2024-06-05 11:25

Crypto users are being warned to be careful with email newsletters in the coming days. The attack targeted newsletter vendors and was reported by several crypto companies. Users were warned to be vigilant against malicious phishing links. It is currently unclear how much, if anything, has been stolen. Several cryptocurrency businesses are reporting that there is an ongoing “supply chain email breach attack” that uses newsletter mailing lists to send malicious phishing links to users. The breach targeted an unnamed vendor that manages mailing lists for crypto companies. Bitfinex CTO Paolo Ardoino and CoinGecko founder Bobby Ong have confirmed that a breach has taken place. “There is an ongoing supply chain email breach attack happening with an email newsletter vendor right now,” Ong said. “Several crypto companies may be affected via email blasts of fake token launches. Be careful with email newsletters in the coming days.” "We have received two independent confirmations that a prominent vendor used by crypto companies to manage mailing lists might have been compromised. "Please beware of any emails suggesting crypto-airdrops received more than 24 hours ago," Ardoino. added. Phishing is a technique used by hackers to lure a victim into clicking on a malicious link. That link will either drain that user’s personal information, like login data, or it can link directly to an online crypto wallet, giving the attacker access to the user’s wallet. The amount, if any, that has been stolen from phishing links in connection with this breach is currently unclear. https://www.coindesk.com/business/2024/06/05/crypto-firms-hit-by-newsletter-breach-attack-mailing-lists-leaked/

2024-06-05 11:09

Trading volumes of ecosystem tokens more than doubled in the past 24 hours, with meme coin FLOKI leading gains among larger tokens. BNB Chain ecosystem projects experienced a surge in activity, token prices and trading volume. The BNB token price hit an all-time high of more than $710. The increase is attributed to several factors including token burns, the large user base in the Eastern world and technical features that enable the development of low-cost projects. Projects across the BNB Chain ecosystem recorded a jump in activity, token prices and trading volume as the blockchain’s native BNB token hit a record price above $710 during the Asian morning. Trading volumes of BNB Chain-based tokens surged 124% in the past 24 hours, CoinGecko data shows. Dog-themed meme coin floki (FLOKI), based on both Ethereum and BNB Chain, where it is the biggest meme token, led gains with an advance of more than 25%. Decentralized exchange PancakeSwap’s CAKE jumped 15%. Among projects with a market capitalization of under $200 million, the price of trading service Sensi’s SENSI rocketed 900%, with trading volumes increasing from $14,000 on Monday to $100,000 as of Wednesday morning. The value locked on BNB ecosystem projects rose nearly 8%, data tracked by DefiLlama shows, led by PancakeSwap and lending application Venus. Net inflows into the ecosystem topped $2.4 million as of Wednesday morning, breaking a trend of net outflows since May 30. While there was no immediate catalyst for BNB’s price gain, some market observers suggested several existing activities had boosted the token’s fundamentals. “BNB's price is benefiting from years of token burns and token lock initiatives for their launchpad program,” Nick Ruck, head of growth at bitcoin yield project BitU, wrote in a Telegram message. “BNB protocols have also ramped up campaigns and activities due to cheaper gas fees and have cultivated a large and energetic user base.” Burns are the permanent deletion of tokens from circulating supply by sending them to an address not controlled by anyone. Since 2021, these burns have been based on removing a portion of the gas fees spent on BNB Chain transactions. Nearly $400,000 of the tokens were burned in the past seven days, blockchain trackers show. "BNB chain is perhaps the most underrated chain in all of crypto, partly due to some anti-Binance/BNB narratives being pushed in some quarters,” said a Floki developer identified only as B. “However, from a fundamentals perspective, the BNB chain is one of the best chains to build on: it is fast, scalable, and arguably the most used chain by the majority of the non-Western world.” BNB Chain was initially developed as Binance Smart Chain and the world's largest exchange still supports its development and funding. “We are prioritizing the BNB chain for the Floki Trading Bot, which will be going live soon, as well as for several other products. This action has paid dividends: Floki currently has 5 times more holders on the BNB chain than ETH, and the vast majority of our community is made up of people who use the chain,” B said. https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2024/06/05/bnb-chain-ecosystem-heats-up-as-token-hits-lifetime-high-above-710/

