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Students at Texas-based University Accorded with Blockchain-Powered GreenLight Credentials
The University of North Texas (UNT) in Dallas has unveiled GreenLight Credentials, a blockchain-enabled academic records verification platform, for its students, giving them more control of their transcripts.
Vitalik Buterin Explores Ethereum Protocol Enhancement Strategies
Ethereum's co-founder, Vitalik Buterin, reflects on Ethereum's protocol enhancement strategies in a recent blog post, weighing the merits of a minimalistic approach versus enshrining more features into the core protocol to address various user needs and system efficiencies. The discussion encompasses account abstraction challenges, the shift towards enshrinement, and the exploration of specific enshrinement targets like ZK-EVMs, proposer-builder separation, private mempools, liquid staking, and precompiles.
BlockFi Triumphs Over Bankruptcy, Initiates Creditor Reimbursements
BlockFi, a cryptocurrency company, emerged from bankruptcy in October 2023 and has since implemented a plan to repay creditors and return digital assets to clients. The company is now focusing on asset recoveries from entities like FTX and 3AC, processing claims for fair distributions, and Wallet customers can withdraw assets.
Digital ETP issuer 21Shares Cooperates with German Bank Comdirect to Provide Crypto ETPs to Savings Accounts
21Shares, a well-known cryptocurrency ETP issuer, announced a partnership with the German online financial services bank Comdirect to diversify more options by providing cryptocurrency ETPs to their customer savings accounts.
Bitfinex Launches $400 Million Bounty Hunt for 2016 Hackers Who Stole $1.3 Billion in BTC
Bitfinex has launched a 400 million dollar bounty hunt in search of the hackers responsible for the theft of nearly 120,000 Bitcoins from the global exchange in 2016.
Twitch Offers Bitcoin Discount to 15 million Gaming and Livestreaming Subscribers
Twitch is now leveraging BitPay’s digital currency processing network to facilitate Bitcoin cryptocurrency payments and has announced a special 10% crypto discount promotion.
How Banking Difficulties Drive Crypto Adoption in Latin America
Many businesses and individuals in Latin American countries are using cryptocurrency to buy retail goods while seeking to avoid unstable fiat markets.
Ethereum Co-founder Vitalik Buterin Engages in Spirited Debate on Wallet Security
In a recent Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Twitter, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin fielded various questions from the cryptocurrency community. The session largely revolved around the pros and cons of MPC-based (EOA) wallets versus Smart Contract wallets, providing intriguing insight into Buterin's perspective.
ImmuneFi Launches Whitehat Leaderboard to Incentivize Web3 Hackers
Bug bounty platform ImmuneFi now has a Leaderboard to rank the tip whitehats in Web3
Whitehat Hacker Receives the Largest Bounty for Identifying Exploits in Polygon's Codes
A Whitehat hacker, Gerhard Wagner, has received the largest bug bounty in history after he discovered a vulnerability in Polygon’s plasma bridge.
Pepe Coin Telegram Account Hacked
PepeCoin's Telegram account has been compromised, allowing unauthorized access under the handle "lordkeklol". The account is being used to promote fraudulent schemes and introduce other coins without team affiliation. PepeCoin encourages community reporting as a fake account for swift removal and secure channel.
Bitcoin Surges Past $28,000 and GBTC Discount Narrows to 17%
Bitcoin's value surged to $28,142 on Binance after Grayscale Investments won a lawsuit against the SEC, converting its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust into an ETF.
Sentiment Recovers Stolen Funds with Bounty
Lending protocol Sentiment has recovered stolen funds from a recent hack by offering the hacker a $95,000 bounty. The hacker returned over $771,000 in Ether, and Sentiment also received an additional 51.75 ETH. The incident highlights the importance of companies taking bug bounties seriously.
ApeCoin DAO Signs Off on a $4.4M Bug Bounty
ApeCoin DAO has agreed to launch a $4.4M bug bounty on ImmuneFi
Wintermute Accuses Near Foundation and Aurora Labs of Failing to Honor USN Redemptions
Wintermute criticizes Near Foundation and Aurora Labs for failing to fulfill USN redemption commitments, resulting in significant unredeemed funds. Seeking legal recourse and remaining adversarial if resolutions fail.
