Author: Roland Guirdonan

Article written by Roland Guirdonan

Lazarus Group is behind Bybit’s $1.5 billion hack on Friday

17 hours ago 1 min read

Arkham Intelligence, a blockchain analytics firm, reported that North Korea’s Lazarus Group was responsible for the recent $1.46 billion hack of the cryptocurrency exchange Bybit. The firm initially offered a reward of 50,000 ARKM tokens for information about the attackers. Later, on-chain investigator ZachXBT provided strong evidence linking the hack to Lazarus Group. His analysis included detailed transaction data and wallet connections related to the attack. This hack is considered

Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) issues $2 billion in convertible notes to buy more Bitcoin

February 20, 2025 1 min read

Strategy, formerly known as MicroStrategy, is issuing $2 billion in convertible senior notes. This funding will be used to buy more Bitcoin. The company has a history of accumulating Bitcoin through stock offerings. Michael Saylor, the CEO, mentioned that the firm did not buy any Bitcoin last week. This pause interrupted their usual buying trend. However, Strategy remains dedicated to its Bitcoin strategy. Since starting to acquire Bitcoin, the company

Abu Dhabi invests $436.9M in the iShares Bitcoin ETF

February 15, 2025 2 mins read

Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company made a significant investment of $436.9 million in the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF during the first quarter of 2024. This purchase involved around 8.2 million units of the ETF and was revealed through a recent SEC filing. Mubadala manages over $280 billion in assets, marking this as a notable entry into cryptocurrency for a major sovereign wealth fund. This investment reflects a growing interest in

Japan’s FSA considers approving Bitcoin ETFs and cutting crypto taxes

February 11, 2025 2 mins read

Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) is exploring the possibility of allowing Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and reducing taxes for crypto investors. If these changes are approved, they could help integrate cryptocurrencies into the traditional financial system, encouraging more people to invest and enhancing protections for investors. The FSA is currently in discussions with financial experts to see if existing regulations can adapt to the fast-changing crypto landscape. These discussions are

FTX emails creditors under $50,000 about fund distributions

February 10, 2025 1 min read

FTX has begun notifying creditors with claims under $50,000 about their fund allocation. They have emailed these creditors to explain the next steps for receiving payments. Sunil, a representative for FTX creditors, shared this news on X. Payments will not come directly from FTX. Instead, creditors must sign up with BitGo or Kraken, which are the chosen distribution service providers. FTX has already sent the first batch of funds to

MicroStrategy ends its 12-week Bitcoin buying streak

February 5, 2025 1 min read

MicroStrategy has paused its Bitcoin purchases after a 12-week buying spree, surprising many in the crypto world. The company holds a vast amount of Bitcoin worth billions, but it did not add to its holdings this week. Michael Saylor, the CEO, confirmed this pause and noted that they did not sell any Class A common stock or use the proceeds to buy more Bitcoin. This change raises questions about the

Coinbase users lose over $150 million in social engineering scams

February 3, 2025 1 min read

ZachXBT, a blockchain analyst, has reported that Coinbase users have lost at least $150 million due to social engineering scams. One victim lost a staggering $11.5 million in Bitcoin on Base, Coinbase’s layer-2 network. This situation raises serious concerns about the security of this major US cryptocurrency exchange. On January 31, ZachXBT highlighted another significant theft. A user lost 110 cbBTC, which is Coinbase’s wrapped Bitcoin, after falling for a

UBS is testing blockchain to boost retail gold investments

February 2, 2025 1 min read

UBS, Switzerland’s largest bank, has successfully tested its fractional gold investment product called UBS Key4 Gold. This project uses blockchain technology on ZKsync Validium, which is a layer 2 solution on the Ethereum network. UBS manages assets worth $5.7 trillion and is leading the way in combining blockchain with traditional finance. The goal of UBS Key4 Gold is to make gold investments accessible to retail investors. The bank is working

Securitize and Apollo teams up to launch a diversified credit fund

February 2, 2025 1 min read

Securitize, a tokenization platform, has teamed up with Apollo, a major alternative asset manager worth $730 billion. They announced their partnership on January 30, aiming to launch the Apollo Diversified Credit Securitize Fund, known as ACRED, on multiple blockchains. This fund will provide tokenized access to a diversified credit strategy. It will be available on popular networks like Solana, Ethereum, Aptos, Ink, Avalanche, and Polygon. This marks the first time

Virtuals Protocol price rises to highs of $2.65

February 1, 2025 1 min read

The cryptocurrency market is always changing, and recently, the value of VIRTUAL, the token for Virtuals Protocol, has surged. This increase followed the announcement of its listing on Upbit, a major cryptocurrency exchange in South Korea. The token rose by 28%, reaching $2.65 during morning trading in Europe. This news has attracted many investors, showing the potential of this innovative project in the blockchain space. Market data reveals that VIRTUAL’s

Blockchain investigator ZachXBT helped recover $20M in stolen crypto for the U.S. gov

January 23, 2025 2 mins read

ZachXBT, a well-known blockchain investigator, recently shared that he helped the U.S. government recover $20 million stolen in a hack but received no financial reward for his efforts. He discussed his commitment to the crypto industry on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting the minimal financial returns for his investigative work. ZachXBT mentioned that despite his significant contributions, he often remains uncompensated. He has played a crucial role in exposing scams and

Over $3 billion in Bitcoin and Ethereum options expire today

January 18, 2025 1 min read

Today, approximately $3 billion in Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) options are expiring, generating notable activity in the cryptocurrency market. This event coincides with Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration, adding to the excitement as Bitcoin exceeds the $100,000 milestone. Specifically, over 21,600 Bitcoin options contracts, valued at around $2.2 billion, are set to expire. The put-to-call ratio for Bitcoin stands at 0.94, indicating a positive outlook among traders who anticipate price