Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) has criticized Safe Wallet’s post-mortem update on the Bybit hack, calling it “not that great” and raising concerns about how attackers tricked multiple signers.
His comments follow an audit report stating that the breach resulted from a compromise of Safe’s infrastructure rather than the exchange’s systems.
Safe’s Response
Forensic investigations found that compromised Safe Wallet credentials led to the nearly $1.5 billion Bybit exploit. In a statement on X on Wednesday, the crypto wallet provider confirmed the findings, stating that the hack stemmed from a “compromised Safe Wallet developer machine.”
The company highlighted that the reports did not identify vulnerabilities in its smart contracts or front-end source code. It also

SHELL, the native token of AI consumer layer MyShell, has surged almost 34% in the last 24 hours, reaching an all-time high (ATH) of $0.6816.
The uptick, which comes against the backdrop of a broader crypto market slump, looks to have been fueled by excitement over the token’s upcoming listing on Binance.
Binance Listing Fuels SHELL’s Rally
Earlier today, the exchange officially unveiled MyShell as its tenth project on the Binance Airdrop Portal. The token was distributed to users who subscribed their BNB to the exchange’s Simple Earn Flexible or Locked products between February 14 and February 18.
The crypto company also announced that it would be listing SHELL from 13:00 UTC, opening trading for it across multiple pairs, including SHELL/BTC, SHELL/USDT, and SHELL/BNB.

The Bitcoin Fear & Greed Index has plummeted to 10, its lowest level since June 2022, signaling extreme fear among investors.
Despite the panic, experts suggest this could be a prime moment to buy.
Sentiment Crashes as BTC Price Falls
The index, which measures market sentiment, fell from 49 last week, considered neutral, to 10 today, signifying extreme fear. According to Alternative.me, which publishes the metric, extreme fear is often an indication that investors are overly concerned about the goings-on in the market, which could present a buying opportunity.
However, analysts remain divided; while some have referenced historical data showing extreme fear often precedes rebounds, others, like BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes, have cautioned that Bitcoin, the largest

Jupiter Exchange has surpassed major decentralized finance (DeFi) players, securing the second-highest daily fee ranking after stablecoin issuer Tether.
Additionally, the decentralized exchange (DEX) generated $2.73 million in revenue over a 24-hour period, going above fellow Solana stalwart Pump.fun.
Jupiter Usurps Pump.fun
According to data from DefiLlama, the exchange has earned $10.88 million in fees since yesterday, about $7.3 million less than the amount Tether raked in.
However, Jupiter performed markedly better than Uniswap, PancakeSwap, sister platform Meteora, and Hyperliquid, a rising star in the perpetual futures trading space. Apart from Uniswap, none of these competing protocols earned more than $5 million in fees in the last 24 hours.
In terms of revenue in

VanEck has predicted that the United States could reduce its national debt by $21 trillion in the next 24 years.
The firm’s analysts believe that this could be achieved by creating a one million Bitcoin reserve over the next five years.
VanEck’s Estimate
According to the asset management company, a U.S. BTC reserve could slash the national debt if the crypto’s price increases to $21 million by 2049. This would represent around 18% of the total U.S. debt at that time.
“If the U.S. government follows the BITCOIN Act’s proposed path – accumulating 1 million BTC by 2029 – our analysis suggests this reserve could offset around $21 trillion of national debt by 2049,” said the institution’s head of digital asset research, Matthew Sigel, in its latest report.
VanEck’s estimate

The median cryptocurrency investor saw their portfolio grow by $5,482 in 2024, according to a recent report by crypto tax and portfolio tracking platform CoinLedger.
The study analyzed data from more than half a million users, highlighting key trends in the digital asset market, including top-performing tokens and the impact of regulatory changes on trading platforms.
Winners and Losers
According to the report shared with CryptoPotato, SUPER, the native token of the blockchain gaming ecosystem SuperVerse, delivered the highest unrealized gains for investors. It was closely followed by Hyperliquid’s HYPE token, indicating growing interest in niche blockchain projects.
Data from CoinGecko shows that SUPER peaked at about $2.18 in December 2024, having started the year priced