HTX Hacker Returns Stolen Ether, Rewarded with Bounty
The hacker who stole 5,000 Ether from Huobi Global's exchange HTX returned the funds on October 7, following a bounty offer from HTX. The exchange had offered a 5% bounty of the stolen funds if returned by an October 2 deadline. Upon the return of the stolen funds, the hacker was rewarded with a 250 ETH bounty, valued at approximately $410,000. The return of the funds and the bounty payout was publicly acknowledged by HTX adviser Justin Sun.
GBTC's Discount to NAV Hits New Record Low after SEC Declining its Bitcoin Spot ETF Application
Grayscale’s flagship product GBTC has continued to widen its discount. The discount signals the poor performance of the Bitcoin fund. As a solution, Grayscale wants to convert the GBTC into a spot Bitcoin ETF.
Celsius is "Deeply Insolvent", Says Vermont's Financial Regulator
Vermont's Department of Financial Regulation also said that Celsius Network is also not honouring its obligations to customers and creditors as it does not have the assets and liquidity to do so.
Fireblocks Introduces 'Off Exchange' to Address Exchange Counterparty Risk, Integrates with Deribit
Fireblocks introduces 'Off Exchange', reducing exchange counterparty risk for institutional traders, allowing them to trade directly from on-chain MPC shared wallets, marking a significant advancement in digital asset trading.
Blockchain, Brands and Clothing: Will 2020 Continue to Be a Year of Growth?
According to the global brand counterfeiting report 2018, “The growth in global trade and technology has positively affected many markets across the world, but along with that, it has some major adverse effects as well. Business organizations spend a lot of money, time and resources on protecting their brand and trademarks. But even after all the measures, the counterfeit market is booming rapidly.”
DeFi Protocol Harvest Finance Put Out $100K Bounty After $24M Attack, FARM Token Crashes
Harvest Finance is taking the offensive against an alleged attacker who exploited the DeFi protocols liquidity pools—putting a $100K bounty on the hacker.
Animoca Brands and CyberConnect Collaborate on Decentralized Social Layer for Mocaverse
On 15 Aug 2023, CyberConnect partnered with Animoca Brands to develop a decentralized social layer for Mocaverse.
Bithumb Lists Civic (CVC) and HUNT in Korean Won Markets
Bithumb, a leading virtual asset platform, has announced the addition of Civic (CVC) and HUNT tokens to its Korean Won trading market.
Ethereum's Future Unveiled by Vitalik Buterin at EthCC
At EthCC, Ethereum's Vitalik Buterin outlined the protocol's future, highlighting key developments like the transition to Proof of Stake, sharding, Verkle trees, state expiry, and Ethereum Improvement Proposals.
VanEc's Crypto Lending Fund Grants $35m Investments from 2 Fairfax Retirement Funds
VanEck, a global ETF and mutual funds investment manager, announced that it has granted a $35 million direct investment from two Fairfax County retirement funds for its crypto lending fund.
Social Media Site X Limits Changpeng Zhao's Account Access
Changpeng Zhao, former Binance CEO, faced account restriction on social media platform X amidst legal challenges, leading to widespread speculation in the crypto industry.
Ripple Releases One Billion Tokens from Escrow Again, Does This Influence XRP's Price Movement?
Ripple released a total of 1 billion XRP from its Ripple escrow account in two separate transactions of 500 million tokens each. Will XRP price plummet?
Significant Shiba Inu Token $SHIB Moved from Coinbase to Dormant Account
A dormant account received 841B $SHIB ($8.8M) from Coinbase after 2 years of inactivity. This move coincided with a notable surge in $SHIB's price, sparking intrigue in the crypto community.
Dwpbank to Offer Bitcoin to 1,200 German Banks
Deutsche WertpapierService Bank (Dwpbank) is launching wpNex, a platform that will offer Bitcoin to its affiliates’ retail customers without requiring additional Know Your Customer procedures. The platform will also include other cryptocurrencies, digital assets, and tokenized securities in the future.
