can then review and assess such...
Tech giant Meitu loses over $43M of its crypto investment in bear market
Hong Kong tech giant Meitu made headlines in April last year after it reported nearly $100 million in crypto holdings. However, with the advent of the bear market, the tech firm has lost nearly half of the valuation of its crypto holdings. According to a local media report, Meitu reported an impairment loss of over 300 million yuan, approximately $43.4 million, on their crypto holdings. An impairment loss is a loss in value of an asset when it falls below the carrying value of the investment. The financial filing revealed that the impairment loss has more than doubled from the last quarter, something the firm had anticipated earlier. The tech giant has said that its crypto holdings could impact the net loss of the company by the end of the first half of the year. In a July exchan...
Tens of Celsius clients ask US court to recover $22.5M in crypto
The bankrupt cryptocurrency lender Celsius is facing more legal issues as disgruntled clients are taking action to recover their funds after the platform froze withdrawals in June. An ad hoc group of 64 custodial account holders at Celsius on Wednesday filed a complaint with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York in order to recover their assets. According to court documents, the creditors are seeking to recover a total of more than $22.5 million worth of cryptocurrency assets collectively held in Celsius’ custody service. The ad hoc group is represented by bankruptcy-focused law firm Togut, Segal & Segal. The plaintiffs noted that Celsius has “not honored any withdrawals from any programs,” including custody services. According to the complaint, that contradic...
Ticketmaster selects Flow blockchain for minting NFT event tickets
According to Flow, a digital engagement layer-1 blockchain created by Dapper Labs, Live Nation’s subsidiary Ticketmaster has unveiled nonfungible tokens (NFTs) tickets for event organizers minted on its blockchain. The primary purpose of the NFT tickets will be for commemorative value. But aside from being used as mementos, they can also be used as proof of attendance at notable concerts. However, such virtual commemorative tickets are not valid for entry. One still needs to show a purchased ticket with a bar code from Ticketmaster or Live Nation for entry. As told by Live Nation, it selected the Flow blockchain based on its eco-friendly nature, claiming that creating an NFT on Flow uses less energy than doing a Google search or making an Instagram post. It is possib...
Bitcoin holds $20K, but analysts say BTC open interest leaves room for ‘more deleveraging’
Bitcoin (BTC) price continues to struggle at $20,000 and repeat dips under this level have led some analysts to project deeper downside in the short-term. Earlier in the week, independent market analyst Philip Swift tweeted that the Crypto Fear and Greed Index had dropped back to back to “Extreme Fear,” reflecting softening sentiment among investors. The market is not enjoying $BTC hanging around $20k. Back into Extreme Fear today. Live chart: https://t.co/Jr5151zN7I pic.twitter.com/UnztrZP7FP — Philip Swift (@PositiveCrypto) August 31, 2022 On Aug 29, analytics firm Delphi Digital highlighted Bitcoin open interest hitting a new record-high and said: “The Futures Open Interest Leverage Ratio for BTC reached its highest level ever recorded at more than 3% of BTC market cap, following ...