On-chain analytics platform Nansen has released a report examining the aftermath of the controversial LIBRA token.
Its findings indicate that 86% of traders who bought the cryptocurrency collectively lost about $251 million, while a select group of winners walked away with at least $180 million in profits.
A Rapid Rise and Fall
LIBRA debuted on Valentine’s Day, gaining instant traction after Argentine President Javier Milei appeared to endorse it in a post on X that has since been deleted. The coin was framed as a financial tool to support small businesses in the Latin American country and to boost its economy.
While its market cap quickly skyrocketed to an eye-popping $4.5 billion less than an hour after its introduction, the joy was short-lived. Soon after, Hayden Davis,

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy launched a meme coin called $GREED today from his official wallet.
However, he sold his entire position an hour later, causing the token’s value to crash by more than 90%.
A Social Experiment
In a February 19 post on X, the founder criticized the meme coin space, stating:
“The entire ecosystem is Greed and nothing else. Go dump on each other peasants but don’t complain to me if you lose money. You are all greedy. At least admit it.”
He then launched $GREED presenting it as a social experiment and a reflection of the true nature of the sector. According to blockchain analytics firm Lookonchain, Portnoy issued the token and purchased 357.92 million units, representing 35.79% of the total supply. Its market capitalization quickly surged to

Richard Schueler, widely known as Richard Heart, the founder of Hex cryptocurrency, has been placed on Interpol’s global wanted list through a Red Notice.
Issued at the request of Finnish authorities, it follows allegations of tax fraud and assault in the country.
Tax Fraud and Assault Charges
The Red Notice is a formal request to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest an individual pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal actions. However, it does not constitute an international arrest warrant.
Earlier this year, Heart was also featured on the European Union’s Most Wanted List for the same charges. Finnish authorities allege that he committed tax fraud between 2020 and 2024, with a remand order first issued against him on September

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has appointed former college football player Bo Hines to the new crypto council.
Announced Sunday, Hines will be onboard as the executive director of the Presidential Council of Advisers for Digital Assets.
Trump’s Crypto Council
The 29-year-old acknowledged the appointment in a December 23 post on X, writing:
“Thank you, Mr. President! It will be the honor of a lifetime to serve in your next administration. Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do for our country.”
Hines further expressed his excitement about collaborating with the council’s chair, David Sacks. He also stated his commitment to ensuring that the digital asset industry thrives and remains central to the United States’ technological leadership.
According to

Days after Binance introduced its pre-listing token selection pool, Binance Alpha, it launched 29 tokens with mixed performances.
Data shared by crypto analysts Sankin shows that out of the listed cryptocurrencies, 17 have seen their values increase while 12 experienced declines.
Small-Cap Tokens Lead the Pack
In a December 23 post on X, Sankin noted a trend where smaller market-cap assets generally performed better than their larger counterparts.
Those with fully diluted valuations (FDVs) below $20 million dominated the leaderboard, with assets like Shoggoth (SHOGGOTH), Frodo the Virtual Samurai (FROG), Bob (BOB), Terminus (TERMINUS), and Numogram (GNON) all achieving gains of more than 100%.
Shoggoth, a Solana-based meme coin that is part of the AI agent sector, took the

Cardano’s blockchain technology is set to revolutionize the Argentine lithium industry through an agreement with three players in the sector: Atómico 3, Zengate, and Alto Grande.
The collaboration will introduce the world’s first lithium tokenization project, a disruptive initiative scheduled for launch in Q1 2025.
Mechanics of Tokenization
According to local reports, the project will use blockchain technology to convert the property rights of lithium into digital tokens. This will allow investors to trade fractional shares of the mineral without physically handling or owning it.
The process is intended to democratize resource access, improve liquidity, and facilitate international trade through secure and immutable blockchain-based transactions.
Argentina is home to some