2024-06-05 07:21

Binance and Gambaryan are facing money laundering and tax evasion charges in the country. The lawmakers say Gambaryan is being held hostage and they fear for his life. The Binance exec has been detained in Nigeria for nearly three months and may be suffering from Malaria. A group of U.S. lawmakers asked President Joe Biden to bring back Tigran Gambaryan, the Binance executive who has been detained in Nigeria for almost three months. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the House Foreign Affairs Committee chair, along with 11 other leaders, sent a letter to Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger D. Carstens. In the letter, they urged the president to treat Gambaryan's case as a hostage situation and bring him back to the U.S. Gambaryan is a U.S. citizen and Binance’s head of compliance. “We fear for his life. Immediate action is essential to ensure his safety and preserve his life. We must act swiftly before it is too late,” they said. Gambaryan and another company executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla, were detained by Nigerian officials after they were invited by the country to resolve a dispute with the crypto exchange. Anjarwalla managed to escape, but Gambaryan has been in Nigeria for almost three months. The detained exec’s family has said that he is ill and may have malaria. He had collapsed in a Nigerian court on May 24. Binance and Gambaryan are facing money laundering and tax evasion charges in Nigeria. https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2024/06/05/us-lawmakers-push-biden-to-bring-back-detained-binance-exec-tigran-gambaryan-from-nigeria/

2024-06-05 05:18

This marked the best day of inflows since March and the second-highest overall since 11 bitcoin ETFs went live in January. U.S.-listed spot bitcoin ETFs saw over $880 million in inflows on Tuesday, led by Fidelity's FBTC. Bitcoin rose over $71,000 in Asian trading hours, adding 3% in the past 24 hours, with the CoinDesk 20 index rising 2.65%. U.S.-listed spot bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETF) saw over $880 million in inflows on Tuesday led by Fidelity, provisional data released on Wednesday shows. Bitcoin rose over $71,000 in Asian trading hours as the data went public, adding 3% in the past 24 hours. The broad-based CoinDesk 20 (CD20), an index of the largest tokens, rose 2.65% Fidelity’s FBTC took on $378 million in inflows, the highest among counterparts. BlackRock’s IBIT followed with $270 million, while Grayscale’s GBTC – infamous for its outflows – took on $28 million. This marked the best day of inflows since March and the second-highest overall since 11 bitcoin ETFs went live in January. Inflow activity has picked up recently amid a generally bullish sentiment after a dismal few weeks from mid-April to early May, a period that saw zero net inflows on some days and even outflows from major ETFs such as BlackRock’s IBIT. Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas said on X that the ETFs have taken on $3.3 billion in the past four weeks, and their net year-to-date has crossed the $15 billion mark. The higher activity comes a few weeks after ether (ETH) spot ETF got approved for listing in the U.S. and a positive outlook for cryptocurrencies from the ongoing U.S. presidential campaign. https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2024/06/05/bitcoin-crosses-71k-as-btc-etfs-see-880m-inflows-in-best-day-since-march/

2024-06-04 22:37

Bain Capital has been an active investor in crypto since its initial fund launch, participating in a $115 million round for Sam Altman's Worldcoin. Bain Capital Crypto is planning to launch a second fund, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Bain Capital launched its first crypto fund in March 2022. The $560 million fund launched just before the collapse of Do Kwon's Luna triggered a massive rout in the crypto market. Despite the ensuing crypto winter, Bain Capital was an active investor throughout 2022 and 2023, participating in rounds such as Sam Altman's $115 million Worldcoin fundraise, privacy protocol Nocturne Labs and decentralized exchange aggregator Flood. Co-led by Stefan Cohen and Alex Evans, the first fund focuses on early-stage investments and liquid tokens in the decentralized finance (DeFi) and Web3 sectors and has already invested nearly $100 million in projects while actively participating in protocol governance. Bain Capital Crypto declined to comment on the new fund through its public relations agency, citing compliance concerns. https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2024/06/04/bain-capital-crypto-raising-second-fund-filing/

2024-06-04 19:48

The judge dismissed the SEC case against DEBT Box last week, after the regulator filed for dismissal without prejudice. The Securities and Exchange Commission's Salt Lake City office – notorious in the crypto world for its failed fraud lawsuit against DEBT Box – will shut down after seeing "significant attrition" among its staff, some of whom were pushed out over the case. SEC lawyers Michael Welsh and Joseph Watkins resigned in April after a federal judge sanctioned them for committing a "gross abuse of power" in seeking to freeze the assets of Utah-based crypto company DEBT Box on misleading grounds. Just last week the judge dismissed that case and ordered the SEC to pay DEBT Box $1.8 million in legal fees. "The agency considered its budget and organizational efficiency in deciding to close the office, and it has no plans to close any other regional offices," said a press release. The regulator's Denver office will take over any enforcement jurisdiction, the SEC said. https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2024/06/04/sec-to-shutter-office-behind-failed-debt-box-crypto-lawsuit/