Silvergate Bank Voluntary Liquidation Sparks Controversy in Crypto Industry
The recent announcement of Silvergate Bank’s voluntary liquidation has led to a heated debate in the crypto industry, with some lawmakers labeling the sector as “risky” and “volatile.” Crypto executives and commentators have criticized these remarks and suggested that government investigations and legal attacks hastened the bank’s collapse. As Silvergate winds down, some crypto firms are seeking alternative banking partners amid concerns of regulatory crackdowns and proposed tax law changes.
Alerting! CoinList's Twitter Account Hacked
Crypto platform CoinList's Twitter account was hacked on July 22, 2023. Neon EVM alerted users to avoid clicking any links.
Transit Finance Convinces Hacker to Return $2m to Protocol
Transit Finance protocol has announced there is an agreement to return at least $10,000 BNB tokens gradually after conversations with the biggest hacker.
Digital Transformation in Finance and Accounting Accelerated by Pandemic, ISG Reports
The 2023 ISG Provider Lens™ report highlights the global transformation of finance and accounting departments due to COVID-19 lockdowns and remote work, relying on external providers for digital strategies and outcome-based contracts.
CertiK: Crypto Social Media Scams Surge
CertiK discusses the growing threat of crypto scams on social media, citing a FTC report revealing over $1 billion lost in the 18 months leading to June 2022, with nearly half coming from social media interactions. It suggests preventive measures like hardware wallets and smart contract security audits.
Fantom's Evolution: From Technical Innovations to Ecosystem Expansion
Fantom continues to innovate despite facing challenges in its DeFi ecosystem. With planned technical upgrades and a focus on growing its developer community, the network aims for a robust and diversified blockchain ecosystem.
Hacker moves stolen funds after bounty launch
The hacker who stole $196 million from Euler Finance has transferred $1.65 million through Tornado Cash, after a $1 million bounty was launched. Victims pleaded for return of funds, but the hacker's move to a crypto mixer suggests they may not be swayed. On-chain data shows the stolen funds consisted of DAI, USDC, staked ETH and WBTC.
Solana Foundation Offers $400k Bounty for Critical Code Discovery
Jacob Creech announces a $400k bounty for discovering code that can halt Solana network, part of Solana Foundation's endeavor to ensure robust network security.
Blockchain Technology in the Healthcare Market Expected to Contribute $121Bn by 2030
Blockchain technology in the healthcare market is expected to reach an annual growth rate (CAGR) of 68.3% between 2022 and 2030, according to a study by Market Research Future (MRFR).
Coinbase Adds Direct Paycheck Deposit Feature into Crypto Accounts
Coinbase is launching a new feature on its platform that aims to bring one step closer to being de-factor bank accounts for its crypto users.
Three US States Target Celsius Network as The Company’s Interest-Earning Crypto Accounts Draw Concerns
Cryptocurrency lending platform Celsius Network was hit with state enforcement actions in Texas, New Jersey, and Alabama over its interest-earning cryptocurrency accounts.
Crypto Bank Custodia Files Lawsuit against Federal Reserve for Delaying Master Account Application
Wyoming state-based digital asset bank Custodia has filed a lawsuit against the authority for unlawfully delaying a decision on its applications for a master account.
Italian Banking Association Chose Decentralized Blockchain Route
The Italian Banking Association, Associazione Bancaria Italiana (ABI), chose to leverage the blockchain-based system Spunta, as they could not identify an appropriate single actor to run a centralized system.
Paxful Unfreezes Majority of Accounts
Paxful, a peer-to-peer cryptocurrency marketplace, has unfrozen 88% of previously frozen user accounts after suspending operations. The remaining $4.4 million in frozen funds is in the hands of US financial regulators.
Indian State Plans to Combat Fake COVID-19 Vaccines with Blockchain
The administration of Telangana, a southern Indian state, intends to avert any attempt of hoarding or black-marketing of COVID-19 vaccines using blockchain technology.
New York Crypto Accounting Startup Tactic Raises $2.6 Million Funding
Tactic offers solutions for businesses’ crypto and DeFi accounting needs, helping themselves successfully to raise $2.6 million in a funding round.
Arbitrum Activates Account Abstraction Endpoint Support on One and Nova
Arbitrum has officially activated support for the account abstraction endpoint on its One and Nova mainnets, following the successful passage of AIP-2.