Shanghai-based car dealership Cango Inc. has pivoted to Bitcoin (BTC) mining, announcing a $256 million acquisition of 32 exahashes per second (EH/s) in hashrate from Bitmain Technologies.
In November, the company extracted 363 BTC, worth about $36 million, without liquidating any assets, positioning it as one of the top players in the global Bitcoin mining industry.
Cango Joins BTC Mining Bigwigs
According to The MinerMag, the move makes Cango the fifth-largest public Bitcoin miner by realized hashrate and the third-biggest by deployed hashrate. Its production accounts for 4% of the BTC mined daily around the world, a major achievement given the firm only recently entered the sector.
Cango’s expansion into BTC mining is backed by strategic acquisitions. The initial

Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on December 10 arrested 792 people linked to a massive crypto-romance scam operating out of Lagos.
The suspects, who included 148 Chinese, 40 Filipinos, and several other foreign nationals, were caught during a surprise raid at an imposing seven-story structure known as Big Leaf in the affluent Victoria Island neighborhood.
Sophisticated Scam Network Unveiled
According to information shared by the agency, the operation followed intelligence reports, which indicated that Big Leaf was a hub for fraudulent activities targeting victims around the globe.
Investigations revealed a highly organized network where foreign operatives collaborated with local accomplices to swindle unwitting individuals through romance and

CyberKongz, a gaming-based NFT project, announced on December 16 that it has received a Wells Notice from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The notice raises concerns about the platform’s integration of its ERC-20 token with blockchain games and questions aspects of its activities, including its 2021 contract migration.
The SEC’s Argument
In a post on X, the CyberKongz team expressed their dismay with the agency’s handling of the situation, saying:
“We are extremely disappointed at the approach the SEC has taken towards us, but we are going to stand up and fight for a brighter future that holds more clarity for NFT projects.”
They disclosed that the issue began two years ago when the regulator first contacted them, during which time they operated quietly

Cryptocurrency enthusiasts are turning to meme coins over traditional assets like Bitcoin (BTC) and Binance Coin (BNB), according to the latest study conducted by Binance.
The findings, released on December 18 as part of the Binance Global User Survey, sampled over 27,000 customers across Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America.
Meme Coins Outpace Bitcoin and Ethereum
Binance revealed that 16% of respondents reported holding meme coins, making them the most-owned cryptocurrency among participants. The report stressed that these digital assets are not only widely held but also generate significant excitement among users regarding their future potential in the crypto space.
Bitcoin followed closely, with 14.4% owning the original cryptocurrency, while BNB ranked

Federally approved digital asset securities platform Prometheum has filed a defamation lawsuit against crypto commentator Matthew Blumberg.
The dispute stems from a November 6 post on X, where the critic accused the firm of operating “an illegal unregistered commodities exchange” and engaging in shady dealings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Free Speech or Defamation?
Prometheum’s complaint, filed in the New York Supreme Court, argues that Blumberg’s statements were false, baseless, and damaging to its reputation. Further, the company claimed that the crypto enthusiast sought to boost his public profile as an industry expert at its expense. The legal filing cites several of the analyst’s offending posts, including one where he stated:
“They’re the

The TRON blockchain has achieved a remarkable feat, processing $587.2 billion in USDT transfers during November 2024.
This all-time high (ATH) reflects significant growth compared to $424.4 billion in September and $489.3 billion in October.
TRON’s Stablecoin Boom
The figure, captured by CryptoQuant analyst Maartunn, is noteworthy, considering in July 2019, the network only managed to move about $73.8 million in USDT. However, its share has increased steadily since then, registering $287.1 billion in May 2021, $315.5 billion a year later, and $462.6 billion in March 2024.
While the numbers dipped slightly in May and June, they soared since September, culminating in the November ATH.
CryptoQuant’s data also showed that the number of USDT receivers on TRON was also at its

