Tag Archives: United States

A former senior security engineer, Shakeeb Ahmed, pled guilty to the hacking incident on the decentralized finance yield protocol, Nirvana Finance, along with another unnamed decentralized exchange (DEX). Ahmed will also forfeit over $12.3 million in stolen assets, with the United States Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York (SDNY) describing the case as the “first-ever conviction for the hack of a smart contract.” Two DEX Attacks in One Month In a press...

TL;DR Uphold is hosting an XRP giveaway to conclude 2023, offering 100,000 XRP to one winner and 1,000 XRP each to 25 participants. Eligibility requires a minimum of $20 in trades on the platform, with no limit on entry count. The giveaway is exclusive to US residents, continuing a series of similar events held by Uphold in previous months. This initiative follows Ripple’s partnership with Uphold in October to improve cross-border payments, leading to a surge in XRP trading...

Major crypto exchange KuCoin has reportedly settled with New York authorities to stop offering its services in the local market, along with a payment of $22 million. The settlement deal comes months after the New York Attorney General (NYAG) sued KuCoin for selling unregistered securities to users in the state. KuCoin Leaves New York According to a report by Reuters, the $22 million payment comprises $5.3 million to the state of New York and $16.7 million worth of crypto...

The crypto industry is at an unprecedented inflection point, which could serve as a “generational investment opportunity” that will be fleeting as more institutions enter the space and network effects lead to exponential growth, according to new research. Digital asset manager Hashdex, which is currently eyeing a spot Bitcoin ETF approval, believes prospects for such funds in the US are as high as ever, and as regulated investment vehicles become more common, the role of...

TL;DR Awaiting US SEC Decision on Spot Bitcoin ETFs: The SEC is expected to decide on several spot Bitcoin ETF applications from major firms like BlackRock and Fidelity, with deadlines in early 2024. BlackRock’s Leading Role: BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, is a key contender in the spot BTC ETF race, bolstered by its successful track record with the SEC and partnership with Coinbase. Possible Boost to Bitcoin’s Price: Approval of a spot Bitcoin ETF, especially...

Conversations about launching spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the United States have moved to advanced stages, Reuters reported Thursday, citing unnamed sources. According to the report, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has begun to ask potential spot Bitcoin ETF issuers detailed and technical questions about the products, a move the sources said indicated that the regulator might soon approve their pending applications. U.S. Spot Bitcoin ETF...

Bitcoin has gained recognition in the financial sector within two decades after its launch. This is evident in the increasing number of times the leading digital asset has been mentioned in official filings over the past years. According to recent research, the world’s largest cryptocurrency was mentioned in more than a thousand filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in November, recording a new high and indicating rising adoption of the...

A circuit court in Estonia overturned a previous ruling allowing the extradition of two Estonian citizens charged with cryptocurrency fraud and money laundering to the United States. According to the court, the Estonian government did not consider certain circumstances before agreeing to extradite the individuals involved in the case. New Court Ruling Cancels Extradition Approval Ivan Turogin and Sergei Potapenko, who ran a virtual currency mining business called HashFlare,...

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury has placed sanctions on cryptocurrency mixing service Sinbad, alleging that the mixer served as a money laundering channel for the notorious North Korean hackers Lazarus Group. According to the enforcement agency, Sinbad has been used to launder millions of dollars worth of stolen crypto assets from high-profile hacks. Lazarus Group Preferred Sinbad to Launder Stolen Crypto Funds In a...

The largest US-based crypto exchange experienced a threefold increase in law enforcement requests in the current year compared to 2020, as revealed in its latest transparency report. The total number of requests during the reporting period amounted to 13,079, marking approximately a 6% rise from the previous year. Notably, the United States maintained its position as the leading country in both 2022 and 2023, with a slight uptick in the number of requests in 2023. Coinbase...