US Government Offers $5 Million Reward for the Arrest of Venezuela’s Head of Petro Cryptocurrency
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has added Venezuela’s head of Petro cryptocurrency agency, Joselit Ramirez, to its most wanted person’s list. The US government seeks to offer a $5 million reward for information leading to Ramirez’s arrest.
SEC Chair Gensler Faces Congressional Pressure Over EU Coordination and Lack of Transparency
The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability has intensified scrutiny on SEC Chair Gary Gensler over the SEC's coordination with the EU on legislative matters and a perceived lack of transparency. The discord, highlighted in a letter dated October 12, 2023, follows a pattern of communication deadlock between the SEC and Congress, with implications on broader legislative and regulatory frameworks. The Committee expects more forthright engagement from the SEC by October 19, 2023, threatening compulsory processes for compliance.
Ethereum ERC-4337 Account Abstraction Grant Round Recipients Announced
The Ethereum Foundation has awarded grants to 18 teams in its ERC-4337 Account Abstraction grant round, supporting projects focused on ERC-4337. Notable recipients include ZeroDev Kernel, Skandha Bundler, and MynaWallet, which integrates with the Japanese Government-Issued ID Card. These grants promote modularization, diverse blockchain applications, and enhance the Ethereum network's capabilities.
Animoca Brands Partners with Untamed Planet to Develop Untamed Metaverse
Animoca Brands has announced a partnership with Untamed Planet to develop and publish Untamed Metaverse, a game to help nature conservation efforts.
SEC Charges FTX Auditor Prager Metis Over Independence Violations
The SEC has charged Prager Metis with violations of auditor independence laws, drawing attention due to its previous engagement with cryptocurrency exchange FTX, which filed for bankruptcy in 2022. The legal action emphasizes the crucial role of auditor independence in ensuring financial transparency and investor protection.
SoftBank-Backed Web3.0 Startup MarqVision Pulls $20M in Series A Funding
MarqVision, a startup known for its Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered platform,has announced it has raised the sum of $20 million in a Series A funding round
Ethereum Devnet 10 Testing Paves Way Towards Mainnet
Recent devnet 10 testing on Ethereum revealed a stable network under normal conditions, although some bugs were identified. Stress-testing exhibited increased CPU and RAM usage on some clients. The conversation around forking timelines for testnets and transitioning to mainnet was initiated, with more discussions to follow in the upcoming ACDC meeting on November 9.
Electroneum CEO Richard Ells: How ETN Mass Adoption is Empowering the Unbanked
Electroneum is a mobile cryptocurrency that is making serious strides with mass adoption and real-world use in developing nations.
Binance Accounting Vulnerability Led to Uneven Distribution of About $20M HNT
The Helium Foundation says a bug in Binance’s accounting system caused users to mistakenly receive around $20 million worth of HNT token.
IMF Warns Countries against Adopting Cryptocurrency as Money
The global regulator has renewed its warning against the use of Bitcoin as legal tender.
Central American Countries Eager to See if El Salvador’s Bitcoin Cut Remittance Costs
Central American countries closely pay attention to see if El Salvador’s Bitcoin adoption could reduce the cost of remittances.
Binance Collaborates with Tajikistan Authorities in Counterterrorism Efforts
Binance, a leading cryptocurrency exchange, has helped arrest key members of the Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP), an affiliate of ISIS. The operation was a joint effort between Binance, the National Bank of Tajikistan's Financial Monitoring Department, and blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs. Binance's proactive approach in monitoring transactions and crypto-related discussions has led to increased collaboration between platforms and law enforcement.
Scammers Involved in Uniswap Founder's Twitter Account Hack Stole $3.6M from Victims
In a recent cybersecurity incident, the Twitter account of Uniswap founder Hayden Adams (@haydenzadams) was hacked by scammers who have reportedly been active since April 2023.
Trust Wallet Discloses Security Flaw Resulting in $170k Loss
Crypto wallet Trust Wallet has reported a security vulnerability, resulting in almost $170k in losses for some users. The vulnerability has been fixed after Trust Wallet found out about it through its bug bounty program.
dYdX Chain Audit Reveals Zero Critical Issues, Confirms Informal Systems
dYdX, a leading decentralized exchange platform, has cleared a comprehensive security audit by Informal Systems. The news was shared on the official dYdX Twitter account and reposted by founder Antonio, reinforcing the platform's commitment to user security and fund safety.