The Federal Court of Australia has imposed an $8 million fine on Bit Trade, the operator of the cryptocurrency exchange Kraken in the country, for offering an unapproved margin lending product to local customers.
The penalty follows allegations by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) that the firm violated financial regulations by failing to assess customer suitability for the product.
Legal Implications
The credit facility, which enabled users to leverage borrowed funds as investments backed by digital assets like Bitcoin or national currencies as collateral, was issued without a Target Market Determination (TMD).
A TMD ensures that financial offerings are appropriately targeted to consumers based on their needs and circumstances. ASIC argued that

According to the second annual Global Survey on Crypto and Web3 by Consensys, emerging markets are spearheading global cryptocurrency adoption.
The report reveals that countries like Nigeria, South Africa, and the Philippines are driving significant growth in awareness, ownership, and participation in crypto-related activities.
Emerging Markets at The Forefront
The survey shows that 93% of people globally are aware of cryptocurrencies, with 51% claiming to understand them. Ownership levels stand at 42%, with the highest rates reported in Nigeria (73%), South Africa (68%), and the Philippines (54%).
These countries also displayed a notable increase in Web3 activities, such as holding NFTs, using decentralized finance (DeFi), and staking.
In Nigeria, 77% of respondents

A recent endorsement by former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) of the blockchain-driven travel platform Travala has skyrocketed its AVA token by more than 300% in the last 24 hours.
The surge also follows a series of announcements, including new market listings and milestone achievements for the company.
CZ’s Influence
On December 11, Travala reported that its annual revenues had reached $100 million, up from $59.6 million in 2023. This achievement was made possible by the growing demand for flight and hotel bookings paid using crypto. It also coincided with the firm’s disclosure of a new strategy: It intends to hold a portion of its treasury reserve in AVA and Bitcoin in the manner popularized by Michael Saylor’s MicroStrategy.
However, Zhao’s December 12 post on X

Electric Capital’s 2024 Developer Report has revealed that for the first time since 2016, Solana outpaced Ethereum as the leading blockchain ecosystem for attracting new developers.
The breakthrough highlights Solana’s rapid growth, with 7,625 new devs joining the network in the last 12 months, representing an 83% year-over-year increase.
Rise in Developer Activity
The report, released on December 12, looked at more than 902 million code commits across 1.7 million repositories, showing that Solana’s developer community is the fastest-growing among large blockchain networks.
This surge was fueled by strong participation from builders in Asia, where the network ranked as the number one platform for new programmers in India and number two in other major markets like the

Ethereum has emerged as the leading blockchain for Tether’s USDT supply, surpassing Tron in a monumental shift for stablecoin dominance.
Over the past month, Tether issued $20 billion in USDT on the network, possibly marking it as the go-to blockchain for activity involving the fiat-pegged cryptocurrency.
Strategic Expansion
Figures shared by the on-chain data platform Token Terminal show that Tether’s $20 billion issuance on the world’s largest blockchain by total value locked is nearly twice the active loans on protocols like Aave.
Additional information from another blockchain analysis platform, Lookonchain, indicates that the surge in USDT minting started on November 6. Since then, Tether has been issuing between $1 billion and $2 billion of stablecoins every few days

On December 11, privacy coins stole the spotlight as the market surged, led by notable gains across key tokens.
Data collected from crypto price tracking websites revealed that Verge (XVG) rose by 37.4% across 24 hours, with Zcash (ZEC) and Monero (XMR) also posting significant gains, up 15.4% and 12.3%, respectively.
Privacy Coin Resurgence
The sector repeated the feat on December 12, with figures from CoinGecko indicating that privacy coins have increased 10.3% over the past day.
At the time of writing, their combined value stood at $7.53 billion, with NuCypher (NU) leading the pack of gainers. Its price had jumped 85.6% to $0.1805, with Verge climbing 51.8% to reach $0.01704. Additionally, XVG’s trading volume skyrocketed to $361 million, the highest among its peers.