Accounting Firm Wolf & Company Pairs with Bitpay to Accept Crypto Payments
Leading regional CPA firm providing insightful financial accounting and audit services Wolf & Company partners with cryptocurrency payment processor BitPay to accept cryptocurrency payments
OCC’s Brian Brooks Proposes ‘Country Coin’ Crypto Scheme to Close Global Wealth Gap
Brian Brooks, the acting Comptroller of the Currency, has a big crypto proposal to close the wealth gap between developing and developed nations - it's called “country coin.”
Allbridge Recovers $465,000 Stolen in Crypto Exploit
Allbridge has recovered $465,000 worth of cryptocurrency stolen in a recent exploit, after the attacker apparently took the project's offer for a white hat bounty and returned the funds. The stolen funds were converted to Binance USD and used as compensation. Allbridge had previously offered the attacker a chance to escape legal repercussions and receive a bounty for finding vulnerabilities. The project has yet to publicly disclose the total amount stolen but blockchain security firms estimate it to be close to $550,000.
AICPA Publishes a Practice Aid for Digital Assets
The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) has not been oblivious to the rapidly changing digital assets ecosystem as it has availed a practice aid to help in crypto accountancy. The practice aid is founded on professional experience and literature from members of the Digital Assets Working Group.
Coinbase Becomes First Custodian to Pass Two Major Security Evaluations
Coinbase Custody has become the first cryptocurrency custodian to obtain bot SOC 1 Type 2 and SOC 2 Type 2 evaluations.
Virginia Pension Fund Enters Crypto Lending Space to Enhance Returns
Fairfax County Retirements Systems, a $6.8 billion Virginia pension fund, seeks to expand its scope by entering the crypto lending market to boost its returns.
KPMG Unveils Blockchain-Based Climate Accounting Tool To Help Drive Environmental Sustainability
KPMG has unveiled a blockchain capability dubbed Climate Accounting Infrastructure (CAI) to help firms measure, report, and offset their greenhouse gas emission.
Wormhole DeFi Bridge Rewards $10m Bug Bounty
WormHole, a DeFi-based bridge protocol has paid out $10 million in Whitehat bounty for discovering cybersecurity loophole in its protocol, preventing the potential breach from hackers.
Binance Pay Launches March Promotions with ACH Rewards and Discounts
Binance Pay announces March promotions offering up to 5,070 ACH tokens in rewards and up to 50% discounts for users spending on their platform.
Binance CEO CZ Comments on Vitalik Buterin's Twitter Account Hack
On 10 Sep 2023, Binance CEO, Changpeng Zhao (CZ), addressed the hacking of Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin's Twitter account. CZ emphasized the need for stronger security on social media platforms, citing Twitter's vulnerabilities. The breach led to losses of over $691,000 for users who clicked a malicious link on Buterin's hacked account. Notably, a valuable NFT, CryptoPunk #3983, worth approximately $250,543, was stolen. Users are urged to exercise caution online.
Blockchain-Powered Farm to Plate Portal to Mitigate Recalls
Farm to Plate, a blockchain-enabled provenance tracking portal by Paramount Software Solutions, is set to address the challenge of recalls witnessed in the food & beverage sector.
Quant Firm Kronos Research Loses $1.4M: Code Tampered by Disgruntled Engineers
Kronos Research, a top cryptocurrency trading team, suffered a $1.4 million loss in 2020 due to malicious code alteration by disgruntled engineers Chen and Xu, who conspired to embed errors, leading to a fine and 10-month sentence.
OpenAI Launches Bug Bounty Program
OpenAI has launched a bug bounty program to address privacy and cybersecurity issues, inviting security researchers and ethical hackers to identify and address vulnerabilities in its systems. The program offers cash rewards ranging from $200 to $20,000 for qualifying vulnerability information.
French Police Arrest 29 People for Financing Syrian Islamist Terrorists Using Bitcoin Coupons
French police have apprehended 29 individuals suspected of funding Islamist extremists in Syria using cryptocurrencies.