On Wednesday morning in Abu Dhabi, Binance and Circle announced a strategic partnership to promote USDC, a stablecoin jointly owned by Circle and Coinbase.
The collaboration comes as stablecoins gain traction in mainstream finance and competitors seek to challenge the dominance of market leader Tether.
The Alliance
Details about revenue sharing in this arrangement remain undisclosed, though sources informed Fortune that Binance will not acquire an equity stake in Circle.
According to the press release, the partnership aims to expand the worldwide adoption of USDC. Binance will incorporate USDC into its full suite of products and services, offering its 240 million global users access to the stablecoin for trading, saving, and payment applications.
As part of the agreement,

Hester Peirce, a Commissioner at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), has outlined a vision for the agency’s crypto regulatory strategy under President-elect Donald Trump.
In a recent interview on Fox Business, Peirce identified three priorities to address what she sees as critical obstacles hindering the growth and clarity of the crypto industry.
Pierces’s Roadmap to Clearer Crypto Regulations
In the interview, highlighted by Fox Business reporter Eleanor Terret in a December 10 post on X, Peirce referenced the controversial “Operation Chokepoint 2.0” initiative. Critics have used this term to describe alleged government efforts to limit the crypto sector’s access to banking and financial services. Peirce emphasized the need to stop these restrictive

A savvy crypto investor has reportedly turned a modest $3,000 investment in the popular frog-themed Pepe (PEPE) meme coin into a $73 million profit.
According to Lookonchain, who first revealed the feat in a December 10 post on X, the unidentified trader first bought 4.1 trillion Pepe tokens on April 15, 2023.
Strategic Sales Amid Market Highs
Per on-chain data, the investor sold off just over 3 trillion Pepe, pocketing about $27.5 million in the process. However, with 1.88 trillion tokens still held in their wallet, boasting a market value of $45.66 million, their total profit now stands at an eye-popping $73 million.
An analysis of the trader’s activities shows that they timed their sales during market peaks, especially when Pepe skyrocketed to an all-time high (ATH) of

Fox News reporter Eleanor Terrett has warned of a deceptive news article circulating online.
The publication used her name and official Fox News graphics to promote a scam involving a non-existent BlackRock token.
The Fraudulent Piece
Terrett raised the alarm on X, stating:
“There’s a fake article circulating using my name and official Fox graphics to promote a scam BlackRock token sale.”
She also cautioned users to remain vigilant against the scam. A screenshot she shared revealed details from the article.
The fake report, dated December 5, falsely claimed that BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, had launched a presale for a token named “BlackRock Token (BRT).” The post described this fictional token as a “groundbreaking” initiative to integrate blockchain

According to blockchain analytics platform SpotOnChain, on December 9, the Royal Government of Bhutan transferred 402 Bitcoin (BTC) worth $39.56 million to QCP Capital.
This is the latest in a series of transactions from Bhutan’s government, which has been actively selling its Bitcoin reserves since October.
Previous Transfers and Current Reserves
SpotOnChain data shows that the wallet has moved 1,696 BTC, valued at $139 million, since Bitcoin’s price surge in late October. These sales, carried out through Binance and QCP Capital, were made at an average price of $81,999 per BTC.
While the government has not disclosed the reasons behind these transactions, deposits to cryptocurrency exchanges are often associated with intentions to sell.
This marks the third major Bitcoin

India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) authorities have reported a $99.1 million tax evasion case involving 17 cryptocurrency exchanges operating in the country.
Nest Services Ltd., a company linked to Binance Group, stands out as one of the most significant offenders. The firm is accused of evading $86.8 million in GST.
India Recovers $14.7M in Crypto Tax Crackdown
According to an Economic Times report, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary revealed in a written response to the Lok Sabha that investigations have been launched into these firms.
The investigation has already led to the recovery of $14.7 million in taxes, penalties, and interest, with further recoveries expected as authorities continue their probe. Among the other exchanges under scrutiny, Zanmai Labs