BBVA’s Switzerland Launches Cryptocurrency Wallet Integration Feature with Digital Investment Account
BBVA has developed its crypto trading services with a new investment account. The bank has developed its mobile bank app that allows its clients in European union countries and several markets in South America to connect their cryptocurrency wallets to their digital investment accounts.
Worldcoin Emerges as Largest Deployer of Safe Wallets on Polygon Blockchain, Onboards 1.2 Million Self-Custodial Safe Smart Accounts
A tweet from Worldcoin states that they have successfully onboarded an impressive 1.2 million self-custodial Safe Smart Accounts
Xbox Teams with Inworld AI for Game Dev AI Tools
Xbox and Inworld AI have partnered to develop AI tools for dialogue and narrative creation, aiming to empower creators in the gaming industry.
"The Wars to Come," Blockchain - A Game Changer for Auditors
Blockchain technology has the potential to upend Audit, Assurance and Control functions —Auditors need to stay attuned to emerging use cases. As Role and skillsets of Auditors will change as new Blockchain-based techniques and procedures emerge.
Congressional Memo Challenges SEC's SAB 121
Congress members question the enforceability of the Securities and Exchange Commission's Staff Accounting Bulletin 121, arguing it deviates from standard accounting practices, misrepresents custodians' responsibilities, and increases consumer risk.
Flow Blockchain Proposes Full EVM Equivalence to Enhance Composability and Usability
Flow blockchain unveils proposal for full EVM equivalence, bridging Ethereum dApp ecosystem with Flow’s unique capabilities. The move aims to enhance composability, interoperability, and user experience across the blockchain space.
Goldman Sachs Trades First Over-the-Counter Crypto Transaction with Galaxy Digital
Goldman Sachs has become the major US bank to conduct the first over-the-counter crypto trade.
Polygon Emerges as Second-Largest Blockchain Gaming Network
In March, Polygon saw a surge in user activity, making it the second-largest blockchain gaming network in terms of unique active wallets. Polygon's Hunters On-Chain game, which has seen a 17,000% UAW increase in the past 30 days alone, was a significant contributor to this surge. Polygon's NFT integrations and partnerships with big-name companies like Warner Music, Starbucks, and Reddit have also contributed to its bullish momentum.
FASB Finalizes New Accounting Standards for Crypto Assets
FASB's new ASU No. 2023-08 mandates fair value measurement for certain crypto assets, enhancing transparency and relevance in financial reporting, effective post-December 2024.
United States CFTC Issues Advisory on Digital Currencies for Futures Commission Merchants
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has released an advisory to futures commission merchants clarifying how to hold digital currencies in segregated accounts.
Mixin Network Urges Hacker to Return Funds, Offers $20M Bug Bounty
Mixin Network, compromised in a $200 million hack, has directly communicated with the hacker, offering a $20M bug bounty for the return of stolen assets. The transaction was confirmed on Ethereum block 18225451. Investigations by cybersecurity firms are ongoing, and the incident has led to debates about security measures in the crypto ecosystem.
Sam Bankman-Fried Dodges Questions on Alameda Debt Repayment Risks
FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried was questioned about using funds to repay Alameda's lenders, sparking discussions on risk management practices and potential user reputation implications.
Uniswap Labs Announces Bug Bounty Program with Rewards Up to 2.25 Million USDC
Uniswap Labs has launched a Bug Bounty Program to encourage ethical hackers and security researchers to report vulnerabilities in its contracts. Successful disclosures can earn rewards of up to 2,250,000 USDC, targeting Universal Router Contract Code, Permit2 Contract Code, V3 Contract Code, and UniswapX Contract Code.
Deloitte Partners With Chronicled to Fight Counterfeit Medication Using Blockchain Technology
Leading audit firm Deloitte has partnered with Chronicled, a San Francisco tech company, to address medication fraud and counterfeit drugs through blockchain technology. Chronicled will provide its blockchain-enabled network dubbed MediLedger that has been instrumental in the healthcare and life sciences sector.
Circle Formally Refutes Allegations of Illicit Financing and Connections to Justin Sun
Circle denies CfA's allegations of illicit financing and Justin Sun ties, emphasizing regulatory compliance and advocating for stronger stablecoin laws, as clarified by Dante Disparte.